Previewing impacted entities in automated device definitions

Various examples are described for defining automations for client devices enrolled with a management service. A computing environment can cause one or more user interfaces to be shown in a display of an administrator device that include at least one field for generating an automation that includes a trigger, a condition, and an action to automatically be performed when the condition is satisfied. The trigger defines a time at which the management service compares the condition to device profiles generated for client devices enrolled with the management service. The user interface can forecast a number of client devices that will be affected or subject to an automation, and can display results of the automation as it is executed in real time.

BACKGROUND

Various operating systems offer mobile device management (MDM) capabilities that permit third-party applications to secure and oversee operation of a device. Unified endpoint management (UEM) solutions enable administrators of enterprises and other organizations to also secure and oversee the operation of a multitude of various types of devices having various types of operating systems and MDM capabilities, such as smartphones, desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and peripheral devices. Generally, UEM solutions include a management service hosted in a remote computing environment, where the management service permits administrators to oversee operation of the multitude of devices through a single portal, referred to as an administrator console.

Some UEM solutions permit an administrator to determine a number of devices impacted by a change in policy. However, these solutions typically generate rough estimates, and do not rely on actual states of devices managed by the management service. Additionally, some of these solutions merely create a rule that is matched against incoming device profiles, thereby failing to account for device profiles already stored in memory. Accordingly, it is difficult for administrators to determine a potential impact of a change in a policy defined in the administrator console. For instance, an administrator may be less inclined to roll out a change in policy to a thousand devices enrolled with the management service, when only a subset of those devices should be impacted by the change in policy.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to defining automations for client devices enrolled with a management service as well as dynamically determining information associated with devices affected by automations as the automations are being created. Administrators of an enterprise or other organization, which usually include information technology (IT) personnel, can utilize a management service to secure and oversee operation of devices enrolled with a management service. Through an administrator console, administrators can define actions or events to occur when predefined criteria has been met by one or more devices. For instance, if a state of a device indicates that the device is a security risk, the administrator can specify remedial actions to be taken by the management service, such as removing the device from an enterprise network, requiring the device to perform a virus scan, reformatting the device to a predefined image, or other action that could alleviate the security risk.

While it can be more intuitive to configure devices having common operating systems, hardware, and other software, it becomes difficult to configure devices having increasingly varying operating systems, hardware, application versions, firmware versions, and other specifications. For instance, in bring-your-own-device (BYOD) environments, the devices used by employees can range from devices that utilize the Android® operating system by Google®, the iOS operating system by Apple®, the Windows® operating system by Microsoft®, or other operating system. These devices also can have different versions of operating systems, different security patches, varying user configurations, etc. Additionally, the devices can be manufactured by various device manufacturers and include varying hardware specifications, drivers, and settings.

Assume, for instance, that an administrator intends to install a security patch on all devices in a bring-your-own-device environment. There is a probability that installing the security patch or otherwise incorrectly configuring devices could result in “breaking” a vast amount of devices or, in other words, making the devices non-operational or not function as intended. As such, it is beneficial to have an administrator console that provides the administrator with up-to-date and accurate information of a number of devices affected, subject to, or otherwise impacted by a procedure, while allowing the administrator to dial down the impact of individual devices, permitting the administrator to make more granular decisions or customizations that affect portions of enrolled devices. Additionally, it can be beneficial for the administrator to create automations to be performed when certain criteria is met, allowing the administrator to customize behavior when certain conditions associated with enrolled devices are met.

Additionally, some management services can permit conditions and/or actions to be specified by an administrator console. However, these management services only match conditions against device profiles being received periodically from enrolled devices. In other words, any device profiles received in the past prior to the specification of the condition and action are not used in generating a number of impacted devices to be affected by the condition or action.

Accordingly, in various examples described herein, a management service is described that permits a “trigger” to be specified that determines whether to match a condition against previously-stored device profiles and/or newly-received device profiles corresponding to client devices enrolled with the management service, as will be described. In some examples, the management service is executed in one or more computing devices, where the computing device is directed to enroll a plurality of client devices with a management service. The computing device can cause an administrator console, having one or more user interfaces, to be shown in a display of an administrator device. The administrator console, or the user interface thereof, can include one or more fields that permit the administrator to define (i) a condition associated with the client devices enrolled with the management service, (ii) a trigger that specifies a time at which the at least one computing device matches the condition against a device profile of at least one of the client devices, and (iii) an action to be performed automatically by the at least one computing device when the condition is satisfied.

In some examples, the trigger as defined by the administrator, directs the computing device to match the condition against periodically-updated device profiles of the client devices stored in a data store and/or match the condition against newly-received device profiles of the client devices when the newly-received device profiles are obtained from individual ones of the client devices in the subset. Upon a submission of the condition, the trigger, and the action in the administrator console, collectively referred to as an automation, the computing device can begin matching the condition against at least one of the periodically-updated devices profiles and the newly-received device profiles.

In further examples, the computing device can determine a subset of the client devices to be affected by the condition, trigger, and/or action, and display information associated with individual ones of the client devices in the subset affected by the condition. For instance, the information can include a device name, a device identifier, an operating system, an operating system version, a unique serial number or other identifier, as well as other information associated with individual ones of the client devices enrolled with the management service that match the condition.

Accordingly, technological improvements for conventional device management solutions are described. Notably, example solutions rooted in technology are described for analyzing device profiles in real-time as a condition, trigger, and action are being generated by an administrator in an administrator console, thereby allowing the administrator to be provided with up-to-date metrics such that the administrator can make more granular automations or determine results of various policies for the management service. For instance, before implementing a new policy that requires all devices to migrate from a legacy email application to a new email application, administrators can determine how many devices are currently running the legacy version of the application that will be affected by the policy, as opposed to those currently using the new email application. The metrics can be beneficial in determining the number of devices that will be impacted as a result of the policy change as well as other issues that could occur, for instance, regarding the operation of frequently used features or applications. Additionally, administrators can desire to view information associated with the migration in real time as the migration is being performed.

