System and method for transactional application lifecycle management for mobile devices

• US 8,135,393 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2008
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Chen, Xianfeng, Bibr, Viera, Fritsch, Brindusa
• Primary Examiner(s): AJIBADE AKONAI, OLUMIDE
• Application Number:
  US12/212,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20100069053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 455/466
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/466 Transaction processing

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to networks and lifecycle transaction management of mobile devices. There is provided a system and method for managing the lifecycle of applications on mobile devices. The system has components for implementing a method comprising the steps of creating a transaction context comprising a transaction command, sending the transaction context in a transaction context message to a plurality of mobile devices, and evaluating an ending scenario based on transaction statuses of the plurality of mobile devices.

Claims

1. A method of transactional application lifecycle management for mobile devices, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a transaction context comprising a transaction command for management of an application;

sending the transaction context in a transaction context message to a plurality of mobile devices;

creating and starting a timeout timer for initiating the evaluation of an ending scenario;

evaluating the ending scenario after the expiration of the timeout timer based on transaction statuses of the plurality of mobile devices; and

sending an ending scenario message to each of the plurality of mobile devices based on the evaluation of the ending scenario.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

creating a server save point for storing server state information prior to sending the transaction context message, the server state information including application metadata associated with the plurality of mobile devices; and

restoring the server state information to the server save point or deleting the server save point based on the evaluation of the ending scenario.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a transaction execution message indicating a transaction execution status of one of the plurality of mobile devices; and

setting the transaction status of the one mobile device based on the transaction execution status of the received transaction execution message.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein once the transaction status of all mobile devices of the plurality of mobile devices has been set, performing the step of evaluating the ending scenario.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

upon expiration of the timeout timer, for each mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices;

determining if the transaction execution message has been received; and

if the transaction execution message has not been received for each mobile device, setting the transaction status to indicate a transaction execution message has failed to be received.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of evaluating the ending scenario further comprises the step of determining mobile device instructions to be included in the ending scenario message, based on the transaction statuses of each of the mobile devices.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the mobile device instructions included in the ending scenario message include commit instructions for committing the transaction on the mobile device when all mobile devices have successfully executed the transaction.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the mobile device instructions included in the ending scenario message include roll back instructions for rolling back the transaction on the mobile device, when all mobile devices have unsuccessfully executed the transaction or a transaction status threshold has been exceeded.

9. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the mobile device instructions included in the ending scenario message include status specific instruction for committing the transaction on successful mobile devices and rolling back the transaction on unsuccessful mobile devices, when a transaction status threshold has been exceeded.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transaction command comprises one of:

a transaction start command;

a transaction end command;

an application install command;

an application upgrade command;

an application delete command;

an application quarantine command

an application un-quarantine command;

an application suspend command;

an application resume command; and

a command for changing a mobile device configuration.

11. A lifecycle transaction management system comprising:

a lifecycle transaction server comprising;

a message component for sending and receiving messages to and from a plurality of mobile devices; and

a transaction component comprising a server transaction manager for creating a transaction context comprising a transaction command to be sent to the plurality of mobile devices using the message component, evaluating an ending scenario based on transaction statuses of the plurality of mobile devices, and sending an ending scenario message to each of the plurality of mobile devices based on the evaluation of the ending scenario, wherein the server transaction manager comprises a timer component for creating and starting a timeout timer, and indicating to evaluate the ending scenario upon expiration of the timeout timer.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the server transaction manager comprises a server save point component for creating a server save point for storing server state information prior to sending the transaction context message, and restoring the server state information to the server save point or deleting the server save point based on the evaluation of the ending scenario, the server state information including application metadata associated with the plurality of mobile devices.

13. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the transaction manager further determines mobile device instructions to be included in the ending scenario message, based on the transaction statuses of each of the mobile devices.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the mobile device instructions included in the ending scenario message include commit instructions for committing the transaction on the mobile device when all mobile devices have successfully executed the transaction.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the mobile device instructions included in the ending scenario message include roll back instructions for rolling back the transaction on the mobile device, when all mobile devices have unsuccessfully executed the transaction or a transaction status threshold has been exceeded.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the mobile device instructions included in the ending scenario message include status specific instruction for committing the transaction on successful mobile devices and rolling back the transaction on unsuccessful mobile devices, when a transaction status threshold has been exceeded.

17. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the transaction command comprises one of:

a transaction start command;

a transaction end command;

an application install command;

an application upgrade command;

an application delete command;

an application quarantine command

an application un-quarantine command;

an application suspend command;

an application resume command; and

commands for changing a device configuration.

18. The system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a unique transaction ID associated with the transaction context;

a device table for storing information associated with messages sent between the transaction manager and the device, the messages associated with the transaction context;

a timeout timer associated with the transaction context for generating a timeout event if a transaction execution message is not received from the device within the timeout period; and

a message processor component for sending and receiving the messages associated with the transaction context.