Integrated Policy Server Mediating Mobile Device Compliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of managing security policies across diverse mobile devices and disparate policy management protocols leads to inadequate policy implementation, increased costs, and security risks due to the lack of integrated enterprise-wide policy definition and management systems.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing an integrated policy server and policy proxy to identify and apply policies to mobile devices, ensuring compliance by translating policy elements into compatible forms and using multiple policy transports for efficient transmission and installation, while reporting compliance status in a unified format.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple disparate policy servers are used to manage different device types, then device-specific policy management capability is improved, but system complexity and difficulty of integration increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway server as an intermediary component that mediates between mobile devices and multiple policy servers. The gateway receives policy management requests, identifies the appropriate policy server based on device type, and forwards requests to the correct server. This intermediary approach allows the system to support multiple device types with different policy requirements while maintaining a unified access point, thereby reducing the complexity of direct integration between devices and multiple policy servers.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple policy management protocols are supported, then compatibility with different devices is improved, but policy implementation consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway server acts as a protocol intermediary that receives requests from mobile devices using various policy management protocols, translates and standardizes these requests, and forwards them to the appropriate policy server. This ensures that regardless of which protocol is used by the device, the policy implementation process remains consistent and standardized through the gateway's mediation layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway server is designed with multi-functional capability to handle multiple policy management protocols simultaneously. It can identify device types, select appropriate policy servers, and manage policy deployment across diverse device platforms through a single unified interface, thereby achieving both protocol compatibility and implementation consistency.
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate policies are managed for different device types, then device-specific requirements are met, but resource efficiency and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of multiple policy servers and protocol handlers into a single gateway server that can manage policies for multiple device types. By consolidating the policy management infrastructure through the gateway, the system reduces redundancy and improves resource efficiency while still providing device-specific policy support through intelligent server selection and protocol translation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to providing policy from an integrated policy server to a mobile device, comprising identifying a policy in an integrated policy server applicable to the mobile device and supplying policy elements to policy transports for transmission to the mobile device. The invention also relates to providing policy from an integrated policy server to a mobile device, including identifying a policy in the integrated policy server applicable to the mobile device, determining whether the mobile device is in compliance with the policy, and supplying policy elements to policy transports for transmission to the mobile device when the mobile device is not in compliance with the policy. The invention further relates to controlling access to a data server by a mobile device, including identifying a policy in an integrated policy server applicable to the mobile device, and determining whether the mobile device is in compliance with the policy.