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MBAE deprecation alert

Important

Starting in Windows 10, version 1803, the MBAE app feel is replaced by an MO UWP app. For more information about MO UWP apps, see UWP mobile broadband apps.

You can create and submit a service metadata package to create an experience that is deeply integrated with Windows. When Windows detects mobile broadband hardware that matches the operator's service metadata package, it automatically downloads the service metadata and the specified mobile broadband app.

Service metadata contains the information that describes a service, including the following:

  • The service provider proper name

  • 1 or more service categories

  • Mobile broadband-specific information

  • Mobile broadband app

  • Mobile broadband profiles

  • Trusted certificates for provisioning XML

  • DeviceNotificationHandler element

  • PrivilegedApplications element

The data in the metadata is used to customize aspects of the Windows 8, Windows 8.one, and Windows 10 user experience and provide integration with a mobile broadband app, previously known equally a mobile operator app.

A service metadata packet consists of multiple XML documents stored within a .devicemetadata-ms file. Each document specifies various components of the service'due south attributes. These XML documents provide Windows Connection Manager with customizations that appear to the user, besides as network configuration information.

For reference information about the XML documents in a service metadata package, see Service metadata package schema reference.

Service metadata contents

The following summary describes some of the most interesting fields that are independent and divers inside a service metadata bundle:

  • Hardware IDs
    For a GSM network, you can submit a metadata package that describes the IMSI or ICCID ranges against which you desire your service metadata parcel to friction match. If y'all are an MVNO, yous tin can specify one or more ranges of IMSIs or SIM ICC IDs that you have leased from an MNO. For a CDMA network, you tin can submit a parcel by using Provider ID (SID/NID) or Provider Proper name. The hardware IDs represent to the HardwareID element in the service metadata package schema. For more than information about how to program your Hardware Identification (HWID) ranges for MNO and MVNO scenarios, come across Delivering experiences for MVNOs

  • Service number
    The unique ID for the mobile broadband service provider. This GUID is besides used to identify the operator when using Account Provisioning Metadata. If you lot update the device metadata package, this GUID must remain the same. The service number corresponds to the ServiceNumber element in the service metadata packet schema.

  • Operator logo A custom logo that appears in Windows Connection Director next to your network entry. (The logo is hidden when the user is on a roaming network.) The operator logo corresponds to the ServiceIconFile element in the service metadata bundle schema. For more information virtually the logo requirements, run into Service Icon Requirements.

    Important

    In Windows 10, version 1709 and later, this field has been replaced by branding through COSA. Fields in COSA for branding are described on Planning your desktop COSA/APN database submission. If you are targeting versions of Windows earlier Windows ten, version 1709, you volition withal create a metadata package equally described in this section. For more information most COSA, see COSA overview.

  • Mobile broadband app
    A UWP device app that is automatically downloaded and practical to the computer. This app can provide primal experiences such as plan purchase, data usage, and help and support, and can highlight value-added services.

  • MB Buy Profile
    Buy profile that is used for establishing limited connectivity for purchasing a subscription.

    If y'all are a GSM operator who has only one Purchase APN for all subscribers, you lot can use the service metadata to provision that to the estimator. If you have multiple Purchase APNs, you should use account provisioning metadata to fix the advisable purchase APN. Or, you can do nothing and utilize the entries that are stored in the APN database to provide APN connectivity data.

  • MB Internet profile
    Every mobile broadband subscription tin can have one default profile that is used to connect to the home network operator. The Windows Connection Director uses this contour for auto-connecting to the network.

    If you are a GSM operator who has only one Internet APN for all subscribers, you can use the service metadata to provision the figurer. If you lot have multiple Net APNs, you lot should use account provisioning metadata to prepare the appropriate internet APN. Or, you tin can exercise nothing and use the entries that are stored in the APN database to provide APN connectivity information.

  • Document information
    Certificate information used for provisioning. This includes Document Issuer Proper noun and Subject Proper name. This information is used to ensure that account provisioning operations that are initiated by a website are issued by a trusted operator.

  • Custom operator proper name
    The mobile broadband device typically provides the operator name, which Windows shows in Windows Connection Manager. You tin override this name by specifying a custom name in metadata. This proper name displays simply if the user is on a habitation network and is not on a roaming network. A displayed roaming network name is based on data that is received from the device. This corresponds to the ServiceProvider element in the service package metadata schema.

    Of import

    In Windows 10, Version 1709 and after, this field has been replaced by branding through COSA. Fields in COSA for branding are described on Planning your desktop COSA/APN database submission. If yous are targeting versions of Windows before Windows 10, Version 1709, you volition still create a metadata parcel as described in this section. For more information well-nigh COSA, come across COSA overview.

  • Device notification handler
    In general, an app must be run by the user at least one time before it tin annals work items with the Organisation Result broker. However, mobile broadband apps might need to receive important events earlier the user can run the app. You can specify the DeviceNotificationHandler element in service metadata, which Windows will use to register some critical events. For more data virtually SMS notifications, meet Delivering experiences for MVNOs.

