Seamless service migration updates

A method of providing an update to a user mobile communication device, wherein the update comprises at least one new credential for a user mobile communication device following a change of a domain name related to a service, the method comprising changing the domain name, changing a state of an at least one old credential for the user mobile communication device used at the service to transient, granting access to the service to the user mobile communication device in response to a request for access using the at least one transient credential, determining if the user mobile communication device is in an acceptable environment to update to the at least one new credential and, when the user mobile communication device is in an acceptable environment, updating the user mobile communication device to the at least one new credential.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND

On occasion, a company may want to change their domain name. While this is a simple enough thing to do, it can have ramifications. One issue will be with the various credentials that use the domain name as part of the credential. All the various users of various services of the company will have to have issued to them new credentials. These new credentials will have to be added to all the various user mobile communication devices and all the various caches in the various user mobile communication devices. Failure to execute this step cleanly can lead to numerous calls to a help desk, consuming time and money.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, a method is disclosed of providing an update to a user mobile communication device, wherein the update comprises at least one new credential for the user mobile communication device following a change of a domain name related to a service, the method comprising creating at least one new credential for the user mobile communication device, changing the domain name, changing a state of an at least one old credential for the user mobile communication device used at the service to transient, granting access to the service to the user mobile communication device in response to a request for access using the at least one transient credential, determining if the user mobile communication device is in an acceptable environment to update to the at least one new credential, and, when the user mobile communication device is in the acceptable environment, then updating the user mobile communication device to the at least one new credential.

In another embodiment, a method of changing at least one credential each for a plurality of user mobile communication devices in response to a change from an old domain name to a new domain name, the method comprising creating at a server at least one new credential for the user mobile communication devices for accessing a service, changing the domain name, changing by the server the state of an at least one old credential for the user mobile communication device to transient, sending messages to the plurality of user mobile communication devices regarding the required change in the at least one credential per user mobile communication device, and, deleting each transient credential from the server only when the user associated with that credential has logged in with a new credential to replace the transient credential with regard to each of the user mobile communication devices.

In another embodiment, an apparatus is disclosed for temporarily granting access to a service after a domain name change in the service, the access granted to a user mobile communication device, the user mobile communication device able to access the service with at least one old credential previously valid and used to grant access for the user to the service via a wireless network, the apparatus comprising a memory, a processor, the service stored in the memory, the service requiring at least one valid credential to allow access by the user, and, an application stored in the memory that executes on the processor when the user mobile communication device submits the at least one old credential to the service to request access to the service, the processor then determines (1) if the at least one old credential was the most recently valid at least one credential prior to the domain name change, and (2) if the environment of the user mobile communication device is acceptable, and further wherein, when both of these conditions are met, the service then notifies the user to update to an at least one new credential.

In an embodiment, yet another method of changing a service access credential on a mobile communication device, wherein the changed service access credential reflects a change of a domain name of a service, is disclosed. The method comprises changing a domain name of a service and creating a new access credential for a mobile communication device, wherein the new access credential is associated with the service and wherein the new access credential comprises at least part of a new domain name of the service. The method further comprises storing the new access credential by the service and changing an old access credential of the mobile communication device stored by the service to a state of transient at the service, wherein the old access credential is associated with the service and wherein the old access credential comprises at least part of an old domain name of the service. The method further comprises granting access to the service to the mobile communication device in response to receiving a request from the mobile communication device for access to the service using the old access credential and determining that the old access credential stored by the service has a state of transient. The method further comprises, responsive to a determination that the old access credential stored by the service has a state of transient, determining that updating the mobile communication device to the new access credential cannot degrade current processing of the mobile communication device and, responsive to a determination that updating the mobile communication device to the new access credential cannot degrade current processing of the mobile communication device, updating the mobile communication device to store the new credential.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