Turning now toFIG. 1, an example of a networked environment100is shown. The networked environment100can include a computing environment103and one or more client devices106in data communication with one another over a network. The network can include, for example, the Internet, intranets, extranets, wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), wired networks, wireless networks, other suitable networks, or any combination of two or more such networks. For example, the networks can include satellite networks, cable networks, Ethernet networks, telephony networks, and other types of networks.

The computing environment103can include, for example, a server computer or any other system providing computing capability. Alternatively, the computing environment103can include one or more computing devices that are arranged, for example, in a server bank, computer bank, or other arrangement. The computing environment103can include a grid computing resource or any other distributed computing arrangement. The computing devices of the computing environment103can be located in a single installation or can be distributed among many different geographical locations. The computing environment103can also include or be operated as one or more virtualized computer instances executing in one or more computing devices.

For purposes of convenience, the computing environment103is referred to herein in the singular. Even though the computing environment103is referred to in the singular, it is understood that a plurality of computing environments103can be employed in the various arrangements as described above. As the computing environment103can communicate with the client device106remotely over the network, the computing environment103can be described as a remote computing environment103or a cloud computing environment103.

The data store112can include memory of the computing environment103, mass storage resources of the computing environment103, or any other storage resources on which data can be stored by the computing environment103. The data stored in the data store112, for example, can be associated with the operation of the various applications or functional entities described below.

The components executed on the computing environment103can include, for example, a management service115, a device data analysis service118, as well as other applications, services, processes, systems, engines, or functionality not discussed in detail herein. While the device data analysis service118is shown separate from the management service115, in some examples, the device data analysis service118can include logic of the management service115. For instance, the device data analysis service118can be a routine or an application programming interface (API) call invoked in the management service115.

Generally, the management service115can manage and oversee the operation of client devices106, for instance, those enrolled or to be enrolled with the management service115. In some examples, an organization, such as a company, enterprise, organization, or other entity, can operate the management service115to manage or oversee the operation of the client devices106of its employees, contractors, customers, or other individuals having accounts with the entity. In some examples, various settings and tasks performed by the management service115can be defined by administrators of the management service115.

For example, if the management service115is used to oversee client devices106of employees of an enterprise, the administrators can include information technology personnel of the organization tasked with overseeing operation of the client devices106enrolled with the management service115. To this end, the management service115can provide an administrator console121that permits administrators to define policies and other criteria for a client device106to remain in compliance with the management service115. Additionally, through the administrator console121, the administrators can specify configurations of the client devices106that can be carried out through interaction with an agent application133on each of the client devices106, as will be described.

The device data analysis service118can receive enrolled device data127collected by the agent application133(or other client application136) on each of the client devices106, and generate metrics, graphics, or other information that can be useful in evaluating the configuration or performance of the client devices106enrolled with the management service115. The enrolled device data127can include data describing particular states or configurations of client devices106enrolled with the management service115. This data for individual client devices106, in some examples, are referred to as device profiles130a. . .130c(collectively “device profiles130”).

In some examples, a device profile130can include an extensible markup language (XML) document, or other hierarchical data object, that include variable names, variable values, and other data pertaining to a state or a configuration of a client device106. For instance, the device profile130for a client device106can include a listing of the client applications136installed on the client device106, versions of the client applications136and associated settings, hardware settings, software settings, usage statistics, as well as other data.

The device profiles130can include newly-received device profiles130b, such as those newly checked in with the management service115. Additionally, the device profiles130can include periodically-updated devices profiles130cthat are stored in the data store112. It is understood that newly-received device profile130bcan be referred to as periodically-updated device profiles130conce they are stored in the data store112.

In some examples, an agent application133executable on the client device106can generate the device profile130afor transmission to the computing environment103. In some examples, the agent application133periodically generates the device profile130a, for instance, at a predefined interval, such as every two days. Notably, the management service115can interact with the agent application133on a client device106to enroll the client device106with the management service115. Enrollment can include authenticating the client device106using login information, such as an email address, username, or password, as well as device information or biometric information. Further, enrollment can include sending an enrollment file to a client device106that directs the agent application133to configure the client device106accordance to settings specified by the administrator in the administrator console121.

The agent application133can include one of several client applications136on the client device106. However, the agent application133can vary from other client applications136as it has the ability to be registered as a device administrator of the client device106through management APIs of an operating system, which can provide the agent application133with privileges to control operation of various functions of the client device106that are otherwise unable to be performed by non-privileged client applications136. Further, the agent application133can configure a client device106in accordance with data provided to the client device106for the management service115, referred to as a configuration profile139. In some examples, the configuration profile139can include an XML document, or other similar data object, that causes the agent application133to configure the client device106in accordance with settings or other parameters specified in the XML document. Additionally, the configuration profile139can include specifications of particular data for the agent application133to collect.

The management service115or the agent application133can instruct the client device106to check-in with the management service115periodically, randomly, or based on a check-in schedule by sending enrolled device data127to the computing environment103. In some examples, the enrolled device data127can include data pertaining to the configuration or operation of the client device106. For instance, in some examples, the enrolled device data127can include the device profile130that includes hardware or software settings of the client device106.

In the device profile130, the hardware settings can include user-specified configurations and other data pertaining to a display180, camera, speaker, keyboard, mouse, global positioning system (GPS), other geo-location hardware, or other hardware of the client device106. Also in the device profile130, the software settings can include user-specified configurations or other data pertaining to an operating system145, client applications136, or other software of the client device106. For instance, software settings can include a list of installed client applications136, as well as various user-specified configurations or settings of the installed client applications136.

The enrolled device data127and the device profile130can include an XML file, data structure, or other data object having data that can be sent over the network109. Traditionally, the enrolled device data127collected by the agent application133can be evaluated by the management service115to determine whether a client device106is in compliance with one or more compliance rules148specified by the administrators.

