Unified Policy Engine for Heterogeneous Device Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current policy administration systems are cumbersome and inflexible when managing heterogeneous devices with different hardware and software platforms, requiring manual adjustments for each device type and application, leading to logistical complexity in setting and enforcing policy settings across disparate devices.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that enforces a normalized set of policy-based behaviors across multiple client devices or cloud instances, using a generic policy definition interpreted by a client-side policy engine, which adapts to specific platforms and user identities, allowing for centralized control and dynamic adjustment of policy settings across various device types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If policy settings are configured individually for each device and application, then policy control precision is improved, but system complexity and administrative burden increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments policy management into two distinct layers: a centralized policy definition layer that handles high-level policy rules, and device-specific policy engine layers that handle local implementation. This segmentation allows precise policy control to be defined once at the centralized level while automatically adapting to multiple device types, thereby maintaining control precision without proportionally increasing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal policy definition framework that can be applied across multiple device types and platforms. The centralized policy server defines policies in a device-agnostic manner, and the policy engines on different devices (smartphones, tablets, PCs, game consoles) interpret and enforce these universal policies according to their specific capabilities, eliminating the need to create separate policies for each device type.
2Adaptability or versatility
If policy settings are made device-specific, then policy adaptability to different platforms is improved, but ease of centralized management deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized policy server as an intermediary between the administrator and multiple device-specific policy engines. This intermediary receives policy definitions from administrators, translates them into device-specific configurations, and distributes them to appropriate devices. This mediator layer enables centralized management while maintaining adaptability to different platforms, as the intermediary handles the complexity of platform-specific adaptations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the complexity of platform-specific policy adaptations from the centralized management interface. The administrator interacts only with a simplified, device-agnostic policy definition interface, while the system automatically extracts and applies the appropriate platform-specific implementations on each device. This extraction of complexity from the user interface improves ease of centralized management while preserving adaptability.
3Quantity of substance
If multiple policy settings are configured for different applications on heterogenous devices, then policy coverage is improved, but time required for policy modification increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the definition and management of policies across multiple applications and devices into a single centralized policy definition. Instead of configuring policies separately for each application on each device, the system combines them into unified policy rules that automatically apply across all targeted applications and devices. This merging reduces the time for policy modification from potentially hundreds of individual settings to a single centralized configuration action.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system and method are disclosed for enforcing a normalized set of policy-based behaviors across two or more disparate client devices. The policy definition can be a common description of expected behavior, while a client-side policy engine interprets and implements platform specific details associated with the client. In one embodiment, a client device receives a generic policy definition from a network. The generic policy definition is applicable to disparate device types having different hardware and/or software platforms. A client policy engine can analyze the generic policy definition, compare it to client-side applications or functions and make intelligent decisions on how to apply the policy for the specific client.