M2M Communications by David Boswarthick & Omar Elloumi & Olivier Hersent

Author:David Boswarthick & Omar Elloumi & Olivier Hersent
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2012-03-09T16:00:00+00:00

6.3.4.3 Device Management

For an M2M application owner that manages several hundred thousand M2M devices, device management is a very important value-added service. It is very costly to service all the devices, and very often the M2M application owner has little or no possibility to get physical access the device—for example, where a manufacturer of navigation devices sells the devices with a map update service. When the manufacturer subsequently wants to update the network addresses of the server, the navigation devices that are already sold to end-customers also have to be upgraded. Another example would be a remotely controlled highway information sign. It is often very expensive to service these kinds of M2M devices because getting physical access to them requires that a part of the highway be closed off. A solution where the M2M application owner can remotely manage settings in the M2M device is therefore most welcome.

Device management can be considered at M2M application level, for example, updating the map data on a navigation device, or at a communication level, for example, updating the access point name (APN) or the IP address for the M2M server. Application-level device management can also be provided to the M2M server by the M2M application owner itself, and is not seen as the responsibility of the network operator. The network operator would—in general and also for non-M2M devices—focus on communication-level device management. Nevertheless, the network operator may use its available facilities for device and network management to provide application-level device management services to the M2M application owner.

Special attention should be given to device management upon initial activation of the M2M device. In this situation, the M2M devices still need to obtain the parameters (e.g., APN, IP address) needed to get their connection to the M2M server. Particularly in the case of initial activation, the network operator can provide added value.

Network operators have existing mechanisms for device management at their disposal, which are also used for other data communication services. Mobile network operators can use the Open Mobile Alliance-device management (OMA-DM) framework [OMA DM]. Fixed network operators may use frameworks, such as the TR-069 framework from broadband forum [TR-069].

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