Centralized Client Extension Management for Version Consistency

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional client extension management systems are inefficient and prone to errors, especially in large-scale environments, as they require individual user installations and do not ensure consistent versions across groups, leading to performance issues and version discrepancies.

Innovation Solution

A centralized repository manages client extensions, allowing administrators to select and configure extensions on a user, group, or organization-wide basis, with options for mandatory or optional installations, and automatic updates, ensuring consistent versions across users without individual provisioning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If per user extension installation is used, then individual user customization is enabled, but scalability deteriorates and administrative burden increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser customizationVSAvoidscalability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments extension management into two distinct layers: a centralized repository layer that handles distribution and version control, and a local user device layer that handles installation and execution. This segmentation allows the centralized system to manage extensions at scale while individual users retain customization capabilities through their local extension lists.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A centralized repository acts as an intermediary between administrators and user devices. The repository receives extension installation requests, manages the extension packages, and distributes them to appropriate user devices. This intermediary eliminates the need for administrators to manually manage each user device while ensuring consistent version control across the organization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If per user extension management is implemented, then user-specific control is achieved, but version consistency deteriorates across user groups

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser controlVSAvoidversion consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary version standardization by storing a single authorized version of each extension in the centralized repository before distribution. When extensions are deployed to user devices, they automatically receive the pre-standardized version from the repository, ensuring version consistency is established before users access the extensions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements local quality by allowing each user device to maintain its own extension list and customization preferences locally, while simultaneously enforcing centralized version control for the extension binaries themselves. This enables users to control which extensions they use while ensuring all users receive consistent versions from the repository.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Device complexity

If manual extension installation per user is performed, then precise control over each device is achieved, but error rate increases and performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol precisionVSAvoiderror rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements self-service by enabling user devices to automatically retrieve and install extensions from the centralized repository without requiring manual administrator intervention for each device. The automated process eliminates human errors in manual installation while maintaining precise control through the centralized management interface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the centralized repository tracks extension installation status across all user devices. This feedback loop allows administrators to monitor deployment progress, identify failures, and reissue installations as needed, thereby reducing error rates through automated detection and correction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

4Productivity

If centralized repository management is implemented, then scalability is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovescalabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts the complex tasks of extension distribution, version control, and deployment tracking from individual user devices and concentrates them in the centralized repository. This extraction centralizes system complexity in a dedicated management system while keeping user devices simple and focused on their primary functions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS10922437B2Installation and management of client extensions

Publication Date: 2021.02.16 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Application extension management may be provided. Upon logging into a user device by a user, a list of a plurality of extensions associated with the user may be retrieved from a central repository. Access to each of the plurality of extensions associated with the user on the user device may then be provided to the user device.