Desktop app network traffic

The following sections describe the types of network traffic you can expect when installing or using the desktop app.

For release 6.1.8.90 or earlier, the desktop app downloads a 

config\baseurl.asp

 file and receives a response that is about 1184 bytes. The desktop app then makes a sign-on request (99=SO) and receives a response that is about 232 bytes. The total sign-on traffic is about 1416 bytes.

For release 7.0.0.1 and later, the ASP code base is replaced with ASP.Net, but the download size is the same.

For release 6.1.8.91 or earlier, the desktop app makes a Check Update request (99=CU) and receives a response that is about 564 bytes. 

For release 7.0.0.1 and later, the ASP code base is replaced with ASP.Net.

 If check update indicates that there is an update pending, a Get Update (GU) call follows. For example, when an operator changes the desktop app settings in the management system, the desktop app receives a response at the next check update that indicates a get update is needed. 

The desktop app then makes a GU request after the Check Update, and receives the settings as XML in the response. The desktop app saves the settings in an XML file in the user’s 

AppData\Local\AtHoc[edition]

 folder. For example, 

AppData\Local\AtHocGov

.

 During a first-time sign on (that is, every time the desktop app starts up or when the session expires), the desktop app downloads all settings. This includes about nine files, for a total of about 5291 bytes, depending on factors such as the number of items in the system tray menu.

Alert downloads can include a WAV or logo file. The alert is downloaded as an XML file with a name such as 

DUA209999990.XML

. The alert file is stored in the user’s 

AppData\Local\AtHoc[edition]

 folder. If the alert includes audio, the WAV file is downloaded separately and stored in the 

ProgramData\AtHoc[edition]\wav 

folder if not already present on the user’s machine.

The following table shows the relationship between logo size and alert payload size.

The above values are close approximations of the actual network traffic. The values are the size of the response text or files at the user’s computer and do not consider compression or HTTPS.

 

1

 The discrepancy in number of bytes between a payload with no image and one with an image is due to the image appearing as a binary blob in four locations in the code that is downloaded. This is a known issue in the server code base for release 6.1.8.90 and earlier. Versions 7.0.0.1and later do not have this issue.