Priorization of management objects

• US 7,873,714 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2003
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kaappa, Eero, Lahti, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): SALAD, ABDULLAHI ELMI
• Application Number:
  US10/718,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20040123241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,616 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/248, 709220-221, 719/316, 715/735
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for determining the priority of a management object in a device management system comprising management object data in a management tree for maintaining the arranged device management server and management customer device. The contents of sub objects included in at least one management object of the management tree are determined, and thereafter the management server determines a data element comprising the priority data of the sub objects in relation to other sub objects. The data element is attached to the management tree maintained by the management server, and a file definition according to said management tree is sent to a management customer device. The management customer device deassembles the file definitions into management tree form so that the priority data shows the priority data of the sub objects in relation to the other sub objects.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, in a device management server, the contents of sub-objects in a new management object associated with a management tree, said management tree being maintained by the device management server;

determining, in the device management server,. at least one data element comprising priority data of at least one sub-object in relation to other sub-objects, of the new management object;

attaching, in the device management server, said at least one data element to the management tree maintained by the management server; and

sending, by the device management server, a document according to the management tree to a management customer device.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said management object comprises provisioning settings of a WAP protocol for a Bootstrap process.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said determining the at least one data element, comprising the priority data of at least one sub-object in relation to other sub-objects, comprises determining the at least one data element as at least one separate leaf sub-object in the management object;

and

said attaching comprises attaching the determined at least one leaf sub-object, determining said priority data, to the management tree in parallel with one or more management sub-objects, whose priority is determined by the attached at least one leaf sub-object.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said determining the at least one data element, comprising the priority data of at least one sub-object in relation to other sub-objects, comprises determining the at least one data element as a run-time property definition, and

said attaching comprises attaching said run-time property definitions determining said priority data to meta data of the management tree maintained by the management server.

5. A device management system comprising:

a device management server, and

a management customer device,

wherein the management server and the management customer device are configured to maintain management object data in a management tree for managing configuration of the management customer device, and to determine the contents of a new management object; and

the management server is further configured to

determine priority of at least one sub object, belonging to the management object, in relation to other sub objects;

determine at least one data element comprising the priority data of at least one sub object in relation to other sub objects, wherein the data element is a management object;

attach said at least one data element to the management tree maintained by the management server; and

to

send a document according to the management tree to the management customer device, and

the management customer device is configured to deassemble said document into management tree form so that said priority data shows the priority data of at least one sub object in relation to other sub objects and is further configured to update or form the management tree in accordance with the data element comprising said priority data, wherein content of the document is stored in the management customer device in accordance with the management tree.

6. A management system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the management server is configured to

determine the data element comprising the priority data of at least one sub object in relation to other sub objects, as separate leaf objects;

and

attach the leaf objects determining said priority data to the management tree maintained by the management server so that they are placed in parallel with the management/sub object, whose priority they determine.

7. A management system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the management server is configured to

determine the data element comprising the priority data of at least one sub object in relation to other sub objects, as a run-time property definition;

and to

attach said run-time property definitions determining said priority data to the meta data of the management tree maintained by the management server.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store computer code and to maintain a management tree for managing configuration of a customer device; and

a processor, the memory and the computer code, working with the processor, being configured to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

determine the contents of sub-objects in a new management object associated with the management tree;

determine at least one data element comprising priority data of at least one sub-object in relation to other sub-objects, of the new management object;

attach said at least one data element to the management tree maintained by the management server; and

send a document according to said management tree to at least one customer device.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the apparatus supports syncML device management and wherein the management object comprises provisioning settings of a WAP protocol for a Bootstrap process.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the memory and the computer code, working with the processor, are further configured to cause the apparatus to determine the at least one data element as at least one separate leaf sub-object, and attach the leaf sub-object determining said priority data to the management tree so that the at least one leaf sub-object is placed in parallel with the management sub-objects, whose priority the leaf sub-object determines.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the memory and the computer code, working with the processor, are further configured to cause the apparatus to determine the data element as at least one run-time property definition, and attach said run-time property definition, determining said priority data, to meta data of the management tree.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store computer code and to maintain a management tree for managing configuration of the apparatus; and

a processor, the memory and the computer code, working with the processor, being configured to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

receive a document comprising device management operations from a management server, and

deassemble the document received from the management server into management tree form, on the basis of at least one data element comprising priority data of at least one sub-object in relation to other sub-objects, so that said priority data shows the priority data of at least one sub-object in relation to other sub-objects, and update or form the management tree in accordance with the data element comprising said priority data, wherein content of the document is stored in the apparatus in accordance with the management tree.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the apparatus supports SyncML Device Management and wherein the management object comprises provisioning settings of a WAP protocol for a Bootstrap process.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the apparatus is configured to operate as a management customer device in a device management system.

12. A computer-readable memory, wherein the computer-readable memory comprises computer-executable instructions stored thereon for enabling a data processing device to

maintain a management tree for managing configuration of the data processing device,

determine contents of sub-objects in a new management object associated with the management tree,

determine at least one data element comprising priority data of at least one sub-object in relation to other sub-objects, of the new management object,

attach said at least one data element to the management tree maintained by the data processing device, and

send a document according to the management tree to a management customer device.

13. A computer-readable memory as claimed in claim 12, comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon for enabling the data processing device to determine the at least one data element by means of at least one separate leaf sub- object;

and

attach the leaf sub-object determining said priority data to the management tree so that the at least one leaf sub-object is placed in parallel with the management sub-objects, whose priority the leaf sub-object determines.

17. A method comprising:

receiving, in a terminal, a document including device management operations from at least one management server;

deassembling, in the terminal, the document into management tree form, on the basis of at least one data element comprising priority data of at least one sub-object, wherein the data element is a management object and belongs to a new management object, in relation to other sub-objects, so that said priority data shows the priority data of at least one sub-object in relation to other sub-objects; and

updating or forming, by the terminal, the management tree in accordance with the data element comprising said priority data, wherein content of the document is stored in accordance with the management tree in the terminal.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the management object comprises provisioning settings of a WAP protocol for a Bootstrap process.

19. A computer-readable memory, wherein the computer-readable memory comprises computer-executable instructions stored thereon for enabling a device to

receive a document including device management operations from at least one management server;

deassemble the document into management tree form, on the basis of at least one data element comprising priority data of at least one sub-object, wherein the data element is a management object and belongs to a new management object, in relation to other sub-objects, so that said priority data shows the priority data of at least one sub-object in relation to other sub-objects; and

update or form the management tree in accordance with the data element comprising said priority data, wherein content of the document is stored in the apparatus in accordance with the management tree.