System and method for continuously provisioning a mobile device

• US 7,529,197 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2006
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Butler, Lee M., Shell, Scott R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOM, SHICK C
• Application Number:
  US11/405,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20060193321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 370/241, 370/252, 370/254, 370/310, 370/465, 370/537, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 455/418, 455/419, 455/420
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters

Abstract

Described is a provisioning system for receiving configuration changes to and queries of settings on a mobile device. One implementation includes a router component and a configuration manager component. The router component is responsible for receiving messages delivered to the mobile device and parsing the messages into requests for information. The router component is also responsible for authenticating and decrypting the messages. Once properly authenticated and decrypted, the router component passes the message to the configuration manager component. The configuration manager component is responsible for determining what configuration settings are affected by the message and for processing the requests within the message. The configuration manager component may additionally compose a response document to return in the event that a response has been requested in the message.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a plurality of push sources on the mobile device;

a router component, on the mobile device, configured to receive configuration messages from the plurality of push sources, wherein the configuration messages include at least one declaration statement that declares a new setting state to be made on the mobile device;

a configuration service provider component, on the mobile device, configured to access a setting; and

a configuration manager component, on the mobile device, configured to receive the new setting state, identify the configuration service provider based on the new setting state, instruct the configuration service provider component to apply the new setting state and send the received configuration messages back to an initiator having the at least one declaration statement unaltered to indicate that the new setting state has been applied in association with the setting.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the router component is configured to authenticate the configuration message.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the configuration service provider component is configured to roll back a failed configuration update to a last known-good state.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the configuration service provider component is configured to provide a rollback document to the configuration manager component in response to a request, wherein the rollback document identifies a current state of settings.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the configuration manager component is configured to request from the configuration service provider component a rollback document identifying a current state of a setting and to return the setting when a provisioning transaction fails.

18. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the response indicating that the provisioning information has been applied in association with the setting includes an indication that an error occurred.

19. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the configuration manager component is further configured to instruct the configuration service provider component to reject the provisioning information when a determination is made to not apply the provisioning information.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the provisioning document is obtained on the mobile device, wherein the provisioning transaction is initiated on the mobile device, wherein the configuration components are identified on the mobile device, wherein passing the value to the configuration component includes identifying which configuration component is responsible for maintaining the particular setting and passing the value to the identified configuration component, and wherein the configuration component is located on the mobile device.

6. A computer-implemented method for provisioning a mobile device, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of push sources on the mobile device, a configuration manager on the mobile device, and a configuration component on the mobile device;

obtaining, on the configuration manager, a provisioning document from at least one of a plurality of push sources, wherein the plurality of push sources are configured to obtain the provisioning document from an external initiator, wherein the provisioning document includes at least one declaration statement that declares a value to be set on the mobile device;

initiating, by the configuration manager, a provisioning transaction associated with the value in the provisioning document, wherein the value is associated with a setting of the mobile device;

identifying, by the configuration manager, a configuration component responsible for maintaining the setting;

passing the value from the configuration manager to the configuration component to determine whether to apply the value to the setting;

instructing, by the configuration manager, the configuration component to commit the value to the setting when determination to apply the value is made; and

sending, from the configuration manager, the received provisioning document back to an initiator having the at least one declaration statement unaltered to indicate that the new setting state has been applied in association with the setting.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the external initiator includes a provisioning server in wireless communication with the mobile device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the initiator includes a provisioning server in wired communication with the mobile device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein sending the response includes sending an indication that an error occurred while attempting to commit the value to the setting.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein passing the value to the configuration component includes identifying which configuration component is responsible for maintaining the particular setting and passing the value to the identified configuration component.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for provisioning a mobile device, the instructions comprising:

obtaining a provisioning document from at least one of a plurality of push sources, wherein the plurality of push sources are configured to obtain the provisioning document from an external initiator, wherein the provisioning document includes at least one declaration statement that declares a value for the mobile device;

initiating a provisioning transaction associated with the value in the provisioning document, wherein the value is associated with a setting of the mobile device;

identifying a configuration component responsible for maintaining the setting based on the provisioning document;

passing the value to the configuration component to determine whether to apply the value to the setting;

when a determination to apply the value is made, instructing the configuration component to commit the value to the setting, and sending the received provisioning document back to the external initiator with the at least one declaration statement unaltered; and

instructing the configuration component to fail the provisioning transaction when a determination is made to not apply the value to the setting.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the external initiator includes a provisioning server in wireless communication with the mobile device.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the initiator includes a provisioning server in wired communication with the mobile device.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein passing the value to the configuration component includes identifying which configuration component is responsible for maintaining the particular setting and passing the value to the identified configuration component.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for provisioning a mobile device, the instructions comprising:

obtaining a provisioning document from at least one of a plurality of push sources, wherein the plurality of push sources are configured to obtain the provisioning document from an external initiator, wherein the provisioning document includes at least one declaration statement that declares a value for the mobile device;

initiating a provisioning transaction associated with a value in the provisioning document, wherein the value is associated with a setting of the mobile device;

identifying a configuration component responsible for maintaining the setting based on the provisioning document;

passing the value to the configuration component to determine whether to apply the value to the setting;

when a determination to apply the value is made, instructing the configuration component to commit the value to the setting, and sending the received provisioning document back to the external initiator with the at least one declaration statement; and

withholding instructing the configuration component when a determination is made to not apply the value to the setting.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the external initiator includes a provisioning server in wireless communication with the mobile device.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the initiator includes a provisioning server in wired communication with the mobile device.