What’s New in Mobile Services & Notification Hubs

Miranda LunaElio Damaggio

@MLunes90@ElioDamaggio

DEV-B330

AgendaMobile Services UpdatesAAD authentication.NET backend Data Access & Offline SyncHybrid ConnectionsAPI Management

Notification Hubs UpdatesMobile Push Notifications 101Notification Hubs with Mobile ServicesTargeted notifications with tagsSecure tags when pushing to usersSecure push notificationsPush-to-sync

Questions & Resources

Mobile Services

Mobile Services Investment Areas

1. Consumer-Facing Apps in Organizations2. Employee-Facing Apps in Organizations

What’s New

.NET backendHeterogeneous data Hybrid ConnectionsOffline syncXamarin

AAD AuthenticationVisual StudioAPI ManagementNotification HubsSencha

AAD Authentication

Azure Active Directory

Extend line-of-business to mobile

Bring turn-key login experience with corporate credentials to mobile developers

Enable applications built around organizational structures

Make AAD users a first-class concept in Mobile Services, with push-to-user and per-user data

Active Directory Authentication Library (ADAL)

Facilitates login to AAD-protected resources

Provides single sign-on to multiple enterprise resources

Available for Windows Store, iOS, and Android

1) Client app uses ADAL to initiate login, user enters credentials which are sent to AAD

2) AAD returns an Access Token / Refresh Token pair for the mobile service to ADAL

3) The client passes the Access Token to the mobile service, exchanges for the Mobile Services token for a continued session

Basic ADAL + Mobile Services Flow

3

2

1

1) Mobile Service passes Access Token to AAD along with a requested resource URI and its Client ID / Client Secret

2) AAD sends back an Access Token / Refresh Token pair for the remote resource

3) Mobile Service talks to the remote resource on behalf of the logged-in user

Access resources on behalf of the user

1 2

3

.NET Backend

Backend for Your Employee or Consumer app in seconds Your Backend Logic via .NET Web APITurn-key Mobile Backend Capabilities

Secure data store/query/page with heterogeneous backendsAzure Active DirectorySupport occasionally connected apps

Local debuggingFlexible data modelClient SDKs

iOS, Android, Windows, WinPhone, Xamarin, PhoneGap, Sencha

Integration With Your On-Premise Enterprise Systems, O365We Manage, Run, and Monitor your backend for you

Mobile Services .NET

source

Mobile Servicescompatible WebAPIcontrollers

git

WebDeploy

Commit hook: Build project

WebsiteXDRIVE\site\wwwroot

Mobile Servicescompatible WebAPIcontrollers

Web.config

C:\...\MobileServices

Mobile Servicesruntime

Web.config

website root

load

User database:EF code-first migrationsor custom migrations

App settingsinjected here

Data Access & Offline Sync

New data model (“greenfield”)

TableController

DataManagerDTO

DTO

Mobile ServiceDevice

SQL Database

BYOD

MongoDB

Table Storage

Existing data model (“brownfield”)

TableController

DataManagerDTO

DTO

Mobile ServiceDevice

Model

AutoMapper

Azure SQL db/BYOD

ExistingTables

SystemPropertiesTable

Offline support

TableController(with optimistic concurrency)

Mobile ServiceDevice

SQL Database

BYOD

MongoDB

Table Storage

SQLite

Explicit Push/Pull

Conflict resolution

Store table operations in local data store

push changes from local data store on device to mobile servicepull changes from mobile service to local data store on the device

SQL-lite out of the box local data store defined by an interface so use whatever you’d like

Offline Support

PushAsyncpush is executed on whole context, not specific tablessupports relationships between entities on client side

PullAsynceither pull all or a subset of items from remote table pull triggers a push; ensures pull doesn’t introduce data inconsistency

PurgeAsyncClear local cache to update the data which the app no longer needspurge triggers a push; ensures info is saved to server before removing from local store

