Virtual instance architecture for mobile device management systems

• US 8,396,465 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ivanti, Inc. (Ivanti Software, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MobileIron, Inc.
• Inventors: Danford, Timothy E., Batchu, Suresh K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): SIVJI, NIZAR N
• Application Number:
  US13/245,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20120015644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 703/27, 703/25, 455/419, 455/67.11, 709/201
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

System and method for remotely managing mobile devices. A virtual instance mobile device is maintained for each physical mobile device to be managed. Each virtual instance mobile device is executable in a computer runtime environment and includes a hardware emulation component configured to emulate the hardware components of the corresponding physical mobile device and a software emulation component corresponding to the software components of the physical mobile device, which is executable within the context of the hardware emulation component. Synchronization between the virtual instance mobile devices and their corresponding physical mobile devices is maintained, and data obtained from the physical mobile devices is stored. The physical mobile devices are remotely managed by utilizing their corresponding virtual instance mobile devices respectively.

Claims

1. A mobile device management system, comprising:

at least one virtual instance mobile device, wherein each virtual instance mobile device corresponds to a unique one of at least one physical mobile device, wherein each of the at least one physical mobile devices comprises one or more hardware components, an operating system and one or more applications,

wherein each virtual instance mobile device comprises an operating system and one or more applications corresponding to the operating system and the one or more applications of the corresponding unique one of the at least one physical mobile device, and

wherein the operating system and the one or more applications of the virtual mobile instance are executable in a computer runtime environment that includes a hardware emulation component operative to emulate the one or more hardware components of the physical mobile device;

a synchronization component configured to synchronize data including device characteristics between the at least one virtual instance mobile device with the corresponding at least one physical mobile device respectively;

a data store configured to store data obtained from the at least one physical mobile device; and

a management component configured to remotely manage the at least one physical mobile device by loading the corresponding at least one virtual instance mobile device into the computer runtime environment for execution.

2. A mobile device management system as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the at least one virtual instance mobile device comprises:

a hardware emulation component configured to emulate hardware components of the corresponding physical mobile device; and

a software emulation component corresponding to software components of the corresponding physical mobile device and is executable within the context of the hardware emulation component.

3. A mobile device management system as recited in claim 2, wherein for each of the at least one virtual instance mobile device,

the hardware emulation component comprises

a processor emulator configured to emulate a processor of the corresponding physical mobile device;

a memory emulator configured to emulate a memory of the corresponding physical mobile device; and

a network interface emulator configured to emulate at least one network interface of the corresponding physical mobile device, and

the software emulation component comprises

the operating system corresponding to the operating system of the corresponding physical mobile device;

at least one device driver corresponding to at least one device driver of the corresponding physical mobile device respectively; and

the one or more applications corresponding to the one or more applications of the corresponding physical mobile device respectively.

4. A mobile device management system as recited in claim 3, wherein for each of the at least one virtual instance mobile device, the hardware emulation component further comprises:

an input/output (I/O) emulator configured to emulate at least one I/O component of the corresponding physical mobile device; and

a display emulator configured to emulate a display of the corresponding physical mobile device.

5. A mobile device management system as recited in claim 3, wherein the management component is further configured to cause the at least one virtual instance mobile device to be executed in the computer runtime environment in order to remotely manage the corresponding at least one physical mobile device respectively.

6. A mobile device management system as recited in claim 5, wherein to execute each of the at least one virtual instance mobile device in the computer runtime environment, the management component is further configured to load and execute the hardware emulation component of the virtual instance mobile device and then execute the software emulation component of the virtual instance mobile device within the context of the hardware emulation component.

7. A mobile device management system as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

a virtual mobile device platform configured to support the execution of the at least one virtual instance mobile device.

8. A mobile device management system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

at least one user portal, wherein each user portal corresponds to a unique one of the at least one physical mobile device and is configured to enable a user to remotely access and control the corresponding physical mobile device.

15. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining at least one user portal, wherein each user portal corresponds to a unique one of the at least one physical mobile device and is configured to enable a user to remotely access and control the corresponding physical mobile device.

9. A method of remotely managing a mobile device, comprising:

maintaining at least one virtual instance mobile device, wherein each virtual instance mobile device corresponds to a unique one of at least one physical mobile device,

wherein each of the at least one physical mobile devices comprises one or more hardware components, an operating system and one or more applications,

wherein each virtual instance mobile device comprises an operating system and one or more applications corresponding to the operating system and the one or more applications of the corresponding unique one of the at least one physical mobile device, and

wherein the operating system and the one or more applications of the virtual mobile instance are executable in a computer runtime environment that includes a hardware emulation component operative to emulate the one or more hardware components of the physical mobile device;

synchronizing data including device characteristics between the at least one virtual instance mobile device with the corresponding at least one physical mobile device respectively;

storing data obtained from the at least one physical mobile device; and

remotely managing the at least one physical mobile device by loading the corresponding at least one virtual instance mobile device into the computer runtime environment for execution.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein each of the at least one virtual instance mobile device comprises:

