Symbol Technologies MC3000 - Manual (Page 161)

AirBEAM Smart 8-3
Introduction
The AirBEAM Smart product allows specially designed software packages to be transferred between a host server and Symbol
wireless handheld devices. Before transfer, AirBEAM Smart checks and compares package version, so that only updated packages
are loaded.
AirBEAM Smart resides on radio-equipped client devices and allows them to request, download and install software, as well as to
upload files and status data. Both download and upload of files can be accomplished in a single communications session. The ability
to transfer software over a radio network can greatly reduce the logistical efforts of client software management.
In an AirBEAM Smart system, a network-accessible host server acts as the storage point for the software transfer. The AirBEAM
Smart Client uses the industry standard FTP or TFTP file transfer protocols to check the host system for updates and if necessary, to
transfer updated software.
AirBEAM Package Builder
In a typical distributed AirBEAM Smart system, software to be transferred is organized into packages. In general, an AirBEAM Smart
package is simply a set of files that are assigned attributes both as an entire package and as individual component files. The package
is assigned a version number and the transfer occurs when an updated version is available.
An AirBEAM Smart package can optionally contain developer-specified logic to be used to install the package. Installation logic is
typically used to update client device flash images or radio firmware. Examples of common AirBEAM Smart packages would include
packages for custom client application software, radio firmware and AirBEAM Smart Client software.
Once these packages are built, they are installed on the host server for retrieval by the handheld device. The AirBEAM Package Builder
is a utility used to define, generate and install AirBEAM packages to a server. The packages are then loaded from the server onto a
client device equipped with an AirBEAM Smart Client executable.
For detailed instructions on how to define, generate and install AirBEAM packages to the server, refer to the AirBEAM Package
Builder Product Reference Guide, p/n 72-55769-xx.
AirBEAM Smart Client
The AirBEAM Smart Client is installed on the handheld mobile computer. It is configured with the server access information, the
names of the packages to be downloaded and other controlling parameters. When the AirBEAM Smart Client is launched, the device
connects to the specified FTP server and checks the packages it is configured to look for. If the package version was updated, the
client requests the transfer.
AirBEAM Smart License
The AirBEAM Smart Client is a licensed software product. The AirBEAM Smart Client version synchronization functionality is enabled
through a license key file that is stored on the client device. The license key file can be built into AirBEAM Smart Client's image, or
downloaded in a special AirBEAM package. The AirBEAM Smart license key file contains a unique key and a customer specific banner
that is displayed when the AirBEAM Smart Client version synchronization logic is invoked.
The AirBEAM Smart Client package that is included on the mobile computer does not include a licence key. This software version is
limited to downloading of specific Symbol software products. A license key can be purchased that will allow the downloading of
custom applications and other non-Symbol software products.