Configuring and Providing Profiles that Manage Execution of Mobile Applications

• US 20150095975A1
• Filed: 10/07/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Barton, Gary, Lang, Zhongmin, Desai, Nitin, Walker, James Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,654,508 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/205 involving negotiation or determination of the one or more network security mechanisms to be used, e.g. by negotiation between the client and the server or between peers or by selection according to the capabilities of the entities involved negotiation of communication capabilities H04L69/24
• 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 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 : Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 : Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Various aspects of the disclosure relate to configuring and providing policies that manage execution of mobile applications. In some embodiments, a user interface may be generated that allows an IT administrator or other operator to set, change and/or add to policy settings. The policy settings can be formatted into a policy file and be made available for download to a mobile device, such as via an application store or to be pushed to the mobile device as part of a data push service. The mobile device, based on the various settings included in the policy file, may perform various actions to enforce the security constraints that are represented by the policy. The various settings that can be included in a policy are numerous and some examples and variations thereof are described in connection with the example embodiments discussed herein.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

displaying, by one or more computing devices, a user interface that displays policy settings for a managed application that is to be made available for download to a mobile device, wherein each of the policy settings provides a constraint to be enforced by the mobile device prior to the managed application being provided access to at least one resource that is accessible through an access gateway, wherein the policy settings includes at least one first setting specifying that a private secure container, which is to be private to the managed application, is to be configured on the mobile device such that a read or write operation from the managed application is to be redirected to the private secure container, and wherein the policy settings includes at least one second setting specifying that a shared secure container, which is to be accessible by at least one other managed application, is to be configured on the mobile device such that a read or write operation from the managed application is to be redirected to the shared secure container;

modifying, in accordance with input received via the user interface, the policy settings, resulting in modified policy settings;

producing a policy file for the managed application that includes the modified policy settings; and

providing the policy file such that the policy is available for download to the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy file is an Extensible Markup Language (XML) file or a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) file, and wherein the policy file includes one or more key/value pairs organized as a dictionary, wherein each key/value pair of the one or more key/value pairs corresponds to one of the modified policy settings.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the modified policy settings includes a setting group or category identifier;

a setting name;

a setting type;

a range of possible setting values;

a default setting value;

a setting friendly name string;

a setting unit display string; and

a help text string.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a managed application from an application developer;

receiving initial policy settings from the application developer, wherein the initial policy settings include the policy settings; and

providing the managed application such that the managed application is available for download to the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the input received via the user interface is from a user, and wherein producing the policy file is responsive to an acceptance of the policy settings by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving additional input specifying one or more additional policy settings;

producing an additional policy file for the managed application that includes the one or more additional policy settings, wherein the additional policy file is assigned to a first user role; and

providing said additional policy file for download in accordance with a requesting user that is assigned the first user role;

wherein the policy file is assigned to a second user role different from the first user role.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the policy file includes publishing the policy file to an application store that also publishes the managed application.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the policy file includes pushing the policy file to the mobile device based on the mobile device being registered with a push service.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving additional input specifying an instruction to perform a selective wipe of the mobile device; and

instructing the mobile device to perform a selective wipe that deletes the policy file from the mobile device if one or more operating conditions of the mobile device are met.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving additional input specifying one or more conditions that, when met by the mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform a selective wipe;

producing an additional policy file for the managed application that includes the one or more conditions; and

providing the additional policy file for download to the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the mobile device, an indication the mobile device is to perform a selective wipe;

responsive to receiving the indication, determining that an updated policy file is available; and

responding to the indication by transmitting the updated policy file to the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring the policy file with one or more first user role settings specific to a first user role such that if a user of the mobile device is assigned the first user role, the mobile device enforces the one or more first user role settings; and

configuring the policy file with one or more second user role settings specific to a second user role such that if the user of the mobile device is assigned the second user role, the mobile device enforces the one or more second user role settings.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to;

display a user interface that displays policy settings for a managed application that is to be made available for download to a mobile device, wherein each of the policy settings provides a constraint to be enforced by the mobile device prior to the managed application being provided access to at least one resource that is accessible through an access gateway, wherein the policy settings includes at least one first setting specifying that a private secure container, which is to be private to the managed application, is to be configured on the mobile device such that a read or write operation from the managed application is to be redirected to the private secure container, and wherein the policy settings includes at least one second setting specifying that a shared secure container, which is to be accessible by at least one other managed application, is to be configured on the mobile device such that a read or write operation from the managed application is to be redirected to the shared secure container;

modify, in accordance with input received via the user interface, the policy settings, resulting in modified policy settings;

produce a policy file for the managed application that includes the modified policy settings; and

provide the policy file such that the policy is available for download to the mobile device

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:

receive additional input specifying an instruction to perform a selective wipe of the mobile device; and

instruct the mobile device to perform a selective wipe that deletes the policy file from the mobile device if one or more operating conditions of the mobile device are met.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:

receive additional input specifying one or more conditions that, when met by the mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform a selective wipe;

produce an additional policy file for the managed application that includes the one or more conditions; and

provide the additional policy file for download to the mobile device.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:

receive, from the mobile device, an indication the mobile device is to perform a selective wipe;

responsive to receiving the indication, determine that an updated policy file is available; and

transmit the updated policy file to the mobile device as a response to the indication.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:

configure the policy file with one or more first user role settings specific to a first user role such that if a user of the mobile device is assigned the first user role, the mobile device enforces the one or more first user role settings; and

configure the policy file with one or more second user role settings specific to a second user role such that if the user of the mobile device is assigned the second user role, the mobile device enforces the one or more second user role settings.

18. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing executable instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to:

display a user interface that displays policy settings for a managed application that is to be made available for download to a mobile device, wherein each of the policy settings provides a constraint to be enforced by the mobile device prior to the managed application being provided access to at least one resource that is accessible through an access gateway, wherein the policy settings includes at least one first setting specifying that a private secure container, which is to be private to the managed application, is to be configured on the mobile device such that a read or write operation from the managed application is to be redirected to the private secure container, and wherein the policy settings includes at least one second setting specifying that a shared secure container, which is to be accessible by at least one other managed application, is to be configured on the mobile device such that a read or write operation from the managed application is to be redirected to the shared secure container;

modify, in accordance with input received via the user interface, the policy settings, resulting in modified policy settings;

produce a policy file for the managed application that includes the modified policy settings; and

provide the policy file such that the policy is available for download to the mobile device

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by, cause the apparatus to:

receive additional input specifying one or more conditions that, when met by the mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform a selective wipe;

produce an additional policy file for the managed application that includes the one or more conditions; and

provide the additional policy file for download to the mobile device.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18, wherein the executable instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

receive, from the mobile device, an indication the mobile device is to perform a selective wipe;

responsive to receiving the indication, determine that an updated policy file is available; and

transmit the updated policy file to the mobile device as a response to the indication.