Offline Methods

Handling Offline Conflicts1.var localTable = client.GetSyncTable<TodoItem>();2.var remoteTable = client.GetTable<TodoItem>();3.await localTable.PullAsync();4. 5.var firstItem = (awaitlocalTable.Take(1).ToEnumerableAsync()).FirstOrDefault();6.var firstItemCopy = newTodoItem7.{8.    Id = firstItem.Id,9.    Version = firstItem.Version,10.    Text = firstItem.Text,11.    Complete = firstItem.Complete12.};13. 14.firstItemCopy.Text = "Modified";15.await remoteTable.UpdateAsync(firstItemCopy);16.AddToDebug("Updated the item on the server");17. 18.firstItem.Text = "Modified locally";19.await localTable.UpdateAsync(firstItem);20.AddToDebug("Updated the same item in the local table");21. 22.AddToDebug("Number of pending operations: {0}", client.SyncContext.PendingOperations);23.await client.SyncContext.PushAsync();

Hybrid Connections

Fastest way to consume on-premises resources in a Mobile Services app

without saving those assets to the cloud without changing any codewithout requiring a WCF service

Connect to any on-premises resource that uses a static TCP port

SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, Sharepoint, HTTP Web APIs, custom web services

Create a new Hybrid Connection within BizTalk Services for free.

No prior BizTalk knowledge or skills required

Hybrid Connections

BizTalk Services Hybrid Connections

Microsoft Azure Your Enterprise

Hybrid Connections Manager

Connection string points to

My-Database: 1433

My-Database

Port: 1433

Hybrid Connection

API Management

Build & Host

Publish & Manage

Mobile Services

Web Sites

API Management

WINDOWS AZURE API

DEVELOPER PORTAL

ADMINPORTAL

PROXY

MCROSOFT AZURE

API MANAGEMENT

PUBLISHER / ADMIN

DEVELOPERS

APPS

BACKEND

Can be hosted anywhere: public

cloud or on-premises

API Management Features

ADAPTFormats, protocols, URIs, aggregation

EXPOSEDiscovery, packaging, subscriptions, docs

PROTECTAuthorization, quotas, rate limits, request validation

UNDERSTANDUsage, health, latency, activity, trends

MANAGE Lifecycle, versioning, monitoring

Notification Hubs

Push Notifications

What’s New

Kindle (ADM) supportTag ExpressionsVisual Studio integrationMobile Services integrationNew push-based pricingBulk registration mgmt. APIsXamarin

Push Notifications

Push 101Use Notification Hubs from Mobile ServicesNotification Hubs

Target notifications with tagsSecure tags when pushing to usersSecure pushPush to sync

Push 101

Mobile push is everywhere

Reservation changes, Deals, Back-officeTravel/Hospitality/Airlines

SMS replacement, Deals, Back-officeBanking/Insurance

Orders, Product UX,Back-officeDiscrete manufacturing/Auto

Prescriptions, Appointments,LOB (maintenance)Healthcare

Breaking newsNews/Media

Offers, Orders, Back-officeRetail

Push notification lifecycle

Registration at app launch1. Client app contacts Platform Notification Service, to retrieve

current channel (e.g. ChannelURIs, device tokens, registrationIds)

2. App updates handle in back-end

Sending Notification3. App back-end send notification to PNS4. PNS pushes the notification to the app on the device

Maintenance5. Delete expired handles when PNS rejects them

PlatformNotification

Service

App back-end

Challenges of push notifications

Platform dependency• Different communication protocols (e.g. HTTP vs TCP, xml vs json)• Different presentation formats and capabilities (alerts vs tiles vs toasts vs badges)

Routing• PNS’ provide a way to send a message to a device/channel• Usually notifications are targeted at users or interest groups (e.g. employees assigned to a

customer account)• App back-end has to maintain a registry associating device handles to interest groups/users

Scale• App back-end has to store handles for each device high storage and VM costs• Broadcast to millions of devices with low latency requires parallelization (DB ad VM)

Advantages of using Notification Hubs

X-plat: from any back-end to any mobile platformBackend can be on-prem or in the cloud, .NET/Node/Java/PHP/Node/anything. Support Windows Phone/Windows/iOS/Android and Kindle Fire.

