Upcoming BlackBerry Enterprise Server Updates Leaked

The hub of all enterprise BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) operations is getting an update soon with version 5.0, codenamed Argon. Here’s a sneak peek at some of the improvements admins and end-users can look forward to…

Key product enhancements:

• Unified application management and deployment for Java and MDS Runtime applications
• More robust application deployment and management tools, simplified application control
• Active Directory integration for user management
• Scheduled deployments and updates
• Remote Option Setting
  • Capability for administrators to “Brand” a device (i.e. have the options set as per one or several corporate standards) – Reduction in support calls
• User Self-Provisioning
  • Simplifying Enterprise Activation even further – user initiated
• Allows more deployment options
  • Centralized in one server
  • Dispersed across servers
• New BlackBerry Administration Service
• BlackBerry support for device linked to multiple BES
  • Primary BES for Policy and Administration
  • Secondary BES(s) for specific application
• High-Availability: Active / Passive automatic failover design
  • • Shared SRP key
    • Opens up technique for limited downtime upgrades
    • Upgrade standby
    • Fail over users to it
    • Upgrade primary
    • Fail users back
    • Multi-faceted strategy:
    • Fault Tolerance via Controller Service
    • Automated and Manual Failover modes between Primary and Standby servers
    • Administrator configurable failover thresholds
    • Additional features
    • SRP Lockout Avoidance
    • Service Prioritization
    • Prevention of failover looping
    • No single point of failure when running High Availability configuration

A lot of that will be Greek to your average user, but extra failover mechanisms are a nice touch for keeping things up and running, but I’m not sure how well user-initiated enterprise activations will go – it may just result in more help desk calls, but we’ll see.

[via BerryReview]