Centralized Configuration Management for Mobile Clients
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing configuration settings across multiple mobile clients is challenging due to the difficulty in keeping all clients up to date with correct configurations, especially with the rapid changes and diverse locations of mobile devices.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for generating and providing configuration data to clients using existing communication services, where a settings document is used to store and update configuration settings for various clients, including administrative, user, and security settings, allowing administrators to easily manage and synchronize settings across different types of clients and applications without dedicated synchronization logic or interfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual updates are performed for each client, then configuration accuracy is improved, but time consumption and operational complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic self-service configuration updates where the document management system automatically pushes configuration changes to mobile clients without requiring manual intervention from administrators or users. The system uses existing document synchronization mechanisms to automatically deploy updated configuration files to client devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual update process with an automated electronic configuration delivery system. Instead of physically visiting each device or manually installing updates, administrators use a centralized system that automatically pushes configurations through existing communication channels, substituting manual mechanical operations with automated digital processes.
2Ease of operation
If centralized configuration management is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases due to synchronization requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the existing multi-functional document management and synchronization infrastructure to handle configuration delivery. The same mechanisms that manage document storage, retrieval, and synchronization are leveraged to deliver configuration files, eliminating the need for dedicated configuration management hardware or software.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces configuration files as intermediary objects that carry settings information between the centralized management system and mobile clients. These configuration files act as mediators that encapsulate all necessary settings data, allowing the system to manage complexity by working with standardized data containers rather than direct system-to-system communication.
3Adaptability or versatility
If frequent configuration updates are made, then adaptability to changing needs is improved, but reliability of client configurations deteriorates due to potential synchronization failures
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where mobile clients report their configuration status and synchronization state back to the management system. The system monitors update deployment and can detect failures or incomplete synchronizations, allowing administrators to retry failed updates or investigate issues before they affect system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary validation of configuration files before deployment to ensure they are syntactically correct and compatible with target clients. The system performs pre-checks on configuration validity and client compatibility before actual deployment, preventing corrupted or incompatible configurations from reaching devices and causing reliability issues.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for receiving configuration data for a client from a data repository may include sending a request for information pertaining to data stored in the data repository and receiving the data repository information. The method may include identifying a settings repository from the data repository information and requesting configuration data for the client from the identified settings repository. The configuration data may be received from the data repository and stored at the client. The settings at the client may be applied based on the received configuration data.