The data stored in the data store112can include, for example, historic device data150, operational metrics153, compliance rules148, enterprise data157, automations160, validation criteria163, as well as other data. Historic device data150can include data pertaining to a client device106enrolled or managed by the management service115stored in the data store112. For instance, when a client device106checks in with the management service115, the management service115can store the enrolled device data127(or other data received during the check-in), or the device profile130of a given client device106, as historic device data150. As such, the management service115can maintain historic device data150for client devices106enrolled with the management service115, where the historic device data150describes past and most-recent configurations of the client devices106. Further, when a client device106checks in with the management service115, for instance, by communicating enrolled device data127to the management service115, the management service115can match the device profile130against one or more conditions166, as will be described.

Operational metrics153can include metrics derived from enrolled device data127that describe operation of the client devices106enrolled with the management service115. In some examples, operational metrics153can be generated for a single one of the client devices106. In other examples, operational metrics153can be generated for groups of client devices106enrolled with the management service115. In some examples, operational metrics153can include a number of devices having a particular version or type of operating system installed thereon. In other examples, operational metrics153can include a number of devices having a particular client application installed thereon that requires a software license. In other examples, operational metrics153can include health scores describing an operation of one or more client devices106, or an overall system health score describing operation of the management service115based on parameters specified by the administrators. In further examples, the operational metrics153can include a number of client devices106to be affected by a change in policy implemented through the management service115or the administrator console121.

Compliance rules148can include criteria specified by administrators to secure or oversee operation of client devices106enrolled with the management service115. For instance, administrators can specify criteria for a client device106to be in compliance with the management service115. If a client devices106is not in compliance with the management service115, the management service115can perform actions predefined by the administrators, such as denying access to enterprise data157, reconfiguring a client device106, notifying an operator of the client device106, as well as other actions.

Enterprise data157can include data served up by the management service115which can include enterprise documents, emails, instant messaging communications, network printer data, or other data. Automations160can include conditional statements specified by administrators having criteria that, when met, cause a predefined task to be performed, as will be discussed. To this end, automations160can include, for instance, conditions166, triggers169, and actions171that can be specified by an administrator using the administrator console121.

In some examples, an automation160can be described as having one or more IF-THEN statements in some examples. For instance, an administrator can specify that, if a client device106has a particular type or version of operating system145installed thereon, then the management service115will cause a particular version of a client application136to be installed on the client device106that is compatible with the type or version of operating system145. In other examples, an automation160can be described as having one or more WHEN-IF-THEN statements in some examples. Using the example above, an administrator can specify that, when a client device106checks in with the management service115, check to see if a client device106has a particular type or version of operating system145installed thereon, then cause a particular version of a client application136to be installed on the client device106that is compatible with the type or version of operating system145. The when statement can be referred to as the trigger169, the if statement can be referred to as the condition166, and the then statement can be referred to as the action171, as can be appreciated.

In various examples, the management service115can generate one or more user interfaces175having fields that obtain information regarding a desired configuration of client devices106enrolled (or to be enrolled) with the management service115. The user interfaces175can be accessed by an administrator through the administrator console121, for instance, upon successful authentication using administrator credentials.

Using these user interfaces175, administrators can provide information regarding how the administrators desire the client devices106to operate. In one example, the administrators can specify one or more client applications136to be installed on the client devices106. In yet another example, the administrator can specify settings to be configured on the client devices106, such as Wi-Fi network settings, virtual private network (VPN) settings, email server settings, or other settings. The agent application133can configure the device in accordance with these settings. In another example, the administrator can specify settings that cause the client device106to toggle between modes of operation, such as during work hours or when the client device106is in a particular geo-location.

Even further, the management service115can generate one or more user interfaces175having fields178that obtain information regarding an automation160to be defined and implemented in the computing environment. The one or more user interfaces175can be accessed in the administrator console121in some examples. For instance, one or more of the fields178can be used by the administrator to define a condition166, a trigger169, and an action171, which collectively can be referred to as an automation160as the management service115will automatically perform the action171upon the trigger169if the condition166is met.

In one example, an administrator can specify that, when a client device106has checked in with the management service115(the trigger169), the management service115is to determine if a client device106has an out-of-date version of a security patch installed thereon (the condition166), and, if so, then the management service115will automatically take action to cause the client device106to update to a most-recent version of a security patch (the action171). Prior to the creation of an automation160, or prior to determining a number of devices to be affected by the automation160, the conditions166, triggers169, and actions171defined by an administrator can be validated using the validation criteria163. The validation criteria163can include criteria that requires automations160to follow a predetermined format, use one or more valid values, or similar parameter as can be appreciated.

Based on the settings specified by an administrator in the user interfaces175, the management service115can generate a configuration profile139that is published for one or more client devices106. When published, the agent application133on the client device106can identify the configuration profile139as being applicable to the client device106and, as a result, can download and configure the client device106in accordance with the settings set forth in the configuration profile139. Further, the one or more user interfaces175can permit the administrator to specify compliance rules148as well as actions to be performed based on the compliance rules148.

In some examples, the configuration profile139can direct the agent application133to configure hardware or software functionality of a client device106such that the client device106operates in conformance with the compliance rules148or other criteria specified in the configuration profile139. Additionally, the management service115can identify when the client device106is not in conformance with the compliance rules148and can take appropriate remedial actions, such as denying access to enterprise data157, enterprise applications, or performing other actions.

In some examples, the management service115communicates with the agent application133or other client application136executable on the client device106to determine whether vulnerabilities exist on the client device106that do not satisfy policies defined by an administrator. Vulnerabilities can include, for example, the presence of a virus or malware on the client device106, the client device106being “rooted” or “jailbroken” where root access is provided to a user of the client device106, the presence of particular applications or files, questionable device configurations, vulnerable versions of client applications136, or other vulnerability as can be appreciated.

