BLOOMBERG FOR BLACKBERRY

Transcription

1 BLOOMBERG FOR BLACKBERRY Maintenance of Device Software 13 February 2008 Version: 1.0

2 1 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION Scope 2 2. DOWNLOADING of DEVICE SOFTWARE 3 3. SOFTWARE RELEASE SCHEDULE 4 4. SOFTWARE EXPIRY POLICY 5 5. BLOOMBERG for BLACKBERRY AUTO-UPDATER Bloomberg.Updater.Version 6 6. VERSION NUMBER FORMAT 7 7. NETWORK CONNECTION ROUTES Automatic Route Failover B-UNIT Token Prompt 9 8. OS SPECIFIC COD FILES (COM_BLOOMBERG_OSAPI) 9 9. REPLIGO (DOCUMENT VIEWER) DEPLOYMENT (UPDATE) USE CASES Auto-Updater Disabled Version Control & Auto-Updater Auto-Updater & Software Configuration BLOOMBERG CUSTOM IT POLICY SETTINGS BASIC STEPS FOR CREATING SOFTWARE CONFIGURATION LINKS TO DOCUMENTATION FROM RIM BlackBerry Enterprise Server Administration Guide Supplemental Documents Troubleshoot Your Problem Additional Support 24

3 1. INTRODUCTION Bloomberg for BlackBerry allows Bloomberg Anywhere subscribers to stay in touch with the financial markets whilst they are on the move and away from a Bloomberg Terminal. It allows access to many popular Bloomberg functions including MSG, IB, TOP, PEOPLE, Market Monitors like WEI, WEIF, WB and personal NW & BLP monitors created by the user. Bloomberg for BlackBerry is a free add-on to the Bloomberg Professional Service for customers with Bloomberg Anywhere Subscriptions. Since we view Bloomberg for BlackBerry as a service rather than a software application we have adopted a fluid software release cycle, which enables us to react quickly to customer feedback and needs, in the rapidly changing markets in which our customers conduct business. 1.1.Scope We have made every effort to ensure the information in this document is correct at the time of writing. This document should NOT be used as a basis to make changes on your BlackBerry systems, please refer to documentation provided by Research in Motion. Many of the features mentioned in this document are available in Bloomberg for BlackBerry version (February 2008) and above, however Bloomberg for BlackBerry is continuously improving and more features will be added (some even removed) in future version. For the latest up to date information please contact Bloomberg Support. 2

4 3 2. DOWNLOADING of DEVICE SOFTWARE The device software can be downloaded from The site hosts the current and the beta release of Bloomberg for BlackBerry. It also hosts RepliGo, the 3rd party application for viewing documents. Visit for further information. There are two links for each package; an Install now link for directly installing on to the device and a Download link for downloading the zip file, which contain the necessary files for installation using BlackBerry Desktop Manager or BES OTA. NB. The files from the Install now link should not be used for creating software configuration on the BES. Files over 64K in size are split into sub-cod files and hosted on this link. This is required because some BlackBerry Browsers limit the size of the file that can be downloaded per network connection. The alx & cod files in the zip from the download link should be used to create software configurations.

5 3. SOFTWARE RELEASE SCHEDULE To meet the needs of our customers and continually improve the Bloomberg Professional Service, Bloomberg for BlackBerry device software is released on a monthly schedule (similar to our desktop terminal software release schedule). The release schedule is as follows: 1st of the month, device software is released to all users signed up to the beta program. This gives IT departments the opportunity to evaluate the software and update any internal release procedures to accommodate the new release. Beta users can update device software using the Auto-Updater built into Bloomberg for BlackBerry or download it from the install now link The beta release is regarded as the final cut and it is the version we intend to roll out to all users. However, if a critical defect is discovered, then at our discretion, a new version containing the fix will be created and rolled out. This will be communicated to all beta users as soon as the new release is ready. 7th of the month, device software is released to all internal Bloomberg employees. The software gets another 8 days of thorough testing from a larger user base before full roll out. 15th of the month, device software is released to all Bloomberg for BlackBerry users. 4 NB. The device software will automatically notify users when a new version is available (Unless, Bloomberg for BlackBerry Auto-Updater has been disabled or configured to install another version)