  • List of privileged apps with admission to mobile broadband restricted interfaces
    Mobile Broadband APIs and interfaces (including Account Provisioning and SMS) are restricted and available to mobile broadband apps merely. A listing of privileged apps that have access to these privileged APIs can exist specified in the service metadata parcel in the PrivilegedApplications chemical element. Privileged apps can exist debugging or test apps; they are not required to be distributed through the Microsoft Store.

The components of a service metadata parcel are stored in a compressed cabinet file and must have a file extension of .devicemetadata-ms. Service metadata packages apply this file extension because they apply the same underlying platform every bit device metadata packages. Before you create the .devicemetadata-ms file, you lot must first create a globally unique identifier (GUID) for the metadata package. So, y'all must utilise the following naming convention when you create the .devicemetadata-ms file: <GUID>.devicemetadata-ms.

Annotation   Although the usual file extension of a cabinet file is .cab, the file extension for a service metadata package file must exist .devicemetadata-ms. This is intended to underscore the fact that stop-users must not decompress or modify these packages.

In that location are two types of service metadata packages: a single locale service metadata bundle and a multiple locale service metadata package.

Single Locale Service Metadata Packet

The localizable resources in the service metadata package are the operator name that appears in Windows Connection Managing director and the service icon that appears side by side to it. If you lot do not need to localize your proper name or change your icon based on locale information from the PC, create a unmarried locale service metadata package. Regardless of what locale the user is using on their PC, they will get the operator name and service icon divers in the single locale service metadata packet.

A single locale service metadata package must have the post-obit file construction:

a single locale service metadata package structure.

Some considerations for a single locale metadata bundle:

  • The icon file can take whatsoever file proper name. However, the individual XML documents must exist named PackageInfo.xml, ServiceInfo.xml, WindowsInfo.xml, and SoftwareInfo.xml.

  • The name of the MobileBroadbandInfo.xml file is defined in the ServiceInfo.xml. Y'all should apply the names listed in this document for that file.

  • The .devicemetadata-ms file cannot include "{" or "}" in the name. The GUID for each metadata bundle file name must be unique. When you create a new or revised service metadata package, you must create a new GUID, even if the changes are modest.

  • Windows recognizes service metadata packages with a file extension of .devicemetadata-ms.

Multiple Locale Service Metadata Bundle Structure

A service metadata package supports multiple locale files in ane parcel. If you support more ane locale for your service, you tin can put multiple locale files into one service metadata package.

You can utilise a multiple local service metadata package if you want to show a localized proper name for your service in Windows Connection Manager network list or to evidence a different logo in Windows Connection Director for your network. Windows volition display the localized network name and logo based on the system preferred language, which is unremarkably configured during Windows Setup. Even if the current user's linguistic communication is different from the system preferred language, the icon and network name always will show up in the system preferred language. If the service metadata package does non include a locale, the language neutral clarification from the root of the service metadata package is displayed. For nearly users their language volition match the system preferred language.

A multiple locale service metadata packet must have the following file structure:

a multi locale service metadata package structure.

Some considerations for a multiple locale metadata packet:

  • Create a locale name folder in each folder and put the XML file or relevant file in the locale name binder.

  • You still must have the pinnacle-level XML file and relevant files, such as the icon file, at the top level of each binder. This provides a fallback mechanism when the locale is not included in your service metadata package.

  • Ensure that all required files and the fields within those files are completely filled out inside each locale-specific binder that you lot create. This is in addition to the content in the acme level of each folder. For instance, the ServiceNumber chemical element in ServiceInfo.xml must be filled out and duplicated in the elevation-level folder and in every locale-specific binder that you create. Failing to practise this will cause errors.

  • The SoftwareInformation XML certificate does not support multiple locales because you cannot specify dissimilar SoftwareInfo.xml files per locale.

Service metadata submission and maintenance

For more than information almost how to submit service metadata packages to the Windows Dev Center Dashboard – Hardware, see Programmer guide for creating service metadata.

It is important to go on metadata packages up-to-date in terms of how they are described and which IMSI and ICCID or CDMA Provider Name or SID values they match. This can require an MNO or MVNO to implement a new workflow that is function of SIM or device acquisition to rails new orders of SIMs and the MNO or MVNO to which those ICCIDs or IMSIs are being provided.

It is a best exercise to avoid making frequent changes to your service metadata by reserving ICCID or IMSI ranges (or CDMA SIM/Provider proper noun) for the MNO and MVNO in advance, so that when new SIMs (or CDMA devices) are procured, they are already deemed for in your service metadata packet.

If you need to update your service identifiers that are registered on the Windows Dev Heart hardware dashboard, come across Service identifier ownership updates.

Metadata updates are silently applied based on internal Windows logic (typically every eight days) when Windows queries WMIS whether it has any updated metadata updates.

The app should be designed to deal with a previous version of the metadata to which it refers, until the latest metadata is applied to the system.

Designing the user experience of a mobile broadband app provides guidelines about how to blueprint the user experience to accost mutual mistake cases, such as when the device is missing or non recognized.