Provisioning Concepts

  • Article

4/8/2010

Provisioning is updating the device after manufacture. This may or may not include bootstrapping a device. When an OEM bootstraps a device during manufacture it is not provisioning. When an OEM or Operator bootstraps a device after manufacture, or makes any other update (except a firmware update) it is provisioning the device.

Provisioning is how the device is managed before and after deployment to your customers. That is, configuring device settings as well as installing and updating applications and device utilities. Managing a device before deployment is called initial provisioning or bootstrapping (for more information on bootstrapping Windows Mobile devices see Bootstrapping a Device). On-going device management after deployment is called continuous provisioning.

Provisioning a Windows Mobile device involves creating a provisioning XML file that contains configuration information, and then sending the file to the device. Configuration Manager and Configuration Service Providers configure the device based on the contents of the provisioning XML file. There are a number of ways to deliver this file to the device including, but not limited to, Over The Air (OTA), download from a web site, placement in device ROM or persistent storage.

Note

Settings provisioned over the air or those requiring physical access to the device do not persist after cold boot. Settings that are shipped in ROM or updated through Image Update persist.

Windows Mobile Version 5.0 and later uses the following standards for OTA provisioning

  • OMA Client Provisioning, the Wireless Application Protocol based provisioning standard intended primarily for bootstrapping
  • OMA Device Management (DM) the OMA DM-based standard for continuous provisioning.

For more information about these protocols, see General Provisioning Architecture.

In This Section

  • Provisioning Security Settings
    Provides information about provisioning security settings and links to security related Configuration Service Providers.
  • Provisioning Applications
    Provides information about provisioning applications links to Configuration Service Providers that you can use to change some applications.
  • Provisioning Device Settings
    Provides information about provisioning device settings and links to Configuration Service Providers that allow you to change some settings.
  • Provisioning Connectivity Settings
    Provides information about provisioning connectivity settings and links to Configuration Service Providers that you can use to change the settings.
  • OMA Device Management
    Discusses support for managing Windows Mobile devices through the Open Mobile Alliance Device Management (OMA DM) protocol v1.1.2 and OMA DM v1.2.
  • OMA Client Provisioning
    Discusses support for managing Windows Mobile devices through the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) Client Provisioning protocol.
  • Configuration Service Providers
    Describes Configuration Service Providers and the metabase. This section also provides XML examples for the various Configuration Service Providers.
  • Provisioning XML Considerations
    Discusses considerations when initially configuring a device for each type of deployment scenario. Also discusses considerations when changing security settings.