6 4. SOFTWARE EXPIRY POLICY Bloomberg supports 3 versions of Bloomberg for BlackBerry at any moment in time; the current up-to-date version, the previous month s and the two month old version. This ensures all our customers are on a relatively new version and have all the latest enhancements and fixes. This policy is similar to the Bloomberg Terminal software and ensures that we meet the demand from our users as they conduct business in the rapidly changing financial markets. 5 Bloomberg for BlackBerry software is released on the 15th of each month to all users. Expiry of obsolete versions is done at the end of each month. As shown in the above diagram, at the end of May the previous February release is obsolete and will be expired. Starting from the 21st of May (10 days before the end of the month) users running February software will be prompted to upgrade by the device software. On the 1st of June users still on the expired February release will only see the Upgrade, HELPx2 and Logout icon on the device. The Upgrade icon can be used to upgrade the device software to the latest version, the HELPx2 icon can be used to communicate with Bloomberg s Live 24x7 Helpdesk and the Logout icon logs the user off Bloomberg for BlackBerry. 5. BLOOMBERG for BLACKBERRY AUTO-UPDATER Customers are free to deploy and update Bloomberg for BlackBerry using whichever method works best for them, be it web downloads, BES OTA Install, Desktop Manager or custom inhouse process. Since the rate of software release is demanding, customers are encouraged to establish a process that allows regular upgrades with minimal effort. The upgrade process can install the latest release or any version that has not expired. The vast majority of Bloomberg for BlackBerry customers have found the built in auto-update feature to be the most reliable and maintenance free method of keeping device software up-todate. Auto-Updater has been built specifically for updating Bloomberg for BlackBerry and it has been tuned for that purpose only. Some of the advantages of using Auto-Updater are: Checks regularly to determine if a new version is available. Downloads only file deltas to minimize download size. Downloads are performed in the background without user interruption. Only prompts user to upgrade after all files have been downloaded. There is no need to communicate a version is available using other means. Will remind user to upgrade if later" is selected on the upgrade prompt. All user settings are preserved during upgrade.

7 The files are downloaded from Bloomberg servers via the Bloomberg data connection; further network connections are not required. Notifies user if there is not enough free memory on the device to complete the update. If update fails for some reason then a full roll back to the previous installation is attempted. When the device software detects a new version of software is available, auto-updater will start the download of file deltas. These will be downloaded in the background over a period of time. The download rate is throttled so that there is minimal performance degradation on the device during the download phase. There is logic built in to cope with the device going in and out off network coverage and reboots. After the file deltas has been downloaded, new cod files are generated using the delta files and the existing cod files on the device. Then the user is prompted to start the installation of the update. If the user selects Later, the popup prompt will be displayed again 24 hours later. If yes is selected, the installation process will start. During this process detailed log messages are written to the device log and can later be used to diagnose installation failures. If there is a partial failure of the installation, then a full rollback is attempted. After the installation process has run its course the user is prompted to reboot the device. NB. Software Configuration and Application Control Policy can be applied to the device to prevent installation of 3rd party software or only allow approved versions of a particular application. In such cases Bloomberg for BlackBerry Auto-Updater will not be able to perform the update unless both the new and the existing versions are allowed by Application Control Policy. As the name suggests, Auto-Updater can only update an existing installation of Bloomberg for BlackBerry. Initial installation still has to be managed by customers Bloomberg.Updater.Version The Auto-Updater periodically checks if new software is available. It will always attempt to download and install the latest available version. Customers can also control which version is downloaded and installed by Auto-Updater using the custom IT Policy settings Bloomberg.Updater.Version. This custom policy gives full control to the BES Administrator of which version gets installed using Auto-Updater. The Administrator decides the version, the date and time of when Auto- Updater starts the update process. Device software will start prompting users to upgrade, starting ten days before the expiry date. This cannot be turned off. If a user manually runs the Auto-Updater process or selects yes to the imminent expiry prompt and there is a new version available that is more recent then the version specified by Bloomberg.Updater.Version, then a message will be displayed stating their IT Department does not allow updating to this version and they should contact them. 6

