Cab Provisioning Format (CPF) File
Cab Provisioning Format (.cpf) file format offers additional flexibility for provisioning and configuring Windows Mobile-based devices. These both use the Makecab tool to create a .cpf file. A .cpf file is processed as a .cab file, including the handling of security. However, .cpf files are processed in silent mode and the user is not prompted for any options or decisions. An example of how this affects the user is if security requirements are not met, such as the .cpf is unsigned, then the processing fails.
The .cpf method offers the following two advantages:
The XML file can be compressed by means of the MSZIP compression algorithm, which significantly reduces the file size and transmission time.
The .cpf file can be signed through the Microsoft Authenticode® signing tools. This enables a role mask to be assigned to the provisioning request based on the role mask stored with a matching certificate on the device.
Note Previous versions of Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC software do not support compressed .cpf files. Installation of .cpf files that are compressed or signed fails on these devices.
The steps for creating a .cpf file are significantly different from creating .cab files with the CAB Wizard.
A .cpf file contains only the _setup.xml file that provides configuration instructions (XML instructions) for provisioning.
After you have created a .cpf file, you can use the same application delivery methods to distribute the file as with cabinet (.cab) files, except for ActiveSync because the ActiveSync Application Manager does not recognize the .cpf files. This means that .cpf files cannot be distributed through ActiveSync like .cab files.For information about creating a .cpf file, see Creating a .cpf File.
See Also
Provisioning for Windows Mobile-based Devices
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