Unified Mobile Device Management Console via API Aggregation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing multiple mobile devices of different types and platforms within an organization is challenging due to the need for separate management systems and databases, leading to complexities in user account synchronization and policy enforcement across disparate systems.
Innovation Solution
A unitary management console with a single web-based interface that interfaces with multiple domains, using API call modules to compile a consolidated list of users and devices, allowing for dynamic and real-time management without separate databases, and enabling unified policy implementation across domains.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate management systems are used for different device types and platforms, then each device type can be managed with specialized controls, but the overall system complexity increases and user account synchronization becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments device management into domain-specific management systems (e.g., iOS domain, Android domain, BlackBerry domain) while introducing a consolidation layer. Each domain maintains its specialized management capabilities independently, but the consolidation layer aggregates user accounts and devices across domains, allowing specialized control without overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
A consolidation layer acts as an intermediary between the user and multiple domain-specific management systems. This intermediary consolidates user accounts and devices from different domains (iOS, Android, BlackBerry) into a unified view, enabling cross-domain management without requiring direct integration between disparate systems
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple management systems are deployed for different platforms, then platform-specific policies can be enforced, but user account synchronization and centralized management become problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The consolidation layer serves as an intermediary that enables centralized management of users and devices across multiple domains. It consolidates account information and device assignments from different platform-specific management systems, allowing administrators to manage users centrally while platform-specific policies continue to be enforced by the respective domain systems
Solution Approach 2:
The consolidation layer provides universal management capabilities that work across all device types and platforms. It implements a unified user account model that can be applied universally across iOS, Android, and BlackBerry domains, while allowing platform-specific policies to be enforced within each domain
3Reliability
If separate databases are used for each management system, then data integrity for each platform is maintained, but synchronization errors and data consistency issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The consolidation layer acts as an intermediary data layer that consolidates user account information and device assignments from multiple domain-specific databases. It maintains data integrity within each domain while providing a unified, consistent view of user accounts and devices across all domains, eliminating synchronization errors through centralized data aggregation
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for managing multiple wireless devices are disclosed. An exemplary system includes multiple domains each having a particular type of wireless device management system and respective (application programming interface) APIs. API call modules corresponding to each domain enable accessing of the APIs exposed by each of the respective domains. A management console enables compiling of a consolidated list of devices and users from each of the device management systems into a single view. An exemplary method includes querying multiple domains to obtain user information, compiling a consolidated list of users, displaying the consolidated list in a user interface, selecting a user from the consolidated list, and submitting a command to either all or a specific domain for the selected user.