OMA Device Management
Encyclopedia
OMA Device Management is a device management protocol specified by the Open Mobile Alliance
(OMA) Device Management (DM) Working Group and the Data Synchronization (DS) Working Group. The current specification is OMA DM is version 1.2, the latest modifications to this version released in April 2006.
s, PDAs
and palm top computers. The device management is intended to support the following typical uses:
All the above functions are supported by the OMA DM specification, and a device may optionally implement all or a subset of these features. Since OMA DM specification is aimed at mobile devices, it is designed with sensitivity to the following:
Ltd, an industry consortium formed by many mobile device manufacturers. The SyncML Initiative got consolidated into the OMA umbrella as the scope and use of the specification was expanded to include many more devices and support global operation.
Technically the OMA DM uses XML
for data exchange, more specifically the sub-set defined by SyncML
. The device management takes place by communication between a server (which is managing the device) and the client (the device being managed). OMA DM is designed to support and utilize any number of data transports such as:
The communication protocol is a request-response protocol. Authentication and challenge of authentication are built-in to ensure the server and client are communicating only after proper validation. The server and client are both stateful, meaning a specific sequence of messages are to be exchanged only after authentication is completed to perform any task.
The communication is initiated by the OMA DM server, asynchronously, using any of the methods available such as a WAP Push or SMS
. The initial message from server to client is said to be in the form of a notification, or alert message.
Once the communication is established between the server and client, a sequence of messages might be exchanged to complete a given device management task. OMA DM does provide for alerts, which are messages that can occur out of sequence, and can be initiated by either server or client. Such alerts are used to handle errors, abnormal terminations etc.
Several parameters relating to the communication such as the maximum message size can be negotiated between the server and client during the initiation of a session. In order to transfer large objects, the protocol does allow for sending them in smaller chunks.
Error recovery based on timeouts are not specified completely, hence, different implementations could possibly differ (protocol is not fully specified relating to these, and seem to leave them open intentionally).
The protocol specifies exchange of Packages during a session, each package consisting of several messages and each message in turn consisting of one or more commands. The server initiates the commands and the client is expected to execute the commands and return the result via a reply message.
Supported mobile device platforms include:
Even though these implementations are based on OMA DM, the manufacturers continue to package it as a proprietary solution, supposedly due to security and the alleged need for tight control over the device management.
Open Mobile Alliance
The Open Mobile Alliance is a standards body which develops open standards for the mobile phone industry.- Principles :Mission: To provide interoperable service enablers working across countries, operators and mobile terminals....
(OMA) Device Management (DM) Working Group and the Data Synchronization (DS) Working Group. The current specification is OMA DM is version 1.2, the latest modifications to this version released in April 2006.
Overview
OMA DM specification is designed for management of small mobile devices such as mobile phoneMobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s, PDAs
Personal digital assistant
A personal digital assistant , also known as a palmtop computer, or personal data assistant, is a mobile device that functions as a personal information manager. Current PDAs often have the ability to connect to the Internet...
and palm top computers. The device management is intended to support the following typical uses:
- ProvisioningProvisioningIn telecommunication, provisioning is the process of preparing and equipping a network to allow it to provide services to its users. In NS/EP telecommunications services, "provisioning" equates to "initiation" and includes altering the state of an existing priority service or capability.In a...
– Configuration of the device (including first time use), enabling and disabling features - Configuration of Device – Allow changes to settings and parameters of the device
- Software UpgradesUpgradeThe term upgrade refers to the replacement of a product with a newer version of the same product. It is most often used in computing and consumer electronics, generally meaning a replacement of hardware, software or firmware with a newer or better version, in order to bring the system up to date...
– Provide for new software and/or bug fixes to be loaded on the device, including applications and system software. - Fault ManagementFault managementIn network management, fault management is the set of functions that detect, isolate, and correct malfunctions in a telecommunications network, compensate for environmental changes, and include maintaining and examining error logs, accepting and acting on error detection notifications, tracing and...
– Report errors from the device, query about status of device
All the above functions are supported by the OMA DM specification, and a device may optionally implement all or a subset of these features. Since OMA DM specification is aimed at mobile devices, it is designed with sensitivity to the following:
- small foot-print devices, where memory and storage space may be limited
- bandwidth of communication could be constrained, such as in wireless connectivity
- tight security, as the devices are vulnerable to virus attacks and the like; authentication and challenges are made part of the specifications
Technical description
OMA DM was originally developed by The SyncML InitiativeThe SyncML Initiative
The SyncML Initiative, Ltd. was a non-profit corporation formed by a group of companies who co-operated to produce an open standard for data synchronization and device management....
Ltd, an industry consortium formed by many mobile device manufacturers. The SyncML Initiative got consolidated into the OMA umbrella as the scope and use of the specification was expanded to include many more devices and support global operation.
Technically the OMA DM uses XML
XML
Extensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....
for data exchange, more specifically the sub-set defined by SyncML
SyncML
SyncML is the former name for a platform-independent information synchronization standard. The project is currently referred to as Open Mobile Alliance Data Synchronization and Device Management...
. The device management takes place by communication between a server (which is managing the device) and the client (the device being managed). OMA DM is designed to support and utilize any number of data transports such as:
- physically over both wireline (USB, RS-232RS-232In telecommunications, RS-232 is the traditional name for a series of standards for serial binary single-ended data and control signals connecting between a DTE and a DCE . It is commonly used in computer serial ports...
) and wireless media (GSM, CDMA, IrDAInfrared Data AssociationThe Infrared Data Association defines physical specifications communications protocol standards for the short-range exchange of data over infrared light, for uses such as personal area networks ....
or BluetoothBluetoothBluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...
