Mobile application sampling for performance and network behavior profiling

• US 9,734,037 B1
• Filed: 09/15/2009
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: McCorkendale, Bruce, Kelly, John P., Hernacki, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bartels, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US12/560,328
• Time in Patent Office: 2,891 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence

Abstract

Applications on a mobile device are sampled for detecting applications causing performance problems on the device. The method includes periodically logging performance information for a mobile device suspected to be having performance problems. The method further includes periodically logging identifying information about multiple applications on the mobile device. The method also includes periodically providing to a security server the logged performance information for the mobile device and the logged identifying information about the applications. In addition, the method includes, in response to a request from the security server for more information about one of the applications, providing a copy of the application to the security server for analysis of the impact by the application on performance of the mobile device. The method can further include receiving from the security server an indication that the application for which the copy was provided is causing a performance problem on the mobile device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of logging applications on a mobile device for detecting performance problems, the method comprising:

periodically logging, at a mobile device suspected to be having performance problems, performance information for the mobile device;

periodically logging, at the mobile device, identifying information about a plurality of applications on the mobile device;

receiving instructions from a security server to increase a rate of logging the performance information for the mobile device and the identifying information about the applications, wherein the mobile device is one of a plurality of mobile devices located in a particular geographic region and the mobile devices located in the particular geographic region receive the instructions responsive to performance problems located in the geographic region;

periodically providing to the security server the logged performance information for the mobile device and the logged identifying information about the applications;

responsive to a request from the security server for more information about one of the applications, providing a copy of the application to the security server for analysis of an impact by the application on performance of the mobile device; and

receiving, from the security server, an indication that the application for which the copy was provided is causing a performance problem on the mobile device and storing the indication in a file cache of information about applications known to cause performance problems, the mobile device adapted to take a remedial action regarding the application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein logging performance information further comprises logging information about battery life of the mobile device and a rate of drainage of battery power over a period of time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein logging performance information further comprises logging information about bandwidth usage of the mobile device over a period of time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the periodically providing step further comprises periodically sending a hash for each of the applications on the mobile device, the hashes received for the security server to process in batches, and wherein providing a copy of the application to the security server further comprises receiving a response from the server regarding the hashes sent that triggers an upload from the mobile device of copies of certain of the applications associated with the received hashes, the certain of the applications uploaded being files specified by the security servers that the security server has not seen before.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving instructions from the security server to begin logging or to increase a rate of logging already being performed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions include logging criteria guiding the increased rate of logging.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile devices receive instructions from the security server to begin logging.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is suspected to be having a performance problem caused by malicious activities conducted by an application of the plurality of application on the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving instructions from the security server to increase a rate of providing to the security server the logged performance information for the mobile device and the logged identifying information about the applications.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable computer program instructions for logging applications on a mobile device for detecting performance problems, the computer program instructions comprising instructions for performing steps comprising:

periodically logging, at a mobile device suspected to be having performance problems, performance information for the mobile device;

periodically logging, at the mobile device, identifying information about a plurality of applications on the mobile device;

receiving instructions from a security server to increase a rate of logging the performance information for the mobile device and the identifying information about the applications, wherein the mobile device is one of a plurality of mobile devices located in a particular geographic region and the mobile devices located in the particular geographic region receive the instructions responsive to performance problems located in the geographic region;

periodically providing to the security server the logged performance information for the mobile device and the logged identifying information about the applications;

responsive to a request from the security server for more information about one of the applications, providing a copy of the application to the security server for analysis of an impact by the application on performance of the mobile device; and

receiving, from the security server, an indication that the application for which the copy was provided is causing a performance problem on the mobile device and storing the indication in a file cache of information about applications known to cause performance problems, the mobile device adapted to take a remedial action regarding the application.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising:

storing in a clean file cache the identifying information of applications determined by the security server to be clean applications that do not cause performance problems for mobile devices;

comparing applications on the mobile device to the identifying information for applications in the clean file cache to determine which applications are present in the cache; and

uploading to the security server copies of applications on the mobile device that are not included in the clean file cache.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the identifying information logged comprises a name and size of each of the applications.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein at least the periodically logging steps and the periodically providing step are performed while the mobile device is not being interacted with by a user or is being charged.

13. A computer implemented method of collecting data about applications on mobile devices that negatively impact device performance, the method comprising:

responsive to performance problems detected in a geographic region, instructing sampling modules on a plurality of mobile devices located in the geographic region to increase a rate of logging of applications;

periodically receiving, from the sampling modules, logged performance information for each of the mobile devices and logged identifying information about a plurality of applications on each of the mobile devices;

requesting, from the sampling modules, copies of certain of the applications for which logged information was received;

analyzing the received copies to identify applications that are conducting behaviors that cause performance problems on the mobile devices; and

providing a notification about one or more of the applications that were identified to cause performance problems on the mobile devices, the notification resulting in the mobile devices storing the notification in a file cache of information about applications known to cause performance problems and a remedial action being taken regarding the identified applications.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising receiving an indication from a mobile service provider to conduct application logging for one or more specified mobile devices known to be having performance problems in a particular geographic region.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein analyzing the received copies further comprises executing the received application copies in an emulator or on a virtual machine to observe an impact of the applications on bandwidth and battery life of the mobile devices.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein analyzing the received copies further comprises updating a reputation system regarding results of the analysis of the applications regarding impact on user experience, network environment, and device environment.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the steps are performed by a security server managing a mobile device review service in which a mobile service provider submits to the server an identification of an application suspected to be causing problems and receives from the server a reputation analysis of that application.