System and method for identifying a mobile application likely to adversely affect network performance

Abstract

A system and method identifies mobile applications that are likely to have an adverse effect on a mobile network if accessed by mobile communication devices. In an implementation, a server monitors behavioral data relating to a mobile application and applies a model to determine if the application is likely to have an adverse effect on a mobile network when accessed by a plurality of mobile devices. A mobile device, computer device, or server, may monitor behavioral data, apply a model to the data, and create a disposition. They may aggregate behavioral data or disposition information from multiple devices. They may transmit or make available the disposition information to a subscriber through a web interface, API, email, or other mechanism. After identifying that an application may have an adverse effect, they may enact corrective actions, such as generating device or network configuration data.

1 . A method comprising:
 on a computing device with access to a first plurality of mobile communication devices, the first plurality having access to a first mobile communication device network, receiving, at the computing device, behavioral data associated with a mobile application data object accessed by a first mobile communication device of the first plurality of mobile communication devices, the behavioral data including information regarding how the mobile application data object interacts with or uses mobile communication device resources or functionalities;   storing in a data store accessible by the computing device, the behavioral data for the mobile application data object;   analyzing, at the computing device, the stored behavioral data to determine whether or not allowing the first plurality of mobile communication devices to access the mobile application data object is likely to: have an adverse effect on at least one of the first plurality of mobile communication devices, or result in a violation of a policy regarding a network resource; and   based on the analysis of the behavioral data, determining, at the computing device, that allowing the first plurality of mobile communication devices to access the mobile application data object: is not likely to have an adverse effect on any of the first plurality of mobile communication devices, and is likely to violate the policy regarding a network resource.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , the stored behavioral data being correlated to mobile communication device data for at least one mobile communication device that accessed the mobile application data object. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further including creating disposition information based on the determination that allowing the first plurality of mobile communication devices to access the mobile application data object is likely to violate the policy. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further including notifying at least one subscriber of the disposition information by:
 transmitting an email message to the at least one subscriber, the email message including the disposition information; or   transmitting a text message to the at least one subscriber, the text message including the disposition information; or   generating a web interface for the at least one subscriber to access the disposition information; or   the disposition information being accessible to the at least one subscriber through a data feed.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , the method further including:
 generating device configuration information based on the determination that allowing the first plurality of mobile communication devices to access the mobile application data object is likely to violate the policy regarding a network resource; and   transmitting the device configuration information to at least one of the first plurality of mobile communication devices, the device configuration information intended to prevent the at least one mobile communication device from accessing the mobile application data object.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , the method further including:
 generating network configuration information based on the determination that allowing the first plurality of mobile communication devices to access the mobile application data object is likely to violate the policy regarding a network resource; and   transmitting the network configuration information to the mobile communication device network, the network configuration information intended to prevent accessing the mobile application data object over the mobile communication device network.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , the policy regarding a network resource being a policy regarding a network resource of a second mobile communication device network, the second mobile communication device network being accessible to a second plurality of mobile communication devices, the method further including:
 generating device configuration information based on the determination that allowing the first plurality of mobile communication devices to access the mobile application data object is likely to violate the policy regarding a network resource of the second mobile communication device network, the device configuration information intended to prevent a mobile communication device from accessing the mobile application data object; and   transmitting the device configuration information to at least one of the second plurality of mobile communication devices.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , the policy regarding a network resource being a policy regarding a network resource of a second mobile communication device network, the second mobile communication device network being accessible to a second plurality of mobile communication devices, the method further including:
 generating network configuration information based on the determination that allowing the first plurality of mobile communication devices to access the mobile application data object is likely to violate the policy regarding a network resource of the second mobile communication device network, the network configuration information intended to prevent accessing the mobile application data object over the second mobile communication device network; and   transmitting the network configuration information to the second mobile communication device network.   
     
