ActiveSync

From DGCWiki

1 Overview
2 Some Implementations of ActiveSync
3 General ActiveSync information
4 ActiveSync Licensees
5 ActiveSync Issues/Problems
6 ActiveSync Logs

Overview

ActiveSync appears to have all the usual Sync Features - Slow Sync, Fast Sync, Sync Anchors, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, Email, Files, etc.

Supports Gzip, over the air lookup from Global Address Book, various security/policy options.

Architecture overview available at: https://espace.cern.ch/NICE-Techmeetings/Document%20Library/1/2005/2005-12-05%20SP2%20Mobility.ppt

Note that a number of specifications related to ActiveSync - but not ActiveSync itself are available. See ExchangeProtocols

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Some Implementations of ActiveSync

http://z-push.sourceforge.net/soswp/ - ZPush - gpl2 license - EXCLUDING the US, PHP based This includes support for 2 backends - a simple maildir format, or the commercial Zarafa package for Email, Calendar, and Contacts.

http://www.syncce.org - SyncCE is Unix software to interface with Windows Mobile/CE devices. http://www.opensync.org can be used with SyncCE (has a SyncCE plugin). Note opensync is a follow-on to Multisync, lists itself as ALPHA, and bases its SyncML support on libsyncml (now at http://libsyncml.opensync.org). Also note that it appears to only support the older version of ActiveSync - there are comments about not working with Windows Mobile 5. Also, there are numerous restrictions - like usernames and passwords are not fully supported with SyncML.

Zimbra?

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General ActiveSync information

You aren't allowed to syncronize through your PC - it must be done over the air, your mobile device direct to the internet (it was a "security risk"). More details are available in ActiveSyncIssues.

[TBD - The Use of OMA DM to update Firmware on a Windows Mobile Device]

[Microsoft TBD - Marketing White Paper on ActiveSync]

To actually license Microsoft ActiveSync protocol & IP from Microsoft is supposed to cost the greater of $100,000 or the first years profits http://www.microsoft.com/about/legal/intellectualproperty/protocols/easp.mspx. Ouch.

Note that much of the documentation refers to EASP - for Exchange ActiveSync Protocol.

Note that ActiveSync 3.x uses PPP between the PC and the Mobile Device. RAPI is the documented API that lets someone utilize ActiveSync programmatically. For Wireless Datagram Protocol, EASP uses port 1034 to send notifications over the air (not via cable).

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