NODE MONITOR CLIENT CACHE SYNCHRONIZATION FOR MOBILE DEVICE MANAGEMENT

• US 20090204701A1
• Filed: 02/08/2008
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: HERZOG, SHAI, VANDENBERG, ERIC S., HAGMAN, MARIE, DEEM, MICHAEL E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,676,573 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0859 by keeping history of different configuration generations or by rolling back to previous configuration versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition

Abstract

A stateful cache layer is created at a mobile device client that tracks the state on both the mobile device and management service. The states are synchronized between the mobile device and the management service on every management session. Through the statefulness of the cache layer, unauthorized changes on the mobile device are detected and accordingly handled such as internal correction or reporting to the management service for actionable instructions. A cache layer on the management server is configured to identify organizational policy changes that affect specific devices and initiate unsolicited immediate management sessions to update the configuration to the specific devices.

Claims

1. A method to be executed at least in part in a computing device for managing a mobile client in a network environment, the method comprising:

storing a first information associated with a mobile client state at the mobile client, wherein the first information is identical to a stored second information at a management service for the mobile client;

monitoring a state of the mobile client for any changes;

if a change is detected;

updating the first information stored at the mobile client;

reporting the updated first information to the management service such that an instruction associated with the change is received from the management service;

performing a task associated with the received instruction in response to receiving the instruction from the management service;

reporting completion of the task to the management service; and

receiving a third information associated with the updated mobile client state that has been validated by the management service, wherein the third information is identical to the updated second information stored at the management service for the mobile client; and

storing the third information at the mobile client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each aspect of the mobile client state is assigned a priority attribute by the management service.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the instruction includes one from a set of:

ignore the change, perform internal correction, and block a mobile client functionality, based on the priority attribute of an aspect of the mobile client state subject to the change.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the reporting of the updated first information is facilitated by one of:

an immediate management session and a management session schedule for a low traffic period, based on the priority attribute of an aspect of the mobile client state subject to the change.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

structuring each aspect of the mobile client as a node in the mobile client operating system; and

monitoring each node by a node monitor object for changes, wherein the first information includes a list of nodes by a node identifier and a node version based on a change to the node.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third information are exchanged during a management session employing a mark-up language protocol such that node structure and node version information is relayed efficiently between the management service and the mobile client.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a history of updated second information is maintained at the management service in response to multiple changes at the mobile client such that an applicability of a management policy change to the mobile client is determined and a management session initiated for an update to the mobile client state.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the first information associated with the mobile client state from the management service during an initial management session.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring of changes, updating of the first information, and reporting of the first information is performed by one of:

an operating system of the mobile client and a management application controlled by the operating system of the mobile client.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and the third information are stored in a stateful cache layer of the operating system of the mobile client.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile client is one of a plurality of clients executed by the same mobile device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile client is arranged to be executable in a plurality of mobile devices.

13. A mobile device for facilitating communications through a managed network, the mobile comprising:

a memory;

a communication module; and

a processor coupled to the memory and the communication module, the processor configured to execute a client application within an operating system, wherein the client application is configured to perform actions including;

storing a client state in a cache layer, wherein each aspect of the client state is represented as a node and the client state is stored using an identifier and a version for each node;

monitoring changes to the client state by monitoring each node;

in response to detecting a change to an aspect of the client state, updating the stored client state using a corresponding node identifier and node version;

performing one of;

ignoring the change, taking corrective action at the mobile device, and reporting the change to a management server through a management session transmitting current client state based on a priority attribute assigned to each aspect of the client state by the management server;

receiving instructions from the management server in response to reporting the current client state;

receiving an updated and validated client state from the management server in response to complying with the received instructions; and

storing the received client state in the cache layer.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the client application is further capable of:

exchanging client state with the management server during a management session using Extended Mark-up Language (XML) protocol such that a structure and version of nodes corresponding to aspects of the client state are conveyed efficiently; and

providing an invalid initial client state upon first time power-up such that a valid initial client state is received and stored in the cache layer.

15. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the client application is further capable of one of:

initiating an immediate management session and scheduling a management session for a low traffic period to report a change to the client state based on a management server assigned priority attribute of a changed client state aspect.

16. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the client application is further capable of blocking at least one mobile device functionality based on an instruction received from the management server in response to a reported change that is deemed unauthorized by the management server.

17. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the client application is further capable of receiving an alert to connect to the management server for an unsolicited client policy and configuration update from the management server in response to a determination by the management server for client state update based on a history of client state updates maintained by the management server.

18. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the mobile device is one of:

a smart phone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a laptop computer, a handheld computer, and a smart automobile console, and wherein the mobile device is capable of communicating through at least one from a set of;

a cellular network, a Voice Over IP (VOIP) network, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), and a Unified Communications Network (UCN).

19. A system for managing mobile devices capable of communicating over at least one network, the system comprising:

a management server capable of;

storing a state of each managed mobile device in a server cache layer;

receiving a current state of each managed mobile device in response to a change in the mobile device state;

determining an action to be taken in response to the change;

provide instructions for the action to be taken by each affected mobile device; and

in response to receiving a report of completed action to be taken by a mobile device, updating and providing a new state to each affected mobile device;

a mobile device capable of;

storing the state of the mobile device in a mobile device cache layer;

monitoring changes to the state of the mobile device;

in response to detecting a change, reporting the changed state of the mobile device to the management server in a management session;

receiving instructions for the action to be taken in response to the change;

reporting completion of the action to be taken; and

storing a new state of the mobile device in response to receiving the new state from the management server; and

a communications medium comprising at least one from a set of;

a cellular network, a VOIP network, a WLAN, a WAN, and a UCN.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the management server is further capable of:

maintaining a history of state changes to each mobile device;

determining if a management policy change is applicable to a mobile device based on the maintained state history; and

initiating an unsolicited management session to provide the mobile device with an updated state based on the applicable management policy change.