     
         9 . A method comprising:
 on a computing device with access to a first plurality of mobile communication devices, the first plurality having access to a first mobile communication device network, receiving behavioral data associated with monitoring instances of a mobile application data object accessed by a subset of the first plurality of mobile communication devices, the behavioral data including information regarding how the mobile application data object interacts with or uses mobile communication device resources or functionalities;   storing in a data store accessible by the computing device the behavioral data;   analyzing, on the computing device, the behavioral data to determine whether allowing the first plurality of mobile communication devices to access the mobile application data object is likely to result in an adverse effect on any device of the first plurality of mobile communication devices, or whether allowing the first plurality of mobile communication devices to access the mobile application data object is likely to result in a violation of a policy regarding a network resource; and   based on the analysis of behavioral data, determining that allowing the first plurality of mobile communication devices to access the mobile application data object: is not likely to result in an adverse effect on any device of the first plurality of mobile communication devices, and is likely to result in a violation of the policy regarding a network resource.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , the behavioral data being correlated to mobile communication device data for at least one mobile communication device of the subset of mobile communication devices that accessed the mobile application data object. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further including creating, at the computing device, disposition information based on the determination that allowing the first plurality of mobile communication devices to access the mobile application data object is likely to result in a violation of the policy. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further including notifying at least one subscriber of the disposition information by:
 transmitting an email message to the at least one subscriber, the email message including the disposition information; or   transmitting a text message to the at least one subscriber, the text message including the disposition information; or   generating a web interface for the at least one subscriber to access the disposition information; or   the disposition information being accessible to the at least one subscriber through a data feed.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , further including:
 generating device configuration information at the computing device based on the determination that allowing the first plurality of mobile communication devices to access the mobile application data object is likely to result in a violation of the policy regarding a network resource, the device configuration information intended to prevent a mobile communication device from accessing the mobile application data object; and   transmitting the device configuration information to at least one of the first plurality of mobile communication devices.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , further including:
 generating network configuration information at the computing device based on the determination that allowing the first plurality of mobile communication devices to access the mobile application data object is likely to result in a violation of the policy regarding a network resource, the network configuration information intended to prevent accessing the mobile application data object over the first mobile communication device network; and   transmitting the network configuration information to the first mobile communication device network.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , the policy regarding a network resource being a policy regarding a network resource of a second mobile communication device network, the second mobile communication device network being accessible to a second plurality of mobile communication devices, the method further including:
 generating device configuration information based on the determination that allowing the first plurality of mobile communication devices to access the mobile application data object is likely to violate the policy regarding a network resource of the second mobile communication device network, the device configuration information intended to prevent a mobile communication device from accessing the mobile application data object; and   transmitting the device configuration information to at least one of the second plurality of mobile communication devices.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , the policy regarding a network resource being a policy regarding a network resource of a second mobile communication device network, the second mobile communication device network being accessible to a second plurality of mobile communication devices, the method further including:
 generating network configuration information based on the determination that allowing the first plurality of mobile communication devices to access the mobile application data object is likely to violate the policy regarding a network resource of the second mobile communication device network, the network configuration information intended to prevent accessing the mobile application data object over the second mobile communication device network; and   transmitting the network configuration information to the second mobile communication device network.   
     
