Introduction to Nokia Connectivity Framework

Nokia Connectivity Framework is a tool, which manages, configures and integrates products so that they can communicate with each other. NCF provides an integration platform for delivering content data in mobile development environment between the connected external software components, for example, phone emulators, content development tools, software development tools, real time server emulators, and server emulators. With the help of NCF a user can construct, maintain, modify and use development environments that support different technologies, formats, and versions.

NCF is a suite for the installation, configuration, connecting, and visualization of products. NCF provides a way to handle products and their connections. The possibility to compile products and build environments is not only provided for Nokia products but for other suppliers’ products also. Created environments can be transferred between different NCFs, and an environment can be distributed as well. The possibility to integrate applications with products provides an opportunity to examine environments. NCF monitors log information of communication between environment elements. The monitoring feature offers versatile possibilities to follow communication from basic message routing to message content analyzing.

The NCF tool offers two instances of the product: NCF Lite and NCF Full. (Figure 1) NCF Lite covers core functionalities of communication. It manages communication between products in a local machine. NCF Lite is constructed from different technology and communication components, which can be included in every future Nokia emulator and installed with the emulator. NCF Lite, which has been installed in the local machine, is updated with new components when a new product is installed in the local machine.

NCF Lite offers easy and fast communication environment for the products. The communication between NCF compatible products can be established via several communication technologies. NCF enables products to communicate with each other with several content types. NCF takes care that communication and content handling seems easy for the product user. NCF Lite can be used without NCF Full. NCF Full extends NCF Lite functionalities with additional features. NCF Full offers complete environment that covers user interface and all features of the NCF Lite. It provides also product and environment management features and monitoring of the communication. Auto detection is a feature of the both instances.

Figure: NCF Components Layout