Expeditor Server: Software management

This topic describes how Lotus Expeditor Server uses Device Manager to deploy, configure and remove applications across multiple mobile clients on various platforms.

The Device Manager component of Expeditor Server provides a common software management function for the Expeditor Client and Expeditor Client applications running on a variety of desktop and mobile devices. Device management functions provided include:

Device enrollment—Registering the client.
Client and application configuration—Setting client and application parameters.
Software distribution—Distributing, installing and uninstalling software on the client. Includes the ability to see the status of requests.
Inventory—Collecting hardware and software information about the device (available only on certain client platforms).

Device Manager supports industry standards such as the Open Mobile Alliance Device Management and the Open Service Gateway Initiative (OSGi). Device Manager consists of a Web application and a relational database to store device management data. Managed clients require an agent to interact with the server. To manage an OSGi client, such as IBM Lotus Expeditor Client for Desktops and Mobile Devices, you need the plug-in and the device agent for OSGi devices. The OSGi Agent resides on the device and is responsible for running the commands sent by the Device Management Server. The OSGi Agent connects and interacts with the Device Management Server using the SyncML/DM protocol and is part of the Lotus Expeditor Client framework. The OSGi Agent does not have to be connected to the server all the time. When the agent connects, the server identifies the client and runs the jobs pending for the device.