Multiuser Unified Endpoint Management Channels for Per-User Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) services struggle to provide per-user configuration and management on multi-user devices, particularly laptops and desktops, due to the limitations of the Open Mobile Alliance Device Management (OMA DM) protocol, which does not support multiple users on the same device.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a multi-user unified endpoint management system that creates device-specific and user-specific channels, allowing for the union of device and user channels to represent the complete state of a client device, enabling separate entitlements and conflict resolution rules to manage multiple users on the same device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the OMA DM protocol is used for UEM services, then device management capability is provided, but per-user configuration management is not supported
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the device management into two distinct channels: a device channel for device-level configuration and a user channel for user-specific configuration. This segmentation allows the system to manage device settings and user settings separately, enabling per-user configuration management while maintaining compatibility with the existing OMA DM protocol at the device level.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension to the device management architecture by adding the user channel as a separate layer alongside the device channel. This dimensional addition allows the system to handle user-specific configurations without modifying the underlying device management protocol, effectively resolving the limitation of the OMA DM protocol.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple users are allowed on the same device, then user-specific permissions and resource access are enabled, but configuration management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides configuration management into separate device channel and user channel components. Each channel handles specific aspects of configuration independently, allowing multiple users to have their own configuration sets without interfering with device-level settings or other users' configurations. This segmentation reduces the overall complexity of managing multi-user devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The user channel acts as an intermediary layer between the device channel and the actual user configurations. It mediates the interaction by translating user-specific requirements into manageable configuration sets, simplifying the process of managing multiple users on the same device while maintaining clear separation of concerns.
3Measurement precision
If device channel and user channel are combined to represent complete device state, then accurate multi-user state representation is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains separate device channel and user channel structures that can be independently managed and processed. This segmentation allows the system to represent the complete device state as a union of these channels while keeping the management of each channel relatively simple and modular, reducing the overall system complexity despite the enhanced state representation capability.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are various embodiments of a multiuser unified endpoint management (UEM) system. A device check-in can be received from a client device. The device check-in can include a device identifier that uniquely identifies the client device with respect to other client devices and a user identifier that uniquely identifies the user of the client device with respect to other users of the client device. In response, a device channel identifier associated with the device identifier and a user channel identifier associated with both the user identifier and the device identifier can be obtained. Then a first set of entitlements associated with the device channel identifier and a second set of entitlements associated with the user channel identifier can be selected. Both sets of entitlements can be provided to the client device in response to the device check-in.