8 6. VERSION NUMBER FORMAT Starting from the January 2008 release of Bloomberg for BlackBerry, the device software will use a new version number format. This has been done to allow easy identification of a version with the year and month of release. The format is: 7 Major.Year.Month.Minor Major major version number, currently 1. Year the year of the release. Month the month of the release. Minor iteration of the software for that month before it was released. Example of version numbers: Version Description Comment November 2007 release December 2007 release January 2008 release Start of new version number format February 2008 release

9 8 7. NETWORK CONNECTION ROUTES Bloomberg for BlackBerry is able to connect to Bloomberg servers using any available data connection routes on the device. These are illustrated in the diagram below. Routes available on the device will depend on the network carrier, data plan subscription and IT policy set by the user s IT Department. Bloomberg for BlackBerry automatically detects the available connections and will use them in the following priority order: Bloomberg BlackBerry Gateway (bloombergmds, bloombergmds-backup) BlackBerry MDS BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) Direct (WiFi, TCP, WAP) NB. BlackBerry devices with least-cost routing support will automatically use WiFi or USB when available. Least-cost routing works for the Gateway, MDS and BIS routes Automatic Route Failover If Bloomberg for BlackBerry is not able to connect via its preferred route, it will fail over to the next available route on the priority list. The device will retry the preferred route again within 3 hours. Bloomberg specific custom IT Policies can be used to specify the routes for Bloomberg for BlackBerry.

10 7.2. B-UNIT Token Prompt When Bloomberg for BlackBerry was first released, it was only available to connect to Bloomberg servers if the device was activated on a BES and Bloomberg BlackBerry Gateway was installed. The activation of the device and installation of the gateway was seen as a security measure and thus users were able to login onto Bloomberg for BlackBerry using only username and password. The January 2008 release, with support for the new connection routes, does not require the device to be activated on a BES or require Bloomberg BlackBerry Gateway. Anyone can purchase a BlackBerry, install the device software from the website and attempt to login. To ensure users attempting to login are actual Bloomberg Anywhere subscribers, the first login on the device requires a b-unit token to be entered. This first login pairs the device with the user. Subsequent logins by the user on the same device require only username and password. All new Bloomberg for BlackBerry users are required to login using a b-unit token regardless of the connection route. To minimize disruption to legacy users (i.e. existing users who have already logged in using only username & password) they are not required to enter a b-unit token if they re-login on the same device. NB. This does cause an issue if the device fails over to a non Bloomberg BlackBerry Gateway route. When this happens the user is logged out because a b-unit code was never entered on the device but it is mandatory for non Gateway route. If this happens please have the user contact Bloomberg support with their b-unit at hand. From the February 2008 release onward, occurrence of this will be rare. 8. OS SPECIFIC COD FILES (COM_BLOOMBERG_OSAPI) BlackBerry Operating System 4.0 is the minimum required for Bloomberg for BlackBerry. Until the January 2008 release (version ) Bloomberg for BlackBerry only made use of features available in 4.0 OS and ignored the new features available in later OS versions. Starting with the January 2008 release, we have added OS specific code and started taking advantage of new features (e.g. WiFi, USB bypass, etc.) in OS versions higher than 4.0. All OS specific code is encapsulated in one cod file, com_bloomberg_osapi.cod. There are 6 instances of this file, one for each OS version. The instance for OS 4.0 is in the root directory, while the others are in sub-directories. The name of the directory matching the OS version contains the instance of com_bloomberg_osapi.cod for that OS 9

11 10 All instances of com_bloomberg_osapi.cod are referenced in all.alx. As shown in the diagram below: The link below contains Research In Motion s knowledgebase article on the use of a single ALX and multiple application versions: 651/How_To_- _Create_a_single_ALX_file_to_install_multiple_versions_of_an_application.html?nodeid= &vernum=0 BES OTA, BlackBerry Desktop Manager and Bloomberg Auto-Updater are able to correctly install the instance of com_bloomberg_osapi.cod corresponding to the OS version. However, where software configuration is employed to control application install, then all-for-software-configuration.alx file should be used to create the software configuration. This file should also be used to deploy the software to the device. all-forsoftware-configuration.alx refers to 4.0 of com_bloomberg_osapi.cod in the root directory.

