How is data cost calculated for Google channel api?

0
votes

I'm writing a p2p chess game that sends 2 byte messages back and forth (e.g. e4 or c4). I'm considering the use of GAE Channel API. I noticed that this API causes the browser to send a heartbeat message to the server with POST URL https://849.talkgadget.google.com/talkgadget/dch/bind?VER=8&clid=...

That fires about every second. I won't be charged for the response data and response headers for those heartbeat requests correct?

Also, when I send data from the server to a browser over a channel, am I charged for only the json string itself or all http header/payload packets?

1
google-app-enginechannel-api
Look at using instead Google Cloud Messaging. its free. – Zig Mandel
wow this looks awesome, thanks Zig – Lightbeard

1 Answers

1
votes

Google has a newer (and totally free!) API you should look at instead of the channel API (unless its restrictions cant be worked arround.)

GCM (google cloud messaging) is free, with a few restrictions like packet size (2kb in some cases) but it will handle everything for you (queuing, broadcast to all, broadcast to topics, one-to-one messaging, battery-efficient mobile libraries (android and iOS), native chrome support etc.

https://developers.google.com/cloud-messaging/ Make sure to also see this s.o. answer for GCM implementation tips: https://stackoverflow.com/a/31848496/2213940