A Software Download Management Module

In this paper, we discuss the development of a Software Download Management (SDM) module, envisioned to handle the implications and associated operations of downloads for mobile terminal reconfiguration. We highlight the SDM operations in the pre-, during-, and post-download phases, and some emphasis is also placed on the transport-layer decision making capabilities of the SDM. An important emerging capability is mass-reconfiguration, involving the alteration of common functionalities in many terminals concurrently. Relevant scenarios here might include the adaptation of a protocol or codec, an upgrade of an operating system capability, or indeed a change in network configuration which requires a large number of terminals to be adapted accordingly. A particular emphasis is also therefore on one-to-many download functionalities.