12 11 all.alx file should NOT be used because even though it refers to all instances of com_bloomberg_osapi.cod, only the file in the root directory is added to the Software Configration. This causes the install process to fail when it attempts to install com_bloomberg_osapi.cod matching the OS version. jad files do not support multiple instances of cod files either. all.jad, the install now link on refers to the 4.0 of com_bloomberg_osapi.cod. If it is used to install Bloomberg for BlackBerry and Auto-Updater is enabled, Auto-Updater will NOT then install com_bloomberg_osapi.cod matching the OS. However, on the next upgrade cycle, Auto-Updater WILL attempt to install the version matching the OS (unless of course Bloomberg.Updater.OSAPI.OsVersion tells otherwise) It is possible to copy a higher version of com_bloomberg_osapi.cod into the root directory (overwriting the existing one) before indexing all-for-softwareconfiguration.alx and creating the list of allowed cod files under Software Configuration. For example, copying the 4.1 instance will enable the features available on 4.1 OS. Then BES OTA and Desktop Manager install using all-for-software-configuration can be used to deploy. Bloomberg for BlackBerry Auto-Updater can also be used, but it has to be told which instance of com_bloomberg_osapi.cod should be installed using the custom IT Policy Bloomberg.Updater.OSAPI.OsVersion=4.1. This approach is only feasible if all the devices in the distribution group are at LEAST on 4.1 OS (or higher if a higher instance of the cod file is used). Deploying a cod file built for a higher OS may render the device unusable!

13 9. REPLIGO (DOCUMENT VIEWER) Bloomberg users can access various documents on the Bloomberg Terminal. These include attachments on Bloomberg MSG, company filings, attachments on news stories, law documents, etc. These documents can also be viewed on Bloomberg for BlackBerry using the RepliGo Professional product from Cerience Corporation. 12 We have an agreement with Cerience to deploy RepliGo Professional to all Bloomberg for BlackBerry users. RepliGo can be downloaded and installed from The cod files are referenced in all.alx as a separate application instance. This means that if all.alx is added to BES software configuration RepliGo will be listed as a separate application. Bloomberg for BlackBerry Auto-Updater checks if the device already has RepliGo installed (this includes an old version that is not supported by Bloomberg for BlackBerry). Auto-Updater will not attempt to install RepliGo if the device already has a version. NB. RepliGo 2.1 versions are compatible with Bloomberg for BlackBerry. This means customers can install RepliGo directly from Cerience and use it with Bloomberg for BlackBerry. Installing RepliGo server internally will also allow customers to view attachments on their internal mail system using RepliGo.

14 13 10.DEPLOYMENT (UPDATE) USE CASES Auto-Updater Disabled Customers are free to deploy and update Bloomberg for BlackBerry using whichever method suits them best. Bloomberg requires that users are kept within the Software Expiry Policy. Bloomberg for BlackBerry Auto-Updater is on by default and may be turned off. This can be done using the Bloomberg custom IT Policy Bloomberg.Updater.Enabled. i.e. Bloomberg.Updater.Enabled=False Version Control & Auto-Updater Customers with an internal software control process may decide when and which version they want their users to update to. They may select a particular version that has been approved, but still use the Bloomberg for BlackBerry Auto-Updater. This has all the advantages of leaving the support and hosting of the deployment infrastructure to Bloomberg, with the ultimate decision and control being left to the customer. To achieve this use the Bloomberg.Updater.Version custom IT Policy to set the required version and assign it to users. e.g. Bloomberg.Updater.Version= Auto-Updater & Software Configuration If Software Configuration is used to control installation, then only those cod files that have been allowed can be installed on the device. Customers wishing to take advantage of the Bloomberg for BlackBerry Auto-Updater can still do so and control which software is allowed on a device. To do this, two versions of Bloomberg for BlackBerry have to be added to a software configuration and assigned to users. However, it is not possible to add two applications with the same application id to a software configuration. The work around is to open one of the alx files and edit the application id as shown below:

