MANAGEMENT OF MOBILE DEVICES IN A NETWORK ENVIRONMENT

• US 20150295757A1
• Filed: 04/09/2015
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apperian, Inc (Digital.ai Software, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Apperian, Inc (Digital.ai Software, Inc.)
• Inventors: Debate, Jeremy, Alexander, Aaron A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,954,728 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

A network environment can include a proxy management server. The proxy management server can have access to multiple disparately located MDM servers. A mobile device receives configuration information including a network address of the proxy management server. The mobile device stores the network address of the proxy management server. In response to receiving a management notification such as notification that one or more of the multiple MDM servers has management information (e.g., commands, data, etc., to be executed by the mobile device) available for the mobile device, the mobile device utilizes the stored network address to communicate with the proxy management server. The proxy management server checks availability of the management information from multiple disparately located MDM management servers. The proxy management server retrieves the management information from the management servers and forwards it to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a management query from a mobile device;

identifying multiple management servers assigned to manage the mobile device;

on behalf of the mobile device, querying the multiple management servers for available management information associated with the mobile device; and

forwarding the management information to the mobile device.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein identifying the multiple management servers assigned to manage the mobile device includes:

utilizing an identifier value of the mobile device to map the mobile device to a first management server and a second management server.

3. The method as in claim 2 further comprising:

in response to receiving the management query from the mobile device;

i) communicating with the first management server to retrieve first management information, and ii) communicating with the second management server to retrieve second management information; and

wherein forwarding the management information includes;

i) forwarding the first management information to the mobile device, and ii) forwarding the second management information to the mobile device.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the mobile device generates the management query in response to receiving a management notification initiated by the second management server, the management notification generated based on occurrence of the availability of the management information from the second management server.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein management information includes configuration information to control operation of a particular application on the mobile device, the management information specifying the particular application on the mobile device to which the management information pertains.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein forwarding the management information includes:

on behalf of the mobile device;

i) retrieving a respective command from each of the multiple management servers, and ii) transmitting the respective command from each of the management servers to the mobile device to control operations of the mobile device.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein querying the multiple management servers for management information includes:

on behalf of the mobile device, inquiring about availability of commands created by a network administrator to control operation of the mobile device.

8. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a unique identifier value from a particular management server of the multiple management servers; and

transmitting the unique identifier value to the mobile device.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein forwarding the management information to the mobile device includes:

retrieving management information from the management servers; and

and transmitting the retrieved management information from the multiple management servers to the mobile device.

10. The method as in claim 2, wherein querying the multiple management servers includes:

communicating the management query to each of the multiple management servers.

11. The method as in claim 1, in response to receiving the management query from the mobile device:

communicating with a first management server of the multiple management servers;

in response to receiving a message from the first management server indicating that no management information is currently available from the first management server for the mobile device, initiating communications with the second management server;

retrieving management information from the second management server;

forwarding the retrieved management information from the second management server to the mobile device; and

in response to detecting that there is no additional management information available from the management servers for the mobile device, transmitting a message to the mobile device, the message indicating that there is no additional management information available from the management servers for the mobile device.

12. The method as in claim 1, in response to receiving the management query from the mobile device:

communicating with a first management server of the multiple management servers;

in response to receiving a message from the first management server indicating completion of conveying a management communication from the first management server, initiating communications with the second management server;

retrieving management information from the second management server;

forwarding the retrieved management information from the second management server to the mobile device; and

in response to detecting completion of conveying a management communication from the second management server, transmitting a message to the mobile device, the message indicating that there is no additional management information available from the management servers for the mobile device.

13. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a first globally unique identifier value associated with first management information, the first management information generated by a first management server;

producing status information indicating that the first globally unique identifier value is associated with the first management server;

receiving a second globally unique identifier value associated with second management information, the second management information generated by a second management server; and

producing status information indicating that the second globally unique identifier value is associated with the second management server.

14. The method as in claim 13 further comprising:

receiving a first communication from the mobile device, the first communication including the first unique identifier value;

in response to detecting presence of the first unique identifier value in the first communication, forwarding the first communication to the first management server;

receiving a second communication from the mobile device, the second communication including the second unique identifier value; and

in response to detecting presence of the second unique identifier value in the second communication, forwarding the second communication to the second management server.

15. A method comprising:

at a mobile device, receiving configuration information, the configuration information including a network address of a proxy management server;

storing the network address; and

in response to receiving a management notification at the mobile device, utilizing the network address to communicate with the proxy management server and check availability of management information from multiple disparately located management servers.

16. The method as in claim 15, wherein receipt of the management notification indicates that the management information is available from at least one of the multiple disparately located management servers, the management information specifying control operations to be applied to the mobile device.

17. The method as in claim 15 further comprising:

receiving the management notification from the proxy management server, the proxy management server receiving the management notification from one of the multiple management servers.

18. The method as in claim 15 further comprising:

at the mobile device, receiving the management notification from a push notification server disparately located with respect to the management servers, the push notification server providing notification to the mobile device to indicate presence of the management information at least one of the management servers.

19. The method as in claim 15 further comprising:

receiving first management information and second management information from the proxy management server, the proxy management server retrieving the first management information from a first management server to the mobile device, the proxy management server retrieving the second management information from a second management server to the mobile device.

20. The method as in claim 15, wherein the management information includes control information to control operation of a particular application on the mobile device, the management information specifying the particular application on the mobile device to which the management information pertains.

21. The method as in claim 15 further comprising:

receiving a unique identifier value from the proxy management server, the proxy management server receiving the unique identifier value from a particular management server of the multiple management servers, the unique identifier value associated with management information generated by the particular management server;

tagging communications with the unique identifier value; and

transmitting the communications from the mobile device through the proxy management server to the particular management server with the unique identifier value.

22. A computer hardware system comprising:

computer processor hardware;

a repository that physically stores instructions associated with an application executed by the computer processor hardware; and

an interconnect coupling the computer processor hardware and the repository, the interconnect causing the computer processor hardware to execute the application and perform operations of;

receiving a management query from a mobile device;

identifying multiple management servers assigned to manage the mobile device;

on behalf of the mobile device, querying the multiple management servers for available management information associated with the mobile device; and

forwarding the management information to the mobile device.

23-31. -31. (canceled)