The client device106can include a processor-based system, such as a computer system, that can include a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, a smartphone, a set-top box, a music player, a tablet computer system, a game console, an electronic book reader, a virtual reality or augmented reality device, a peripheral device, or any other device with like capability. The client device106can also be equipped with networking capability or networking interfaces, including a localized networking or communication capability, such as a near-field communication (NFC) capability, radio-frequency identification (RFID) read or write capability, or other localized communication capability.

The client device106can include the operating system145, which can be configured to execute various client applications136, such as the agent application133, as well as other applications. Some client applications136can access enterprise data157and other network content served up by the computing environment103or other servers, thereby rendering a user interface175on a display180, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), touch-screen display, or other type of display device. To this end, some client applications136can include a browser or a dedicated application, and a user interface175can include a network page, an application screen, or other interface. In some examples, a network page can include a web page having source code defined in hypertext markup language (HTML), cascading style sheets (CSS), Javascript, jQuery, or other applicable client-side web-based scripting language. Further, other client applications136can include device management applications, enterprise applications, social networking applications, word processors, spreadsheet applications, media viewing applications, instant messaging applications, or other applications.

It is understood that, in some examples, client devices106associated with sufficient administrator credentials can be referred to as administrator devices. The administrator devices, like the client devices106, are capable of accessing the administrator console121through the client applications136, such as a web browser application.

Referring next toFIG. 2, an example of a user interface175is shown. More specifically, the user interface175ofFIG. 2includes an example of the administrator console121that permits an administrator to create an automation160, referred to inFIG. 2as “Alert User About Device Battery.” In this example, the automation160creates a ticket with a third-party service that instructs a new battery order to be placed when a battery health level of an AlphaCo device is below a threshold, also while notifying the end user of the client device106that a new battery will be mailed. While a single user interface175is shown, it is understood that multiple user interfaces175can be used to create an automation160in some examples.

An automation160can include one or more conditional statements specified by administrators in the user interface175having criteria associated with client devices106enrolled with the management service115that, when met, cause a predefined task to be performed. In some examples, a conditional statement can be generated based at least in part on values specified in a first subset of fields178corresponding to a WHEN statement (the trigger169), values specified in a second subset of fields178corresponding to an IF statement (the condition166), and values specified in a third subset of the fields178corresponding to a THEN statement (the action171), as will be described.

For instance, as shown in the user interface175ofFIG. 2, a first region203of the user interface175can receive a specification of a WHEN statement (a trigger169), a second region206can receive a specification of an IF statement (a condition166), and a third region209of the user interface175can receive a specification of a THEN statement (an action171to be performed when the trigger169and the condition166are met). The user interface175thus enables the administrator to define granular automations160only affecting a certain subset of client devices106enrolled with the management service115, as can be appreciated.

In some examples, the first region203can include one or more trigger cards212. The trigger card212can define the trigger169that specifies when the management service115should match a condition166. For instance, inFIG. 2, the trigger card212indicates that the one or more conditions166will be matched against incoming or newly-received device profiles130.

The second region206can include one or more condition cards215a. . .215n(collectively “condition cards215”). Each of the condition cards215can include fields178that allow the administrator to specify values to create a valid IF statement. In one example, the administrator can select “Enrollment Status,” “includes,” and “Enrolled” in the condition card215to arrive at the first condition card215a, which is shown as being configured. As such, an action171defined for the automation160will only be performed on a client device106if the client device106is enrolled with the management service115.

The condition created in the first condition card215acan be further narrowed through configuration of additional condition cards215n. For instance, the configuration of the second condition card215nwill create an AND condition between the first condition card215aand the second condition card215n. As such, the administrator can further define the IF statement by configuring additional condition cards215, for instance, until a complete IF statement has been customized. Through use of the user interface175, an administrator can “program” or develop sophisticated automations160without the use of complicated programming languages or service-specific APIs, as can be appreciated. The completed conditional statement can be shown in a summary condition card218.

As can be appreciated, in place of “Enrollment Status,” the administrator can choose from other potential parameters, such as “Platform,” “Platform Version,” “Is App Installed,” “App Install Time,” “Update Install Time,” or other parameter useful for device management. Also, in place of “Includes,” the administrator can select “Equals,” “Is Greater Than,” “Is Less Than,” “Is Equal To or Greater Than,” Is Equal To or Less Than,” “Is a Substring of,” or other parameter. The “Search for Value” field in some example can receive free-form text or a list of likely values given a specification of the first two fields, such as “Enrollment Status” and “Includes.”

Turning now to the third region209, the user interface175can include one or more action cards221a. . .221n(collectively “action cards221”). Like the condition cards215, each of the action cards221can include fields that allow the administrator to specify values to define one or more actions to be automatically performed by the management service115when the criteria specified in the WHEN and IF statement has been met. In some examples, action cards221can correspond to an application or service, including a third-party action or service. To this end, an administrator can select an action card221corresponding to a third-party application or service to direct the third-party application or service to perform a predetermined task when the IF condition has been satisfied. For instance, as shown inFIG. 2, the action card221for the “DeltaCo App” has been selected and configured to create a ticket and the “BetaCo App” has been selected to send a message when the criteria in the WHEN and IF statements has been satisfied.

The user interface175can further include a summary region225. The summary region225can include one or more operational metrics153generated based on the WHEN and IF statement created through configuration of the trigger cards212and the condition cards215, respectively, and/or the THEN statement created through configuration of the action cards221. In some examples, an operational metric153can include a number of client devices106enrolled with the management service115that would be affected by the automation160. Further, in some examples, this operational metric153can be shown relative to another operational metric153, such as a total number of client devices106enrolled with the management service115. For instance, based on the IF statement specified inFIG. 2(“IF Enrollment Status includes Enrolled and AlphaCo Battery Health is less than or equal to 35”), the number of client devices106affected would include 1,500 devices out of 3,000 total devices enrolled with the management service115. In other examples, the number of affected or impacted client devices106can be shown relative to another operational metric153, such as a number of client devices106in a particular user group, having a particular configuration or specification, or other operational metric153as can be appreciated.