15 14 PLEASE NOTE: THIS SHOULD ONLY BE USED TO ALLOW TWO VERSIONS OF BLOOMBERG SO THAT BLOOMBERG FOR BLACKBERRY WILL BE ABLE TO UPDATE ITSELF. THIS MODIFIED ALX FILE SHOULD NOT BE USED TO DEPLOY SOFTWARE USING ANY OTHER METHOD AS THIS MAY RESULT IN DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE SAME COD FILE BEING INSTALLED ON THE DEVICE. all.alx (and all-for-software-configuration.alx) reference the RepliGo Attachment viewer application which will cause a duplicate application error. In the case of RepliGo, rather than changing the application id just remove the application from one of the ALX files, since both are identical. If a new version is released by Cerience, remove the oldest one. There is no need to allow two versions of RepliGo at the same time. Auto-Updater will always try and upgrade to the latest general release of Bloomberg for BlackBerry. To set this to the version that has been allowed, use the custom IT Policy Bloomberg.Updater.Version. Please refer to the section titled COM_BLOOMBERG_OSAPI for details of how to deal with multiple instances of com_bloomberg_ospai.cod. Auto-Updater will install the instance of com_bloomberg_osapi.cod corresponding to the device OS version.typically customers will allow only one instance. Please use the custom IT Policy

16 Bloomberg.Updater.OSAPI.OsVersion to configure Auto-Updater to the required version of com_bloomberg_osapi.cod. 11.BLOOMBERG CUSTOM IT POLICY SETTINGS Custom IT Policy or User Defined Items can be used to set various options for Bloomberg for BlackBerry. 15

17 The custom IT Policy settings available on Bloomberg for BlackBerry are described below: Custom IT Policy Name Data Type Default Value Description Bloomberg.Transport.DefaultGateway string bloombergmds:4444 The DNS name of the server running Bloomberg BlackBerry Gateway Service Bloomberg.Transport.DefaultBackupGateway string bloombergmdsbackup:4444 The DNS name of the server running the backup Bloomberg BlackBerry Gateway Service Bloomberg.Transport.HttpProxy string <none> Address of the HTTP Proxy Server for connecting from the MDS to Bloomberg (via the Internet). Only used for the MDS route. Bloomberg.Transport.HttpProxyUsername string <none> Username for connecting to the above HTTP Proxy Server Bloomberg.Transport.HttpProxyPassword string <none> Password for connecting to the above HTTP Proxy server. Bloomberg.Transport.DefaultPushPort integer 4545 The port number to be used for accepting BlackBerry MDS push messages. Used for the MDS Gateway route only. Bloomberg.Security.UiLockTimeout integer 240 The inactivity timeout period in minutes before Bloomberg for BlackBerry screen is locked. This can be turned off by setting the value to 0. The user will be logged out of Bloomberg automatically after 3 days of inactivity. Bloomberg.Transport.AllowRoutesByDefault boolean True Determines whether routes which are not explicitly enabled or disabled (see below) should be used. Bloomberg.Transport.AllowRoute.GW boolean <not set> Enable/Disable use of the Gateway route. AllowRoutesByDefault setting is used if this is not set. Bloomberg.Transport.AllowRoute.MDS boolean <not set> Enable/Disable use of the MDS route. AllowRoutesByDefault setting is used if this is not set. Bloomberg.Transport.AllowRoute.BIS boolean <not set> Enable/Disable use of the BIS route. AllowRoutesByDefault setting is used if this is not set. Bloomberg.Transport.AllowRoute.Direct.WiFi boolean <not set> Enable/Disable use of the Direct WiFi route. AllowRoutesByDefault setting is used if this is not set. Bloomberg.Transport.AllowRoute.Direct.TCP boolean <not set> Enable/Disable use of the Direct TCP route. AllowRoutesByDefault setting is used if this is not set.

