Windows Push Notification Service
 Overview of the WNS architecture. | |
| Developer(s) | Microsoft |
|---|---|
| Target platform(s) | Windows Phone 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile |
| Programming language(s) | C# |
| Status | Active |
| License | Closed-source |
Windows Push Notification Service (commonly referred to as Windows Notification Service or WNS) is a service developed by Microsoft for the Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Windows Mobile platforms. It allows for developers to send push data ("toast" and "tile" updates) to Windows and Windows Mobile applications that implement the feature. Designed as a successor to the Microsoft Push Notification Service, it was first supported on Windows 8 and subsequently on Windows Phone 8.1 upon its release.[1] In 2015, Microsoft announced that the WNS would be expanded to utilize the Universal Windows Platform architecture, allowing for push data to be sent to Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile, XBOX, as well as other supported platforms using universal API calls and POST requests.[2]
Technical details
Design and compatibility
The Windows Push Notification Service was designed as a successor to the Microsoft Push Notification Service (MPNS), which was only supported natively on the Windows Phone 8 Operating System. Developers can still use the MPNS on apps that are installed on newer versions of Windows Mobile, but only if the Windows application was already registered to use the MPNS and has been converted to a Microsoft Silverlight application and modified to re-target the new platform.[3]
Architecture
The architecture of the Windows Push Notification Service is similar to that of its predecessor, in that it consists of servers and interfaces that generate, maintain, store, and authenticate unique identifiers (called Channel URI Identifiers) for all devices that register to use the service.[1] When a device enrolls to receive data and notification information using the WNS, it first sends a device registration request to WNS network. The WNS network acknowledges the request, and responds with the device's unique Channel URI Identifier. Typically, the device will ten send its identifier to a server owned by the developer so that it can be stored and used for sending notifications. When the app developer wishes to transmit a notification or other WNS data to the device, it will transmit a POST request to the WNS network. The network will acknowledge and authenticate the request. If the authentication succeeds, the data to be transmitted is enqueued and then sent to the device from the WNS network using the Channel URI Identifier.
References
- 1 2 "Windows Push Notification Services (WNS) overview (Windows Runtime apps)". Microsoft. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
- ↑ Gallo, Kevin (March 2, 2015). "A first look at the Windows 10 universal app platform". Microsoft. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
- ↑ "Choosing MPNS or WNS for a Windows Phone Silverlight 8.1 app". Microsoft. Retrieved November 4, 2015.