On occasion, a company may want to change a domain name they are using. One of the challenges with making that change is the need to also change all the relevant credentials of users of the company's family of services on the user's various mobile communication devices. That is, some of the credentials may use the domain name as at least a portion of the credential. For example, it is quite common for a login credential to include an email address. So once the domain name changes, many of the related credentials may need to change as well. New credentials are created by the company, and the old ones may need to be deleted. Once these credentials are changed by the company, the new credentials need to be pushed out to the appropriate users and their mobile communication devices. These changes in credentials may go out over the air when one wants to make the changes in various user mobile communication devices. But sometimes the users are not in an environment that is acceptable for making these changes. For instance, the user and his mobile communication device may be in roaming mode, or in a foreign country, both of which can be expensive on a per-minute basis, and hence taking the time for downloading and updating is an unpalatable prospect for the user or the service provider at that time. Likewise, the user may have simply turned off the mobile communication device for an extended period of time, and it may not be available at the time of the pushing out. What then happens is that the next time the user attempts to log in with the old credentials, they are unable to get in, and may contact the Help Desk. Calling the Help Desk can be time consuming and a serious cost to the company. What is needed is a better way to deal with the transition from old credentials to new credentials, to allow for potentially reasonable delays in getting the new credentials onto the users' mobile communication devices.

One solution is to retain both the old and new credentials at a central service information location until all necessary changes have been made in the user mobile communication devices. Once the changes have been made to the user mobile communication devices, the old credentials can be deleted at the central service information locations. The credentials can be stored in at least a central service information location, as well other locations. The credentials may apply to a “family” of services. The family may be a group of unrelated services provided from a common source, or the services may be interrelated. Each user mobile communication device may have its own credential with regard to each service.

Credentials are used to authorize a user access to a service, while preventing unauthorized access to the service by others. A credential may comprise, for example, a user ID, a password, a time stamp, and a particular service or application it may be associated with. A credential may further comprise a state field that can have the value of either “transient” or “current.” Hence, when a new credential is to be created, the old one will be assigned a state of “transient”, and the new one will be assigned a state of “current”. Both will be stored at the central service information location.

The process for making sure a user mobile communication device has the new credential added is to check the next time the user attempts to use a credential after the new credential has been created. A server associated with a service may check with the central service information location to see which credential is acceptable, and accept both the old and new credential. If the new credential is used by the user, the server may delete the old credential from the central service information location. If the old credential is used, the server will accept it, but it will also check the current execution environment of the user mobile communication device, to see if the new credential can be written to the mobile device without interfering with ongoing user activities. If no interference with ongoing user activities is expected, the new credential is loaded into the user mobile communication device, and the old credential is deleted from the central service information location. If replacing credentials at the current time would interfere with current user and/or mobile device activities, the old credential will be left in both the user mobile communication device and the central service information location. The next time the user tries to use the credential, the same check will be made again, and each subsequent time, until the new credential is found to be on the user mobile communication device, at which point the old credential will be deleted from the central service information location.

If a family of services uses the same credential, once the old credential has been deleted with respect to one service, it may likewise be deleted with regard to all the other services in the family. This may be accomplished by the fact that all the services look for credentials at the central services information location. Or, if they look for credentials in different locations, then by one service notifying the others about the change.

Referring now toFIG. 1, a schematic diagram of a system100is shown. A company server102is used to provide a service104to a user mobile communication device (“UMCD”)106. The company server102and the service104may be coupled to the UMCD via a link through a network110, and then through a base transceiver station112, or other well-known communication coupling method, such as an enhanced node B, etc. The base transceiver station112then communicates with the UMCD106. The service104is an application that may be partially installed on the UMCD106and partially on the company server102. This may be structured as a service client application on the UMCD106along with a service server application on the company server102. In such an example, the service client application could make a request to the service server application, and the results received would be presented on the UMCD's106display.

Credentials may be stored in a central service information location108which is also coupled to the network110. While shown here as being separate from the company server102and the service104, in fact the central service information location108could be a part of either102or104. The credentials could also be duplicated in more than one location, up to and including all three possible locations (102,104and separate108).

Credentials are used to authorize a user's access to a service, while preventing unauthorized access to the service by others. If the company changes its domain name, it will also want to change the user's credentials. A credential may comprise, for example, a user ID, a password, a time stamp, and a particular service or application it may be associated with. A credential may further comprise a state field that can have the value of either “transient” or “current.” Two credentials for the same service and the same UMCD106may exist at the same time and differ only in one having a state of transient and one having a state of current. Each UMCD that accesses a service may preferably have its own credential.