18 Bloomberg.Transport.AllowRoute.Direct.WAP boolean <not set> Enable/Disable use of the Direct WAP route. AllowRoutesByDefault setting is used if this is not set. Bloomberg.Updater.OSAPI.OsVersion string <determined by device OS version> 17 The instance of this cod file installed on the device by auto-updater is determined by the OS version number. This policy can be used to set an override. **DO NOT SET THIS VALUE TO BE HIGHER THAN THE ACTUAL OS VERSION** Bloomberg.Updater.Enabled boolean True Enable/Disable Auto-Updater. Bloomberg.Updater.Version string <latest> Update to this version using Auto-Updater

19 12.BASIC STEPS FOR CREATING SOFTWARE CONFIGURATION Please find below some basic steps for creating software configuration and application control polices. These instructions are intended to be a quick guide and should NOT be treated as complete. Please refer to documentation from Research in Motion for complete instructions Install the BlackBerry Desktop Manager - Ensure Disallow Third Party Application Download is set to False. - Create a network share under C:\Program Files\Common File\Research In Motion\ - Copy Bloomberg for BlackBerry files into a subdirectory within the shared folder

20 19 - Index the files using Loader.exe - Results of indexing (two files created) - Create the software configuration. Enter the name of the share created as the software location.

21 20 - Create a disallow application policy and ensure Disposition is set to Disallowed - Create an allow application policy and ensure Disposition is set to Optional. Optional setting is recommended for use with the Bloomberg for BlackBerry Auto-Updater.

22 21 - Create the Software Configuration and assign the above Application Control Polices. Set disallow policy at the top level and allow policy for Bloomberg for BlackBerry. - Assign the newly created Software Configuration to users

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24 23 13.LINKS TO DOCUMENTATION FROM RIM 13.1.BlackBerry Enterprise Server Administration Guide Please refer to the corresponding BlackBerry Enterprise Server version Administration Guide or Handheld Management Guide. BlackBerry Enterprise Server for Microsoft Exchange Version Link Page 4.1.X Administration Guide X Handheld Management Guide 14 BlackBerry Enterprise Server for IBM Lotus Domino Version Link Page 4.1.X Administration Guide X Handheld Management Guide 14 BlackBerry Enterprise Server for Novell GroupWise Version Link Page 4.1.X Administration Guide X Handheld Management Guide 16 BlackBerry Enterprise Server for MDS Applications Version Link Page Administration Guide Administration Guide Supplemental Documents If you were unable to successfully set up a software configuration using the above BlackBerry Enterprise Server Administrative Guide, please refer to the following knowledge base articles and verify your steps. Note: Ensure you have BlackBerry Desktop Software and BlackBerry Device Software installed on your network drive How to control and remove third-party software using software configuration &sliceid=sal_public&dialogid= &stateid=0%200% Configure third-party applications for wireless deployment &sliceid=sal_public&dialogid= &stateid=0%200%

25 Troubleshoot Your Problem Review the following relevant knowledge base articles before contacting any of your support channels. 1) Application Push does not begin immediately after adding BlackBerry device users to the Software Configuration &sliceid=sal_public&dialogid= &stateid=0%200% ) Applying different software configurations &sliceid=sal_public&dialogid= &stateid=0%200% ) Create an allowed list for third-party application control &sliceid=sal_public&dialogid= &stateid=0%200% ) Remove BlackBerry smartphone users from software configuration without removing the application from the BlackBerry smartphone &sliceid=sal_public&dialogid= &stateid=0%200% Additional Support If you are still unable to resolve your issue and require further support, contact your BlackBerry Enterprise Server support channel or purchase technical support directly from Research In Motion by clicking the following link