a hardware emulation component configured to emulate hardware components of the corresponding physical mobile device; and

a software emulation component corresponding to software components of the corresponding physical mobile device and is executable within the context of the hardware emulation component.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein for each of the at least one virtual instance mobile device,

the hardware emulation component comprises

a processor emulator configured to emulate a processor of the corresponding physical mobile device;

a memory emulator configured to emulate a memory of the corresponding physical mobile device; and

a network interface emulator configured to emulate at least one network interface of the corresponding physical mobile device, and

the software emulation component comprises

the operating system corresponding to the operating system of the corresponding physical mobile device;

at least one device driver corresponding to at least one device driver of the corresponding physical mobile device respectively; and

the one or more applications corresponding to the one or more applications of the corresponding physical mobile device respectively.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein for each of the at least one virtual instance mobile device, the hardware emulation component further comprises:

an input/output (I/O) emulator configured to emulate at least one I/O component of the corresponding physical mobile device; and

a display emulator configured to emulate a display of the corresponding physical mobile device.

13. A method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

executing the at least one virtual instance mobile device in the computer runtime environment to emulate behavior of the corresponding at least one physical mobile device respectively.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein executing one of the at least one virtual instance mobile device in the computer runtime environment comprises:

executing the hardware emulation component of the virtual instance mobile device; and

executing the software emulation component of the virtual instance mobile device within the context of the hardware emulation component.

16. An apparatus for remotely managing a mobile device, wherein the mobile device comprises one or more hardware components, an operating system and one or more applications, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

at least one network interface;

a device emulation component corresponding to the mobile device, comprising

a hardware emulation component configured to emulate the one or more hardware components of the mobile device; and

a software emulation component corresponding to software components of the mobile device, wherein the software emulation component comprises an operating system and one or more applications corresponding to the operating system and the one or more applications of the mobile device, and wherein the operating system and the one or more applications of the software emulation component are executable within the context of the hardware emulation component;

a device management component configured to remotely manage the mobile device, comprising computer-readable medium having a plurality of computer program instructions stored therein, which are operable to cause the processor to

maintain and execute the device emulation component in a computer runtime environment,

synchronize the device emulation component with the corresponding mobile device,

store data obtained from the mobile device in the memory,

remotely manage the mobile device by emulating the mobile device in the computer runtime environment using the device emulation component; and

a virtual mobile device platform, within which the device emulation component is executed to emulate behavior of the mobile device,

wherein the plurality of computer program instructions are further operable to cause the processor to cause the hardware emulation component to be executed in the computer runtime environment, and cause the software emulation component to be executed within the context of the hardware emulation component.

17. An apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the device emulation component for the mobile device represents a virtual instance mobile device.

18. An apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein

the hardware emulation component comprises:

a processor emulator configured to emulate a processor of the mobile device;

a memory emulator configured to emulate a memory of the mobile device; and

a network interface emulator configured to emulate at least one network interface of the mobile device, and

the software emulation component comprises;

the operating system corresponding to the operating system of the mobile device;

at least one device driver corresponding to at least one device driver of the corresponding mobile device respectively; and

the one or more applications corresponding to the one or more applications of the corresponding mobile device respectively.

19. An apparatus as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

a user portal corresponding to the mobile device,

wherein the plurality of computer program instructions are further operable to cause the processor to maintain the user portal and enable a user to remotely access and control the mobile device.

20. A mobile device management system, comprising:

a virtual instance mobile device corresponding to a unique physical mobile device,

the physical mobile device including the hardware component, an operating system and an application, and

the virtual instance mobile device including

a hardware emulation component operative to emulate the hardware component of the physical mobile device,

a software emulation component corresponding to at least one of the operating system and the application of the physical mobile device and executable within a context of the hardware emulation component, and

an operating system and an application each executable in a computer runtime environment including at least one of the hardware emulation component and the software emulation component, and the operating system and the application of the virtual instance mobile device corresponding to the application and the operating system of the physical mobile device; and

a synchronization component configured to synchronize data between the virtual instance mobile device with the physical mobile device;

a data store configured to store data obtained from the physical mobile device; and

a management component configured to remotely manage the physical mobile device by loading the corresponding virtual instance mobile device into the computer runtime environment for execution, and execute the software emulation component of the virtual instance mobile device within the context of the hardware emulation component.

21. A method of remotely managing a mobile device, comprising:

maintaining a virtual instance mobile device corresponding to a unique physical mobile device,

emulating a hardware component of the physical mobile device,

emulating at least one of the operating system and the application of the physical mobile device within a context of the hardware emulation component, the operating system and the application each executable in a computer runtime environment including at least one of the emulated hardware component and the emulated operating system or application, and the operating system and the application of the virtual instance mobile device corresponding to the application and the operating system of the physical mobile device;

synchronizing data between the virtual instance mobile device and the corresponding physical mobile device;

storing data obtained from the physical mobile device; and

remotely managing the physical mobile device by loading the corresponding virtual instance mobile device into the computer time environment for execution of the software emulation component of the virtual instance mobile device within the context of the hardware emulation component.