The company server102may be tied to more than one service104, herein referred to as a “family” of services. The family may be a group of unrelated services provided from a common source, or the services may be interrelated. For instance, Google provides a large number of services that can all be accessed via a common set of credentials, including Gmail, Google+, Google Drive, etc. More than one UMCD106may be coupled to the one or more of a family of services104. Each UMCD106will have its own credentials. One or more of the family of services104may be stored in a memory of each UMCD106. The central service information location108could be commonly accessible to the entire family of services104, or one or more of the family of services104may keep its credentials in a separate location. When a new credential is issued, it is placed with the old credential in the various places in which the old credential may currently reside. Once a credential has been successfully updated from old to new with regard to a service, the change is noted at the central service information location108as well as any other location where it may reside.

Referring now toFIG. 2, a schematic diagram of a method200is shown. The company first creates202the new domain name. Once the new domain name is created, it is a straightforward matter for the company to create204the related new credentials of the affected users. These new credentials may be created in part by duplicating most of the existing credentials of the affected users. That is, a new credential could be created by copying an old credential, then changing at least one characteristic, called a “state”. The state of the new one could be “current”, while the old credential would change to a state of “transient”. There may be only one credential that needs a new credential, or there may be multiple old credentials, such as different credentials for different services or multiple UMCDs. Once these new credentials are created, the old credentials are changed206to a state of transient. So now there are two differing credentials for the same service for the same UMCD, one that has a state of current, and one that has a state of transient. The credentials having a state of transient are preferably retained along with the new credentials at the central service information location. The various credentials may also be stored all together in multiple locations, or they may be stored in different locations. If desired, the company server may optionally send messages to the UMCDs at that time indicating the need to update to the new credentials with regard to all UMCDs and all services, and attempt to make the change in as many of the UMCDs as possible at that time.

When a user attempts to log in208with a particular UMCD with either the new or transient credential (e.g., a credential having a state of new or a state of transient) to a service, the credential submitted may be checked first against either the new or transient credentials, and then if it does not match that one, checked against the other. If the log in request uses either of these credentials, the login is allowed. The service then makes a query210, which credential was used? If it was the new one, then the transient credential is deleted212. If the transient credential was used to attempt the login, the service may then attempt to218update the UMCD106to the new credential, and then delete212the transient credential. This updating may be accomplished by having the service go into the various places in which the credential is stored in the user's mobile communication device and change it there.

This method200could be repeated for each credential and for each service that the UMCD contacts, changing them one at a time. Alternatively, if a plurality of services are related to each other as a family of services and use a common credential, once the new credential is in place for one service, that service may notify the other services in the family, so they all will know and use the new credential. Or, the family may use the central service information location as a common source for storage of the credentials, and hence all the services will automatically be using the new credentials once it is established on the UMCD. The required change to each UMCD may be attempted the first time each UMCD tries to access a service, until all the UMCDs have had their new credentials inserted.

It may be preferable to only update the credentials when the UMCD is in an acceptable environment. Environment means the situation and location of the UMCD, especially looking at how much it will cost to require the user or the communication service provider to update the credentials in the UMCD, and how difficult and time-consuming it will be, and if the UMCD is even operating at the time. What is an “acceptable” environment could be determined by the company in each instance. It may be that some credentials update much more quickly and easily than others, and so what could be acceptable could be broader.

Referring now toFIG. 3, a schematic diagram of a method300is shown. The company first creates302the new domain name. Once the new domain name is created, the company then creates304the related new credentials. There may be only one credential to create, or there may be multiple new credentials to create. Once the new credentials are created, the state of the old credentials is changed306to a state of “transient.” These transient credentials may be retained along with the new credentials at the central service information location. They may all be stored in the same location, or all together in multiple locations, or they may be stored in different locations. When a user attempts to log in308with either the new or transient credentials to a service, the login is allowed.