In some examples, the one or more of the operational metrics153shown in the user interface175can be generated or updated dynamically and in real-time. In other words, while a user customizes the WHEN statement, the IF statement, and/or the THEN statement in the user interface175, the number of affected client devices106shown can be updated based on the customization. To this end, in some examples, when a change to a field or a value in the user interface175is detected, the management service115can generate and execute a query. In some examples, the management service115can execute the query to determine a number of the client devices affected by the one or more conditional statements made in the user interface175. In other examples, the management service115can execute the query to identify information associated with individual ones of the client devices affected by the one or more conditional statements made in the user interface175, as will be described.

To generate one or more of the operational metrics153, in some examples, the management service115can execute the query on a database of device profiles130, such as those stored in the data store112as historic device data150. The query can be generated based on the conditional statement generated in the user interface175. In other words, the query can be generated based on the trigger169, the condition166, and the action171. For example, given the first condition card215ahaving the conditional statement of “Enrollment Status includes Enrolled and AlphaCo Battery Health less than or equal to (35),” an example of a structured query language (SQL) query can include:

SELECT devices FROM device_profile_table WHEREenrollment_status=′enrolled′ AND battery_health<=’35’,
which would return a data structure having each device with enrolled with the management service115having a battery health metric that is less than or equal to 35, potentially along with any other data stored in a row associated with the devices. Another example of a SQL query can include:

SELECT COUNT(*) FROM device_profile_table WHEREenrollment_status=′enrolled′ AND battery_health<=’35’,
which would return only the number of client devices106(1,500 in the example ofFIG. 2) being enrolled with the management service115and having a battery life less than or equal to 35 or, in other words, a number of the client devices106that would be affected by the trigger169, the conditions166, and the actions171shown in the user interface175ofFIG. 2.

The user interface175, in some examples, can include a network page. In these examples, the query can be generated as a background process using an asynchronous javascript and extensible markup language (AJAX) script included in source code of the network page. In other words, the network page is not refreshed and the administrator is not redirected to another network page. Rather, the operational metrics153shown in the summary region225(or other region) are updated dynamically and in real-time. Alternatively, a Flash® by Adobe® application, or similar application, can be included in the network page to make POST or GET calls without causing a refresh or a navigation to another network page. In other examples, a jQUERY script or a $.getJSON script can be used to make POST or GET calls without causing a refresh or a navigation to another network page.

Further, in some examples, prior to generating and executing the query, the one or more triggers169, conditions166, and actions171created by the administrator (through interaction with the trigger cards212, condition cards215, and action cards221) can be validated based at least in part on validation criteria163. Validation criteria163can include criteria that requires the one or more triggers169, conditions166, and/or actions171to follow a predetermined format, use one or more valid values, or similar parameter as can be appreciated. For example, if the administrator selected the value of “Platform” for a field178in the second condition card215n(instead of “AlphaCo Battery Health”), a valid value for the field178can include “Apple® iOS,” “Android®,” “Linux,” “Windows®,” or other platform.

While the summary region225can be beneficial in quickly determining a number of client devices106that will be affected by the automation160, for instance, if the automation160were saved and executed, in some examples, more information pertaining to the affected client devices106may be needed. As such, in some examples, the summary region225of the user interface175can include a user interface component230that provides additional information about the client devices106, such as the 1,500 client devices106identified inFIG. 2. The user interface component230can be selected or otherwise manipulated to present additional information about the client devices106.

In some examples, the user interface175can include additional basic information about what the management service115will do to carry out the automation160. For example, the user interface175can show the number of client devices160that will be impacted by the automation160and the number of actions that will be taken by the management service115. If 1000 devices are affected by the automation, and 3 actions are performed per automation, the total number of actions is 3000, where the 3000 can be shown in the user interface175.

For instance, referring now toFIG. 3, a modified form of the user interface175is shown, where a dialog235is expanded in the user interface175. As can be appreciated, the dialog235can be shown in response to the selection of the user interface component230ofFIG. 2, and can include information about the1,500client devices106identified based on the one or more triggers169, conditions166, and actions171.

In some examples, the dialog235of the user interface175can include a chart240that shows a breakdown of client devices106by a characteristic, such as platform or user group. For instance, the chart240shows a breakdown of the 1,500 client devices, where some are associated with the OG Windows user group, the OG iOS user group, and the OG Android user group. The user groups can be created and defined by administrators in the administrator console121, for instance, to perform actions on client devices106based on their platform. The administrator can adjust the user interface175to view other charts240and breakdowns of client devices106satisfying the criteria. For instance, the “Device Organization” group can be adjusted to another characteristic of the client devices106, changing the user interface175and/or charts240accordingly.

Additionally, the dialog235can include a table245or other listing of individual ones of the client devices106identified based on the criteria. In other words, the dialog235can include a subset of the client devices106identified from a query performed using the automation160. As a result, the administrator is provided with additional details that permit the administrator to determine whether the automation160obtains an intended subset of the client devices106. For instance, it is beneficial for the administrator to determine that client devices106that should not be subject to the automation160are not included in the table245. As a result, administrators are able to define automations160that or more granular while not risking the inclusion of client devices106not intended to be captured in the automation160.

The table245may include data showing client devices106that match the conditions166specified in the user interface175ofFIG. 2. In some examples, the table245can include filter attributes as a column in addition to or in place of default columns. Through the administrator console121, the administrator can add or remove columns, filter or search the client devices106listed in the table245, and sort client devices165in the table245. In some examples, the table245includes default columns, such as “Last Seen,” “Friendly Name,” “Username,” “Platform,” “OS Version,” “Serial Number,” “Device Organization Group Name,” or other characteristic.