No need to store device information in the app back-endNotification Hub maintains the registry of devices and the associations to users/interest groups

Routing and interest groupsTarget individual users and large interest groups using tags

Personalization and localizationKeep your back-end free of presentation concerns like localization and user preferences using templates

Broadcast at scale, multicast, unicastPush notifications to millions of devices (across platforms) with a single call

TelemetryRich telemetry available through portal or APIs

Using Notification Hubs

One-time set up1. Create a Notification Hub

Register2. The client app retrieves its current handle from the

PNS3. Client app creates (or updates) a registration on the

Notification Hub with the current handle

Send Notification4. The app back-end sends a message to the Notification

Hub5. Notification Hub pushes it to the PNS’

APNsWNS

Notification Hub

App back-end

iOS app Windows app

MPNS

GCM

ADM

MICROSOFT CONFIDENTIAL – INTERNAL ONLY

Some snippetsRegister Send

Windows / Windows Phoneawait hub.RegisterNativeAsync(channel.Uri);

iOS[hub registerNativeWithDeviceToken:deviceToken

tags:nilcompletion:^(NSError* error) { … }];

Android / Kindlehub.register(regid);

.NETvar toast = @“<notification payload>";hub.SendWindowsNativeNotificationAsync(toast);

Node / Mobile ServiceshubService.wns.sendToastText01(null, { text1: 'Hello from Node!' }, function (error) { … });

Tags

Tags as interest groups1. Client app can register with a set of tags2. Tags are simple strings (no pre-provisioning is required)3. App back-end can target all clients with the same tag

You can use tags also forMultiple type of interest groups, e.g.

Follow bands: tag “followband:Beatles”Follow users: tag “followuser:Alice”

Tag devices with a user id

Notification Hub

App back-end

Tag:”Beatles”Tag:”Wailers”

Tag:”Beatles”

MICROSOFT CONFIDENTIAL – INTERNAL ONLY

Some snippetsRegister

Windows / Windows Phoneawait hub.RegisterNativeAsync(channel.Uri, new string[] {"myTag", "myOtherTag"});

iOS[hub registerNativeWithDeviceToken:deviceToken tags:@[@"myTag", @"myOtherTag"] completion:

^(NSError* error) {…

}];

Android / Kindlehub.register(regid, "myTag“, "myOtherTag");

Tag expressions

Social “All my group except me”group:id && !user:id

Events Touchdown event is send to everybody following either teamFollowteam:A || Followteam:B || followplayer:1 || followplayer:2 …

Hours Send notifications at specific times. E.g. Tag with timezone, @12pm in Seattle send:timezone:PST && follows:thaifood

Versions & platforms Send a reminder to update to your first Android app version:version:1.0 && platform:Android

Case StudiesBing (news, finance, sports, …)

Sochi 2014

Preinstalled on windows

Millions of devices

Millions of notifications/day

Minutes to delivery

Interest groups(countries, disciplines, athletes)

Localized notifications

Million devices(iOS, Android, WP)

Million notifications

10s

3+ <2

100s

3+ 150+

Sochi 2014 Results App Localized for each user’s

language, country and time zone

Segmented and personalized push based on event type, sport, and athlete preferences

Social and current as a result of Facebook and Twitter integration, refreshed content and merchandise

Notification Hubs & Mobile Services

Powered by Notification HubsAccess broadcast at scale, push to user and interest groups, localization templates and more…

No more Channels tableSimple two steps process to push notifications, no data handling

1 Unit of Notification Hubs included for freeNode.js and .NET

New push engine for Mobile Services

From Mobile Services

Maintains Notification Hubs’ surfaceCall register to register tags from the device