The service then makes a first query310, which credential was used? If it was the new one, then the transient credential is deleted312. If the transient credential was used, then a second query314is made. How is the environment of the UMCD? The environment may refer to a collection of factors that indicate whether this would be an acceptable time, place and situation to update the credentials on the UMCD. Such factors may include the physical location of the UMCD, such as which country, or is it in a location that requires roaming. Another factor may be the quality of a connection to the network the UMCD has. Another factor may be the total volume of traffic over the network at that time. The service may look at these or other factors to decide if the UMCD is in an acceptable environment for updating credentials. When the environment is acceptable, then the service updates318the UMCD to the new credential, and then the transient credential are deleted312from the central information service location. Thereafter, the service will only accept the new credential for access. If the environment is unacceptable, the user is still allowed access316, and the transient credential will be retained at the central service information location for the time being. The next time the user attempts to log in308to the service, the same query310will be made. This method could be repeated for each service that the UMCD contacts, changing them one at a time. Alternatively, a family of services could use a common source for credentials, such as a central service information location, and thereby note that for this UMCD the credential is changed with regard to all services. Or, once the new credential is in place for one service, that service may notify the other services of the family, so they all will know and use the new credential and delete the old credential. Each UMCD will have to have its own credentials changed with regard to each service.

Referring now toFIG. 4, a method340is shown. At block342, change a domain name of a service. At block344, create a new access credential for a mobile communication device, wherein the new access credential is associated with the service and wherein the new access credential comprises at least part of a new domain name of the service. At block346, store the new access credential by the service. At block348, change an old access credential of the mobile communication device stored by the service to a state of transient at the service, wherein the old access credential is associated with the service and wherein the old access credential comprises at least part of an old domain name of the service.

At block350, grant access to the service to the mobile communication device in response to receiving a request from the mobile communication device for access to the service using the old access credential. At block352, Determine that the old access credential stored by the service has a state of transient. At block354, responsive to a determination that the old access credential stored by the service has a state of transient, determine that updating the mobile communication device to the new access credential cannot degrade current processing of the mobile communication device. At block356, responsive to a determination that updating the mobile communication device to the new access credential cannot degrade current processing of the mobile communication device, update the mobile communication device to store the new credential.

FIG. 5depicts a mobile device400, which is operable for implementing aspects of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure should not be limited to these implementations. Though illustrated as a mobile phone, the mobile device400may take various forms including a wireless handset, a pager, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a gaming device, or a media player. The mobile device400includes a display402and a touch-sensitive surface and/or keys404for input by a user. The mobile device400may present options for the user to select, controls for the user to actuate, and/or cursors or other indicators for the user to direct. The mobile device400may further accept data entry from the user, including numbers to dial or various parameter values for configuring the operation of the handset. The mobile device400may further execute one or more software or firmware applications in response to user commands. These applications may configure the mobile device400to perform various customized functions in response to user interaction. Additionally, the mobile device400may be programmed and/or configured over-the-air, for example from a wireless base station, a wireless access point, or a peer mobile device400. The mobile device400may execute a web browser application which enables the display402to show a web page. The web page may be obtained via wireless communications with a base transceiver station, a wireless network access node, a peer mobile device400or any other wireless communication network or system.

FIG. 6shows a block diagram of the mobile device400. While a variety of known components of handsets are depicted, in an embodiment a subset of the listed components and/or additional components not listed may be included in the mobile device400. The mobile device400includes a digital signal processor (DSP)502and a memory504. As shown, the mobile device400may further include an antenna and front end unit506, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver508, a baseband processing unit510, a microphone512, an earpiece speaker514, a headset port516, an input/output interface518, a removable memory card520, a universal serial bus (USB) port522, an infrared port524, a vibrator526, a keypad528, a touch screen liquid crystal display (LCD) with a touch sensitive surface530, a touch screen/LCD controller532, a camera534, a camera controller536, and a global positioning system (GPS) receiver538. In an embodiment, the mobile device400may include another kind of display that does not provide a touch sensitive screen. In an embodiment, the DSP502may communicate directly with the memory504without passing through the input/output interface518. Additionally, in an embodiment, the mobile device400may comprise other peripheral devices that provide other functionality.

The keypad528couples to the DSP502via the input/output interface518to provide one mechanism for the user to make selections, enter information, and otherwise provide input to the mobile device400. Another input mechanism may be the touch screen LCD530, which may also display text and/or graphics to the user. The touch screen LCD controller532couples the DSP502to the touch screen LCD530. The GPS receiver538is coupled to the DSP502to decode global positioning system signals, thereby enabling the mobile device400to determine its position.