Turning now toFIG. 4, another example user interface175of the administrator console121is shown. In some situations, it is useful to monitor an automation160as it is executing. For instance, an administrator can create an automation160to upgrade client devices106from a legacy version of an operating system to a new version. When the administrator deploys or otherwise makes an automation160active, the management service115will begin checking the conditions166against device profiles130of the client devices106. It can be beneficial for the administrator to monitor the upgrade, for instance, to determine whether the upgrades are actually occurring on intended client devices106in a timely manner.

As such, inFIG. 4, the user interface175includes a portion of the administrator console121that permits the administrator to monitor an active automation160. The user interface175includes a listing of the criteria specified in the automation160shown inFIG. 2. For instance, the trigger169, the conditions166, and the actions171are shown as being listed. For instance, the automation160shown inFIGS. 2, 3, and 4can include those enrolled with the management service115that have an “AlphaCo Battery Health” less than or equal to 35.

A results card250illustrates a number of the client devices106that the automation160has been matched against that satisfy the criteria of the automation160. For instance,FIG. 4illustrates that “400 Results” have occurred over the last 30 days. It is understood that the automation160ofFIG. 4is only matched against device profiles130as they are periodically received from the client devices106, as specified in the trigger169. Otherwise, the actions171specified in the automation160may have occurred quicker for the1,500devices referenced in the example ofFIG. 2. By selecting or otherwise manipulating the results card250, a dialog235can be shown that lists the individual ones of the client devices106in the400results. The dialog235can be the same as or similar to the dialog235shown inFIG. 3. Additionally, through the user interface175ofFIG. 4, the administrator can edit, copy, rename, disable, and delete one or more automations160.

In some examples, the user interface175can include a bar chart or other graph depicting an impact of an automation160over time. For instance, a total number of runs of the automation160can be plotted on a y-axis of a chart over time on the x-axis. In some examples, by default, the user interface175can show the past seven days, while allowing a simple toggle or drop-down user interface component to change the relative date range between “Last 24 hours,” “Last 7 Days,” “Last 30 Days,” etc. In some examples, the data shown in the user interface175can be pulled from logs detailing tasks performed by the management service115when executing an automation160. In some examples, the history of an automation160can show a total number of workflow executions (or “runs”) instead of each action performed by the management service115.

Referring now toFIG. 5, another example of the user interface175ofFIG. 2is shown. However, with respect toFIG. 5, it is assumed that the automation160specified in the user interface175has been saved and is active. In other words, the management service115is actively matching the trigger169, the conditions166, and the actions171against device profiles130as they are received by the management service115. The user interface175can be shown for the administrator to edit the automation160or view an automation run history255.

For example, in addition to displaying a number of the client devices106affected in the summary region225, the summary region225can further include the automation run history255. The automation run history255, like the results card250ofFIG. 4, can illustrate a number of the client devices106that the automation160has been matched against that satisfy the criteria of the automation160.FIG. 5, as an example, illustrates that “1,300 Runs” of the automation have occurred over the last 7 days. As can be appreciated, by selecting or otherwise manipulating a view user interface component260, a dialog235can be shown that lists the individual ones of the client devices106subject to the 1,300 runs. The dialog235can be the same as or similar to the dialog235shown inFIG. 3.

Notably, the dialog235or other portion of the user interface175can present data of to the client devices106enrolled with the management service115such that the administrators can make informed decisions pertaining to overseeing and configuring the client devices106. For instance, based on the data presented in the user interface175for individual ones of the client devices106, the administrators can determine whether to create new automations160, modify existing policies, or perform other actions as needed. To assist with the presentation of data collected from the client devices106, the management service115or the device data analysis service118can generate operational metrics153using the enrolled device data127that describes client devices106matching criteria specified in an automation160, for instance, while the automation160is being configured in the user interface175(prior to completion and/or submission of the automation160), as shown in the summary region225. Additionally, the management service115or the device data analysis service118can generate operational metrics153using the enrolled device data127that describes client devices106matching criteria specified in an automation160as the automation160is being executed by the management service115, as shown in the automation run history255.

Referring next toFIGS. 6A and 6B, a flowchart is shown that provides one example operation of the management service115, the device data analysis service118, or the administrator console121according to various examples. The flowchart ofFIGS. 6A and 6Bcan be viewed as depicting an example of elements of a method implemented by the computing environment103executing in the networked environment100according to one or more examples. The separation or segmentation of functionality as discussed herein is presented for illustrative purposes only.

Beginning with step603shown inFIG. 6A, the computing environment103can enroll client devices106with the management service115. In some examples, the computing environment103can interact with the agent application133to enroll a client device106with the management service115. For instance, a user of a client device106can install an instance of the agent application133on his or her client device106and, thereafter, can provide authentication information to access enterprise data157on the client device106. The agent application133can check-in with the management service115such that the agent application133is registered as a device administrator of the client device106through management APIs of an operating system145. As a result, the agent application133is provided with privileges to control and manage operation of various functions of the client device106.

In step606, the computing environment103can display one or more user interfaces175on an administrator device. For instance, the management service115can provide an administrator console121having one or more user interfaces175that permit administrators to define policies and other criteria for a client device106to remain in compliance with the management service115. Through the administrator console121, the administrators can specify configurations of the client devices106that can be carried out through interaction with an agent application133on each of the client devices106.

Additionally, through one or more fields178of a user interface175, the administrator console121can enable administrators to create and customize automations160, which can include conditional statements specified by administrators having criteria that, when met, cause a predefined task to be performed automatically. For instance, the automations160can include one or more triggers169specifying when an automation160should be executed or otherwise carried out by the management service115, conditions166specifying parameters to identify a subset of the client devices106enrolled with the management service115, and actions171to be performed when the condition166are met.

