SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADMINISTRATION OF MOBILE APPLICATION

• US 20090024992A1
• Filed: 07/16/2007
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kaspersky Lab ZAO
• Original Assignee: Kaspersky Lab ZAO
• Inventors: Kazachkov, Andrey V., Shiyafetdinov, Damir R., Kulaga, Andrey A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,250,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/145 the attack involving the propagation of malware through the network, e.g. viruses, trojans or worms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications

Abstract

An administration system and methods for mobile security and other software applications operating on mobile devices in a corporate network. The administration system comprises an administration server, administration database and administration console. To facilitate integration of mobile applications into the administration system, each mobile application is provided with an associated administration console plug-in component. The administration plug-in component provides a set of user interfaces for configuring via the administration console application configuration settings specific to the one or more associated mobile applications. In addition, the plug-in component provides web interfaces, such as SOAP interfaces, for communicating application-specific configuration settings to the associated mobile applications. Accordingly, the administration system enables rapid and highly concurrent installation, configuration, updating, and patching of various mobile applications without modifying infrastructure of the administration system.

Claims

1. An administration system for one or more mobile applications, the system comprising:

an administration server operable to administer configuration settings for one or more mobile applications, wherein the administration server uses a web-based communication protocol to communicate with the one or more mobile applications;

an administration database operatively connected to the administration server, wherein the administration database is operable to store one or more application configuration settings;

an administration console connected to the administration server, wherein the administration console is operable to provide a first user interface for configuring application configuration settings common to a plurality of mobile applications; and

an administration console plug-in component associated with one or more mobile applications, wherein the plug-in component is operable to provide (i) a second user interface for configuring via the administration console application configuration settings specific to the one or more associated mobile applications, and (ii) one or more web interlaces for communicating the one or more application-specific configuration settings to the associated mobile applications.

2. The administration system of claim 1, wherein a mobile application comprises a mobile security application.

3. The administration system of claim 1, wherein the web-based communication protocol comprises a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP).

4. The administration system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first user interface and the second user interlace comprise a web-based user interface.

5. The administration system of claim 1, wherein a web interface for communicating application-specific configuration settings comprises a SOAP interface.

6. The administration system of claim 1, wherein the application administration plug-in component uses the one or more web interfaces to directly communicate the one or more application-specific configuration settings to the associated mobile applications.

7. The administration system of claim 1, wherein the application administration plug-in component communicates the one or more application-specific configuration settings to the administration server and one or more of the associated software applications retrieves from the administration server the one or more application-specific configuration settings using the one or more web interfaces.

8. A method for administering a mobile application, the method comprising:

providing via an administration console a first user interface for configuring one or more application settings common to a plurality of mobile applications;

receiving via the first set of user interfaces one or more common application configuration settings;

providing via an administration console plug-in component associated with the mobile application a second user interface for configuring one or more application settings specific to the mobile application;

receiving via the second set of user interfaces one or more application-specific configuration settings; and

sending to the mobile application via one or more web interfaces of the administration console plug-in component the received one or more application-specific configuration settings.

9. The method of claim 8 comprising sending to the mobile application via one or more common web interfaces the received one or more common application configuration settings.

10. The method of claim 8 comprising storing in an administration datastore the received one or more common application configuration settings.

11. The method of claim 10 comprising

receiving from the mobile application a request for one or more common application configuration settings;

retrieving from the administration datastore the requested one or more common application configuration, settings; and

sending the retrieved one or more common application configuration settings to the mobile application using one or more common web interfaces.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein a mobile application comprises a mobile security application.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first user interfaces and the second user interface comprise a web-based user interface.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein a web interface for communicating application-specific configuration settings comprises a SOAP interface.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein a common web interface for communicating common application configuration settings comprises a SOAP interface.

16. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for:

installing a security application on a mobile device;

installing an administration console which is to provide a first user interface for configuring one or more application settings common to a plurality of security applications; and

installing an administration console plug-in component associated with the security application, wherein the plug-in component is configured to provide (i) a user interface for configuring via an administration console application configuration settings specific to the security applications, and (ii) one or more web interfaces for communicating the one or more application-specific configuration settings to the mobile application.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first user interfaces and the second user interface comprise a web-based user interface.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein a web interface for communicating application-specific configuration settings comprises a SOAP interface.