Managing pervasive devices

• US 7,085,822 B1
• Filed: 05/23/2000
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Riccio, Francesco, de Rosa, Mattia, Donatelli, Alessandro, Loppini, Fabrizio
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAZARO, DAVID R
• Application Number:
  US09/576,696
• Time in Patent Office: 2,261 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/245, 709/206, 709/207, 709/221, 709/222, 709/220, 717/173, 717/178
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A management system comprises a gateway component adapted to reside on a workstation and a device agent adapted to reside on a pervasive device for configuring pervasive devices. The gateway component is instantiable during synchronization of the workstation with a pervasive device to transfer the device agent to the pervasive device; and to transmit configuration information to the pervasive device. The device agent executes configuration commands in response to the configuration information. The invention enables pervasive devices to be managed through a workstation to which they connect to synchronize without requiring any intervention by the pervasive device user. Preferably, the workstation acts as a gateway for managing the device within what becomes a four tier management system.

Claims

1. For managing pervasive devices, a gateway component resident on a workstation, said gateway component being instantiable during synchronisation of said workstation with a pervasive device and comprising:

means for transferring a device agent to a pervasive device;

means for transmitting configuration information to the device agent, said agent comprising means for executing configuration commands in response to the configuration information received from the gateway component

means for receiving a file from a management server including the address of a specific pervasive device and one or more commands;

means for generating device-specific commands based on the received file; and

means for forwarding the device-specific commands to the device agent at the specific pervasive device identified in the file received from the management server, said device agent executing the device-specific commands as they are received.

2. A gateway component as identified in claim 1 wherein the commands comprise commands for removing files from the specific pervasive device.

3. For managing pervasive devices, a gateway component resident on a workstation, said gateway component being instantiable during synchronization of said workstation with a pervasive device and comprising:

means for transferring a device agent to a pervasive device;

means for transmitting configuration information to the device agent, said agent comprising means for executing configuration commands in response to the configuration information received from the gateway component;

means for receiving a file from a management server including the address of a specific pervasive device and one or more commands;

means for generating device-specific commands based on the received file; and

means for forwarding the device-specific commands to the device agent at the specific pervasive device identified in the file received from the management server, said device agent storing the device-specific commands for execution after all are received.

4. A gateway component as identified in claim 3 wherein the commands comprising database or application configuration commands.