Next, in step609, the computing environment103can receive a specification of one or more triggers169, conditions166, and/or action171, for instance, in the administrator console121. In some examples, the triggers169can be generated based at least in part on values specified in a first subset of fields corresponding to a WHEN statement, the conditions166can be generated based at least in part on values specified in a second subset of the fields178corresponding to an IF statement, and the actions171can be generated based at least in part on values specified in a third subset of the fields178corresponding to a THEN statement.

As shown in the user interface175ofFIG. 2, the first region203of the user interface175can receive a specification of a WHEN statement (the trigger169), the second region206of the user interface175can include a specification of an IF statement (the condition166), and the third region209of the user interface175can receive a specification of a THEN statement having one or more actions171to be performed when the one or more conditions166are met.

In one example, an administrator can specify that, when a client device106checks in with the management service115, the management service115should check to see if a client device106has a been rooted or jailbroken and, if so, then the management service115should direct the agent application133to no longer provide access to enterprise data157. The when statement can be referred to as the trigger169, the if statement can be referred to as the condition166, and the then statement can be referred to as the action171, as can be appreciated.

To execute or otherwise carry out automations160, the management service115can periodically receive device profiles130from client devices106enrolled with the management service115or otherwise access device profiles130stored in the data store112, for instance, in response to a past check in. Once a device profile130has been accessed in accordance with the trigger169, the management service115can compare the device profile130to the conditions166set forth in the automation160, as will be described.

In step612, the computing environment103can validate the one or more triggers169, conditions166, and actions171, for instance, as input is provided in the user interface175. In some examples, a script or a watch event for a user interface175is executed as a background process to identify changes to any fields178or values of the fields178while the user interface175is shown on a display180of an administrator device. In some examples, an AJAX script is included in source code of the network page, where the AJAX script is configured to detect changes to the user interface175, determine whether the conditional statement complies with validation criteria163, and execute queries to update operational metrics153shown in the summary region225, or other region, in real-time.

Thereafter, in step615, the computing environment103can determine whether the triggers169, conditions166, and actions171have been validated, for instance, by determining whether validation criteria163has been satisfied. Validation criteria163can include criteria that requires the trigger169, conditions166, and actions171to follow a predetermined format, use one or more valid values, or similar parameter as can be appreciated.

If the conditional statement is not validated, the process can proceed to step618. In step618, the computing environment103can generate an error. For instance, in some examples, an error card (not shown) can be generated in the user interface175when one or more of the triggers169, conditions166, or actions171created by an administrator does not comply with validation criteria163. The error card can include at least a portion of the conditional statement specified by the administrator; however, the value that does not comply with the validation criteria163is emphasized in a portion of the conditional statement. After the error has been shown in the user interface175, the process can revert to step609to continue receipt of a specification of the one or more triggers169, conditions166, and actions171.

Alternatively, if the conditional statement has been validated in step615, the process can proceed to step621. In step621, the computing environment103can generate a query based on the conditions166specified by the administrator in the administrator console121, for instance, at a time specified in the trigger169. For instance, the administrator can specify the timing in the trigger169to direct the management service115to perform at least one of matching the conditions166against periodically-updated device profiles130of the client devices106stored in a data store112and/or matching the conditions166against newly-received device profiles130of the client devices when the newly-received device profiles130are obtained from individual ones of the client devices106. Further, in some examples, the computing environment103can generate the query to determine a number of the client devices106enrolled with the management service115that will be impacted by the conditions166or, more specifically, the automation160that includes the conditions166.

In some examples, the computing environment103can generate the query such that it is executed on a database of device profiles130, such as those stored in the data store112as historic device data150. The query can be generated based on the conditions166specified in the user interface175in some examples. For instance, if an administrator desires to only interact with client devices106manufactured by AlphaCo (“Manufacturer includes AlphaCo,” an example of a structured query language (SQL) query can include:

SELECT COUNT(*) FROM device_profile_table WHEREmanufacturer=′alphaco′,
which would return a number of client devices106enrolled with the management service115manufactured by AlphaCo. As such, in step624, the computing environment103can determine individual ones of the client devices106enrolled with the management service115that will be subject to or affected by the automation160.

In step627, the computing environment103can display information associated with the client devices106that will be affected or subject to the automation160in the user interface175. For instance, the user interface175can include a summary region225having one or more operational metrics153shown therein. In one example, the operational metrics153can be generated based on the IF statement created through configuration of the condition cards215and/or the THEN statement created through configuration of the action cards221.

In some examples, an operational metric153can include a number of client devices106enrolled with the management service115that would be affected by the automation160. Further, in some examples, this operational metric153can be shown relative to another operation metrical153, such as a total number of client devices106enrolled with the management service115.

In additional examples, the summary region225can further include the automation run history255if the automation160has been previously made active. The automation run history255can this include a number of the client devices106that the automation160has been matched against that satisfy the criteria of the automation160.

In other examples, the individual ones of the affected client devices106can be shown relative to another operational metric153, such as a number of client devices106in a particular user group. Additionally, in some examples, one or more of the operational metrics153shown in the user interface175can be updated dynamically and in real-time. In other words, while a user customizes the WHEN statement, the IF statement, or the THEN statement in the user interface175, the number of affected client devices106shown can be updated based on the customization. In some examples, when a change to a field or a value in the user interface175is detected, the management service115can generate and execute a query, as discussed in step621.

In addition to the foregoing, in step628, the computing environment can generate and display a forecast of an estimated time to complete the automation160. As can be appreciated, when creating an automation160that affects a large number of the client devices106and, as such, can include a lot of actions171to perform, it can be beneficial to show a time estimate for the automation160to run for all of the client devices106. For example, if 10,000 client devices106are to be affected by an automation160, the management service115can estimate is that it will take 1.5 hours to complete and display this estimate in the user interface175.

