Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R3: Connection Manager

Hi folks,

Today I would like to talk about the new Connection Manager that comes with Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R3. As you have most probably already read, it has proven its abilities under Windows Mobile and it is responsible for managing access to data connections and handling interactions between voice and data connections.

To include the Connection Manager into your OSDesign you need to add the SYSGEN_CONNMGR variable from the catalog.


The great benefit of the Connection Manager is that it separates the details of network-connection settings from application code. The Connection Manager is therefore the central module which automates both the establishment and the management of network connections and thereby simplifies the connectivity. So when developing an application you only need to know which network (connection name and network name) to connect to. All the details involved to establish and manage that specific connection are performed by the Connection Manager. You can simply use the Connection Manager API to integrate the Connection Manager functionality into your application.

Let’s have a closer look into which services the Connection Manager offers you to use from your application:

• Connection Request: upon establishing the requested connection, the Connection Manager notifies all applications that the connection is active


• Connection Management: the Connection Manager keeps track of requested and open connections. It also closes unused connections and disconnects idle connections automatically. In addition the Connection Manager closes low-priority connections (e.g. data) to open high-priority ones (e.g. voice)


• Automatic Connections: the Connection Manager can also supply your application with automatic connections


• Error Handling: The Connection Manager reports errors back to the application which requested the particular connection

Have fun!