Software Update Management Server for Enterprise Device Groups
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile network operators face challenges in delivering software updates to enterprise customers with large numbers of devices, as conventional techniques often create software incompatibilities and lack effective controls to mitigate issues, especially for customers with unique software configurations.
Innovation Solution
A software management and delivery system that includes a SU management server, DM server, content server, and database server, enabling advanced control over software updates, allowing for group management, secondary criteria for identifying subgroups, and controlling when updates are made available to specific devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional OTA software delivery techniques are used, then software updates can be distributed to mobile devices, but software incompatibilities and problems are created that interfere with customer's use of affected devices
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by allowing customers to define update policies and criteria before software updates are distributed. The SU management server evaluates updates against these pre-defined criteria and customer-specific configurations before making updates available, preventing incompatibilities rather than reacting to them after deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The SU management server acts as an intermediary between the DM server and mobile devices. It receives software updates from the DM server, evaluates them against customer-defined criteria and policies, and selectively makes updates available to devices. This intermediary layer prevents incompatible updates from reaching devices while maintaining efficient distribution for compatible ones.
2Ease of operation
If conventional OTA software delivery techniques are used, then software updates are delivered to mobile devices, but useful controls for mitigating software incompatibility issues are not provided
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides dynamic control capabilities where customers can define flexible update policies based on multiple criteria including device groups, software versions, and custom parameters. These policies can be adjusted and modified to adapt to changing enterprise requirements, providing both ease of operation through automated evaluation and versatility through customizable control options.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows customers to change and customize multiple parameters defining update delivery criteria, such as device identifiers, software version requirements, group memberships, and policy conditions. This parameter-based approach enables flexible adaptation to different enterprise scenarios while maintaining simple automated operation through the SU management server's evaluation process.
3Adaptability or versatility
If customers establish their own infrastructure for distributing and managing software installations and updates, then they gain control over their devices, but they lack the time, skills, or resources to do so
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by allowing customers to define their own update policies and criteria through the SU management server without requiring them to build complex distribution infrastructure. Customers can independently configure device groups, set evaluation criteria, and manage update delivery preferences, gaining control while the system handles the complex evaluation and distribution logistics automatically.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods relating to obtaining group criteria for mobile devices to be associated with a user-specified group; determining that a first mobile device satisfies the group criteria; obtaining a release time for the group in connection with a first software update; determining that availability of the first software update should not be indicated prior to the release time to the first mobile device based on the determination that the first mobile device satisfies the group criteria; and indicating, at a first time, to the first mobile device that the first software update is available based on the first time occurring during or after the release time.