Configuration Normalization Platform for Cross-Toolset Device Setup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Developing a feature for a software platform often involves significant time and resource investment due to the need for configuring devices across multiple toolsets, leading to behavioral inconsistencies and increased customer support issues, with no standard abstraction layer or configuration model to ensure consistent and secure configuration across different software platforms.
Innovation Solution
A configuration normalization platform using a scenario configuration definition (SCD) standard provides a standardized model for device configuration, enabling consistent and secure configuration across toolsets by normalizing configuration requests and ensuring compatibility through an abstraction layer, with features like an orchestrator for coordinating scenarios and metadata validation to prevent errors or malicious configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If device configuration is performed across multiple toolsets with different configuration models, then feature functionality can be achieved on specific platforms, but configuration consistency and reliability deteriorate leading to behavioral inconsistencies and customer support issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal configuration model that serves multiple software platforms (Android, iOS, Windows, etc.) through a common abstraction layer. The normalized configuration payload format and scenario-based configuration approach enable the same configuration mechanism to function across different toolsets and platforms, ensuring consistent device configuration behavior while maintaining platform-specific capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary configuration normalization platform that sits between the software platform and device configuration system. This intermediary layer normalizes configuration requests from different platforms into a standardized format, mediating between platform-specific requirements and device-specific implementations to ensure configuration consistency and reliability
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional device configuration approaches are used without a standard abstraction layer, then implementation flexibility is maintained, but device complexity and time investment increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the configuration system into distinct layers: a standardized configuration payload format layer, a scenario configuration definition layer, and an implementation layer. This segmentation allows each layer to be developed and maintained independently, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining implementation flexibility through the standardized interfaces between layers
3Reliability
If platform-specific configuration methods are used for each software platform, then platform optimization is achieved, but development time and resource investment increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by establishing a standardized configuration payload format and scenario configuration definitions before platform-specific implementation. The configuration normalization platform pre-processes and normalizes configuration requests, so that platform-specific optimizations can be applied without reconfiguring the entire system, significantly reducing development time while maintaining platform optimization
Data Source
AI summary
Examples of the present disclosure describe systems and methods for device configuration using a configuration normalization platform. In examples, a system receives, at a device, a configuration request from a first software platform having a first toolset. The configuration request includes a first SCP file in a format that is normalized horizontally with respect to a second software platform having a second toolset that is different from the first toolset. The system parses, based on an SCD document on the device, the first SCP file into an OM. The SCD file includes scenario metadata that is specific to the device. The system generates scenario instructions that are specific to the device by applying the scenario metadata to the OM and configures the device based on the scenario instructions.