     
         17 . A method comprising:
 on a computing device with access to a plurality of mobile communication devices, the plurality with access to a mobile communication device network, obtaining behavioral data regarding a mobile application data object accessed by at least one of the plurality of mobile communication devices, the behavioral data regarding use by the at least one of the plurality of mobile communication devices of the mobile communication device network, and the behavioral data including information regarding how the mobile application data object interacts with or uses mobile communication device resources or functionalities;   storing in a data store accessible by the computing device, the behavioral data for the mobile application data object;   applying a model to at least some of the obtained behavioral data for the mobile application data object to determine whether or not allowing mobile communication devices to access the mobile application data object is likely to have an adverse effect on at least one mobile communication device network; and   creating disposition information based on the determination of whether or not the mobile application data object is likely to have an adverse effect on the mobile communication device network.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further including notifying at least one subscriber of the disposition information by:
 transmitting an email message to the at least one subscriber, the email message including the disposition information; or   transmitting a text message to the at least one subscriber, the text message including the disposition information; or   generating a web interface for the at least one subscriber to access the disposition information; or   the disposition information being accessible to the at least one subscriber through a data feed.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the stored behavioral data is correlated to mobile communication device data for at least one mobile communication device that accessed the mobile application data object. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , when the disposition information is based on a determination that allowing mobile communication devices to access the mobile application data object is likely to have an adverse effect on at least one mobile communication device network, the method further including:
 generating device configuration information at the computing device, the device configuration information intended to prevent the at least one mobile communication device from accessing the mobile application data object; and   transmitting the device configuration information to the at least one mobile communication device.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , when the disposition information is based on a determination that allowing mobile communication devices to access the mobile application data object is likely to have an adverse effect on at least one mobile communication device network, the method further including:
 generating network configuration information at the computing device, the network configuration information intended to prevent accessing the mobile application data object over the at least one mobile communication device network; and   transmitting the network configuration information to the at least one mobile communication device network.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , when the disposition information is based on a determination that allowing mobile communication devices to access the mobile application data object is likely to have an adverse effect on at least one mobile communication device network, the method further including generating at, and transmitting from the computing device, network infrastructure configuration data intended to block:
 traffic associated with the mobile application data object, or   transmission of an application binary for the mobile application data object.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17 , further including aggregating behavioral data for multiple instances of access of the mobile application data object by a subset of the plurality of mobile communication devices; and the applying a model step including applying a model to at least some of the aggregated behavioral data in determining whether or not allowing mobile communication devices to access the mobile application data object is likely to have an adverse effect on at least one mobile communication device network. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the applying a model to the received behavioral data comprises identifying a number of connections made by the application program, wherein the determination of whether or not the application program would have an adverse effect on the mobile communication device network is based on the number of connections made by the application program. 
     
     
         25 . A method comprising:
 on a computing device with access to a plurality of mobile communication devices, the plurality with access to a mobile communication device network, obtaining behavioral data regarding a mobile application data object accessed by at least one of the plurality of mobile communication devices, the behavioral data regarding use by the at least one of the plurality of mobile communication devices of the mobile communication device network, and the behavioral data including information regarding how the mobile application data object interacts with or uses mobile communication device resources or functionalities;   storing in a data store accessible by the computing device, the behavioral data for the mobile application data object;   determining whether the behavioral data for the accessed mobile application data object indicates a violation of a policy, the policy including a behavioral limitation regarding a network resource;   creating disposition information based on the determination of whether the behavioral data for the accessed mobile application data object indicates a violation of the policy; and, when the disposition information for the mobile application data object indicates a violation of the policy,   attempting to prevent, using a server, accessing the mobile application data object by at least one of the plurality of mobile communication devices.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , the attempting to prevent accessing the mobile application data object including:
 generating device configuration information; and   transmitting it to the mobile communication device.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , the attempting to prevent accessing the mobile application data object including attempting to prevent the mobile application data object from accessing one or more mobile communication device networks by:
 generating network configuration information; and   transmitting it to the one or more mobile communication device networks.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , the attempting to prevent accessing the mobile application data object including:
 generating network infrastructure configuration data intended to block:
 traffic associated with the mobile application data object, or transmission of an application binary for the mobile application data object; and 
   transmitting the network infrastructure configuration data to the mobile communication device network.   
     
     
         29 . A method comprising:
 on a mobile communication device with access to a mobile communication device network, monitoring on the mobile communication device, behavior related to the mobile communication device accessing a mobile application data object;   on the mobile communication device, obtaining and storing behavioral data regarding the monitored behavior, the behavioral data including information regarding how the mobile application data object interacts with or uses mobile communication device resources or functionalities;   on the mobile communication device, applying a model to at least some of the obtained behavioral data to determine whether or not allowing a plurality of mobile communication devices to access the mobile application data object is likely to have an adverse effect on the mobile communication device network; and   creating disposition information based on the determination of whether or not allowing a plurality of mobile communication devices to access the mobile application data object is likely to have an adverse effect on the mobile communication network.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , further including transmitting, to a server, the disposition information, the server notifying a subscriber regarding the disposition information, the notification including a determination of the performance of the mobile application data object on a specific type of mobile communication device.