) - transport layers implemented over any of WSPWireless Session ProtocolWireless Session Protocol is an open standard for maintaining high level session. Wireless session is nothing but a normal Web browsing session that starts when the user connects to one URL and ends when the user leaves that URL. By establishing the session means that the session wide properties...
(WAPWireless Application ProtocolWireless Application Protocol is a technical standard for accessing information over a mobile wireless network.A WAP browser is a web browser for mobile devices such as mobile phones that uses the protocol.Before the introduction of WAP, mobile service providers had limited opportunities to offer...
), HTTP or OBEXOBEXOBEX is a communications protocol that facilitates the exchange of binary objects between devices. It is maintained by the Infrared Data Association but has also been adopted by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group and the SyncML wing of the Open Mobile Alliance...
or similar transports
The communication protocol is a request-response protocol. Authentication and challenge of authentication are built-in to ensure the server and client are communicating only after proper validation. The server and client are both stateful, meaning a specific sequence of messages are to be exchanged only after authentication is completed to perform any task.
The communication is initiated by the OMA DM server, asynchronously, using any of the methods available such as a WAP Push or SMS
SMS
SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
. The initial message from server to client is said to be in the form of a notification, or alert message.
Once the communication is established between the server and client, a sequence of messages might be exchanged to complete a given device management task. OMA DM does provide for alerts, which are messages that can occur out of sequence, and can be initiated by either server or client. Such alerts are used to handle errors, abnormal terminations etc.
Several parameters relating to the communication such as the maximum message size can be negotiated between the server and client during the initiation of a session. In order to transfer large objects, the protocol does allow for sending them in smaller chunks.
Error recovery based on timeouts are not specified completely, hence, different implementations could possibly differ (protocol is not fully specified relating to these, and seem to leave them open intentionally).
The protocol specifies exchange of Packages during a session, each package consisting of several messages and each message in turn consisting of one or more commands. The server initiates the commands and the client is expected to execute the commands and return the result via a reply message.
Implementations and application support
OMA DM is supported by several mobile devices, such as PDAs and mobile phones.Supported mobile device platforms include:
- Nokia Series 40 (Nokia OSNokia OSNokia OS is an informal name for the operating system in many Nokia mobile phones. These are informal names, there is no such product or trademark, though the term "Nokia OS" is used in official Nokia communications. Officially it is referred as ISA platform. It is a proprietary platform for...
-based) - Nokia S60S60 (software platform)The S60 Platform is a software platform for mobile phones that runs on Symbian OS. It was created by Nokia, who made the platform open source and contributed it to the Symbian Foundation. S60 has been used by mobile device manufacturers including Siemens mobile, Lenovo, LG Electronics, Panasonic...
(Symbian OS-based) - Nokia Series 80 (Symbian OS-based)
- UIQUIQUIQ by UIQ Technology is a software platform based upon Symbian OS. Essentially this is a graphical user interface layer that provides additional components to the core OS, to enable the development of feature-rich mobile phones that are open to expanded capabilities through third-party...
(Symbian OS-based) - ZyxelZyXELZyXEL Communications Corp. , located in Hsinchu, Taiwan, is a manufacturer of DSL and other networking devices. . With headquarters in Taiwan, ZyXEL maintains branch offices in North America, Europe, and Asia...
WiMAXWiMAXWiMAX is a communication technology for wirelessly delivering high-speed Internet service to large geographical areas. The 2005 WiMAX revision provided bit rates up to 40 Mbit/s with the 2011 update up to 1 Gbit/s for fixed stations...
Series - Sony EricssonSony EricssonSony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB is a joint venture established on October 1, 2001 by the Japanese consumer electronics company Sony Corporation and the Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson to manufacture mobile phones....
Xperia X10 (Android-based) - MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Windows MobileWindows MobileWindows Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft that was used in smartphones and Pocket PCs, but by 2011 was rarely supplied on new phones. The last version is "Windows Mobile 6.5.5"; it is superseded by Windows Phone, which does not run Windows Mobile software.Windows Mobile is...
Even though these implementations are based on OMA DM, the manufacturers continue to package it as a proprietary solution, supposedly due to security and the alleged need for tight control over the device management.
- IBMIBMInternational Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
WebSphereIBM WebSphereIBM WebSphere refers to a brand of computer software products in the genre of enterprise software known as "application and integration middleware". These software products are used by end-users to create applications and integrate applications with other applications...
Everyplace Device Manager provides a solution for managing various mobile devices based on OMA DM. In V6.0, it supports OMA DM 1.1.2 and 1.2 devices. - MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
System Center Mobile Device ManagerSystem Center Mobile Device ManagerSystem Center Mobile Device Manager is a Mobile device management solution providing over-the-air management of Windows Mobile Smartphone security, applications and settings...
2008 provides a solution for device security and over-the-air policy enforcement. It supports OMA DM. But currently, this product is only focused on Windows MobileWindows MobileWindows Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft that was used in smartphones and Pocket PCs, but by 2011 was rarely supplied on new phones. The last version is "Windows Mobile 6.5.5"; it is superseded by Windows Phone, which does not run Windows Mobile software.Windows Mobile is...
6.1 devices - InnoPath SoftwareInnoPath SoftwareInnoPath Software is a software company that provides mobile device management technology to wireless operators and mobile device manufacturers. The technology enables operators to remotely connect, configure, troubleshoot and secure end-user mobile devices....
provides OMA-DM standards-based client & server solutions to wireless operators and handset manufacturers. - Motive, Inc. allows providers to remotely monitor, diagnose and manage mobile devices and the applications and services that run on them, making it easier and more profitable to roll out and support new services.
- ProSystProSystProSyst Software GmbH was founded in Cologne in 1997 as a company specializing in Java software and middleware. ProSyst's first commercial application was a Java EE application server...
mPower Remote Manager allows remote device management and software provisioning system for OMA DM-enable devices and others.