Push from your scripts

push.wns.sendToastText04( null, { text1: ‘Hello!’ }, { success: function() { console.log("Sent push"); } });

MobileService.Push.RegisterNativeAsync(channel);

Secure tags for push to users

Register from your back-endWhen tags have to be secured

When devices register, they can register for any tagSometimes tags have to be secure (e.g. using ‘{userId}’ as tag)App back-end can authenticate the user before registering the device

When back-end has to modify tagsTags change as a result of:• Actions on different devices (e.g. adding a tag from the web app)• Other user’s actions (e.g. a manager adding an employee to a work group)

Tags are derived from analytics or other user data

Registering from the back-end

Identify your device1. Cannot use ChannelURIs/device tokens/…2. Keep long-living NH registration ids in device storage

Register3. First time only,

a) Request registration id from hub, andb) Store it on device storage

4. CreateOrUpdate device registration (@ every app start)

5. Back-end can verify and/or add tags (e.g. performing auth)

Notes6. Nothing is stored in the app back-end7. Do not use device SDK

(risk: multiple registrations for each device)

Notification HubApp back-

end

{id}

upsert({id}, channel, tags)

createId()

Back-end driven tag updates

Use a tag to identify user1. Back-end usually refers to users and not devices2. Register devices with a tag like ‘userid:{id}’

Back-end updates tags3. Retrieve device registration(s) by userid4. Update tags

Note5. No device information in app back-end6. Back-end only refers to users

Notification HubApp back-

end

getByTag(userid)

update(tags)

Super easy with Mobile Services (.NET)Login the user in the deviceRegister from the device

Implement registration callback to inject user tag

Push to user

await App.MobileService.GetPush().RegisterNativeAsync(channel.Uri);

public class AddAADUser : INotificationHandler{ public void Register(ApiServices services, HttpRequestContext context, NotificationRegistration registration) { registration.Tags.Add("aaduser:" + context.Principal.Identity.Name);    }}

services.Push.SendAsync(msg, "aaduserid:" + context.Principal.Identity.Name);

Secure Push

Secure push & Rich push

Deliver content directly from BE1. Rich media (images, videos, html, …)2. Retrieve the content securely from BE

NotesPlatform dependentSecure push has to use a long lived auth token on app

App back-end

Notification HubDownload m

edia/msg

Push to sync(no sensitive info)

Push to Sync

Push to Sync

Updates app state1. Does not show a message to the user

Example: music app2. User changes playlist on desktop3. Back-end sends a ‘push-to-sync’ notifications to user’s

devices4. Phone receives push and starts downloading new song5. User finds the new song already on their phone!

Platform-dependentWindows/Windows Phone (only lock-screen apps / 8.1)iOS (only since iOS 7)Android/Kindle

App back-end

Notification Hub

Download new song

Push to sync

Add new song

Telemetry

Telemetry, security, and scaleTelemetry

Portal dashboard and programmatic access for all outcomes exposed by PNS’.

SecurityRole-based security available to restrict access to hub for:• Device registration management rights• Sending rights• PNS credentials rights

ScaleGuidance for very high scale depends on specific scenariosAny audience <5million devices and <5million pushes per day can use a single hub

PricingCurrent

Private Preview For unicast/1-to-1 push notifications at high volume (>300M/mo) Email mobileservices@microsoft.com for details

Free Basic Standard

Price (/mo) Free $20/unit/mo $199/unit/mo

Active Devices 500/namespace Unlimited Unlimited

Pushes 100K/unit/mo 500K/unit/mo 5 M/unit/mo

Scaling N/A 9 units Unlimited

Azure Mobile

Microsoft is making a massive investment to provide an end-to-end story for cross-platform mobile app development and

management

Mobile ServicesNotification HubsAPI ManagementBizTalk Hybrid ConnectionsIntuneAzure AD

with more to come…

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