When does an Android Device need Linking to the Hub?

Owned by Sam Goddard
Dec 15, 2021
2 min read

Remote Sampler generates a unique device ID for each device based upon the package ID of the app and its method of installation. This device ID is used by the system when directing work to the device.

The device ID (in the red box on the image below) can be found on the Activate Device screen available by pressing the Activate button on the opening screen of the app.

Devices only need to be connected to a hub when they are initially set up. Devices only need to be reconnected if one of there is a change of package id, a change of method of installation, or a move between hubs.

 

Let’s consider those three factors in more detail.

 

  1. Package ID - The package id for the app is static and will only change if there has been a specific request as part of the project implementation. On some implementations, a different package id is used for test and production app versions. Apps with different package ids are considered as entirely different apps from the perspective of the Android OS and as such can be installed side-by-side on the same device. Regular app updates do not change the package id.

  2. Method of Installation - Apps can may be installed via the Remote Sampler web hub (sideloaded), from the public Play Store or via an internal corporate mobile device management solution. Apps from different sources have different device ids. If you have been using a sideloaded copy of Remote Sampler and you switch to a copy from an internal app store, the app will have a new device id and the app will need to be relinked to the Hub.

  3. Switching Hubs - Moving between Remote Sampler hubs requires the app to be relinked.

 

This means that if a user installs both live and test versions of the app on his or her phone, they will need to connect both app instances to the hub and they will appear like different devices.

If a user moves a device between a test hub and a live hub, the installed apps will need to be reconnected to the new hub.

Updating an existing install of an app does not require reconnection to the hub since it has the same package id, the same method of installation and it will be used with the same hub.

If server-side changes to the system are required, CSols will roll the update with no action required by device users at all. Devices do not need to be reconnected in this case either.

If anything is still unclear about the circumstances in which a device must be relinked to a hub, please contact a support representative.