Assume, for example, an administrator creates an automation160to identify Windows 10 client devices106that do not have a critical patch installed, where the critical vulnerability score of this missing patch is relatively high. In this example, the administrator console121can show that 10,000 (or other amount) Windows 10 machines are missing the patch and, by saving and running the automation160, the patch can be installed on all of these client device106within 24 hours. The prediction is thus valuable when estimating the time it will take to complete the automations160for all 10,000 devices.

Thereafter, in step630, shown inFIG. 6B, the computing environment103can generate an automation160based on the triggers169, conditions166, and actions171defined in the administrator console121. As can be appreciated, when the automation160is generated, the automation160can be stored in the data store112and made active or stored for use at a later time.

In step633, the computing environment103can determine whether the automation160has been made active by the administrator or other user. For instance, the administrator can make an automation160active, which causes the management service115to execute the automation160or, in other words, begin matching the conditions166against device profiles130at a time specified in the trigger169. If the automation160has not been made active, the process can revert until the administrator makes the automation160active. Thereafter, the process can proceed to step636.

In step636, the computing environment103can analyze device profiles130at a time specified by the trigger169to see if conditions166specified in the automation160are matched. For instance, if a condition166specifies “Platform includes iOS,” the computing environment103can analyze the “platform_type” parameter of the device profile130to see if it includes “iOS.”

Next, in step639, the computing environment103can determine whether each condition166in the automation160has been matched. If not, the process can proceed to step641where the computing environment103can identify another device profile130to analyze with respect to the automation160until each device profile130identified in a query has been analyzed. Alternatively, if the computing environment103determines that each condition166in the automation160has been matched for a device profile130, the process can proceed to step644.

In step644, the computing environment103can perform one or more actions171specified by the administrator when creating the automation160. For instance, when a client device106enrolled with the management service115checks-in with the management service115by sending an updated device profile130, the management service115can check the device profile130against any active automations160. If the device profile130satisfies the conditions166in the automation160, the management service115can cause one or more actions171defined in the automation160to be performed.

Next, in step647, the computing environment103can display information associated with the client devices106subject to or affected by the automation160. For example, as shown inFIG. 5, an automation run history255can be shown in the administrator console121, where the automation run history255can illustrate a number of the client devices106that the automation160has been matched against that satisfy the criteria of the automation160. By selecting or otherwise manipulating user interface component, a dialog235can be shown that lists the individual ones of the client devices106subject to the 1,300 runs. Thereafter, the process can proceed to completion.

The client devices106or devices included in the computing environment103can include at least one processor circuit, for example, having a processor and at least one memory device, both of which are coupled to a local interface, respectively. The device can include, for example, at least one computer, a mobile device, smartphone, computing device, or like device. The local interface can include, for example, a data bus with an accompanying address/control bus or other bus structure.

Stored in the memory device are both data and several components that are executable by the processor. In particular, stored in the one or more memory devices and executable by the device processor can be the client application136, the agent application133, the management service115, the administrator console121, and potentially other applications. Also stored in the memory can be a data store112and other data.

A number of software components are stored in the memory and executable by a processor. In this respect, the term “executable” means a program file that is in a form that can ultimately be run by the processor. Examples of executable programs can be, for example, a compiled program that can be translated into machine code in a format that can be loaded into a random access portion of one or more of the memory devices and run by the processor, code that can be expressed in a format such as object code that is capable of being loaded into a random access portion of the one or more memory devices and executed by the processor, or code that can be interpreted by another executable program to generate instructions in a random access portion of the memory devices to be executed by the processor. An executable program can be stored in any portion or component of the memory devices including, for example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard drive, solid-state drive, USB flash drive, memory card, optical disc such as compact disc (CD) or digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, magnetic tape, or other memory components.

Memory can include both volatile and nonvolatile memory and data storage components. Also, a processor can represent multiple processors and/or multiple processor cores, and the one or more memory devices can represent multiple memories that operate in parallel processing circuits, respectively. Memory devices can also represent a combination of various types of storage devices, such as RAM, mass storage devices, flash memory, or hard disk storage. In such a case, a local interface can be an appropriate network that facilitates communication between any two of the multiple processors or between any processor and any of the memory devices. The local interface can include additional systems designed to coordinate this communication, including, for example, performing load balancing. The processor can be of electrical or of some other available construction.

The client devices106can include a display180upon which a user interface175generated by the client application136or another application can be rendered. In some examples, the user interface175can be generated using user interface data provided by the computing environment103. The client device106can also include one or more input/output devices that can include, for example, a capacitive touchscreen or other type of touch input device, fingerprint reader, or keyboard.

The sequence diagram and flowcharts show an example of the functionality and operation of an implementation of portions of components described herein. If embodied in software, each block can represent a module, segment, or portion of code that can include program instructions to implement the specified logical function(s). The program instructions can be embodied in the form of source code stored and accessible from memory that can include human-readable statements written in a programming language or machine code that can include numerical instructions recognizable by a suitable execution system such as a processor in a computer system or other system. The machine code can be converted from the source code. If embodied in hardware, each block can represent a circuit or a number of interconnected circuits to implement the specified logical function(s).

Although the sequence diagram flowcharts show a specific order of execution, it is understood that the order of execution can differ from that which is depicted. For example, the order of execution of two or more blocks can be scrambled relative to the order shown. Also, two or more blocks shown in succession can be executed concurrently or with partial concurrence. Further, in some examples, one or more of the blocks shown in the drawings can be skipped or omitted.

The computer-readable medium can include any one of many physical media, such as magnetic, optical, or semiconductor media. More specific examples of a suitable computer-readable medium include solid-state drives or flash memory. Further, any logic or application described herein can be implemented and structured in a variety of ways. For example, one or more applications can be implemented as modules or components of a single application. Further, one or more applications described herein can be executed in shared or separate computing devices or a combination thereof. For example, a plurality of the applications described herein can execute in the same computing device, or in multiple computing devices.