User Driven Emulation of Applications

• US 20160162307A1
• Filed: 02/02/2016
• Published: 06/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Muttik, Igor
• Granted Patent: US 9,864,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3452 Performance evaluation by statistical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3457 Performance evaluation by simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/455 Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines

Abstract

Systems and methods allow a user to select one or more applications that are intended to be downloaded to a device (e.g., phone, tablet, PC) and create an emulation environment for testing aspects of the one or more applications prior to download. The emulation environment can be virtual (via emulation or virtual machine) or instrumented by remotely controlling actual hardware. Metrics collected from the emulation environment can include security and usability related aspects of the applications. Interaction between the applications themselves, the applications and other resources, and the user and the applications (e.g., configuration preferences, usage patterns) can be monitored by systems facilitating hosting of the emulation environment. For example, collected metrics can be used to create a measure for security, reputation, user-preference, etc. regarding the applications. Metrics can be shared amongst other potential users to assist in their purchase or usage of the applications.

Claims

1. An emulation server comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more network communication interfaces; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the memory stores instructions that when executed cause at least some of the one or more processors to;

instantiate an emulation environment using the emulation server based at least in part on an end user identity and an application to be downloaded to a user device;

configure the emulation environment responsive to end user input;

collect user reputation metrics for the application based on user interaction activity and application activity in the emulation environment;

save the configured emulation environment; and

calculate a reputation score for the application responsive to user reputation metrics collected from a plurality of users.

2. The emulation server of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause at least some of the one or more processors to add to the emulated environment an additional application to be downloaded to the end user device responsive to a user request.

3. The emulation server of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the one or more processors to delete from the emulated environment an application to be downloaded to the end user device responsive to a user purchase decision.

4. The emulation server of claim 1, wherein the user reputation metrics comprise information for one or more properties of the application collected from the plurality of users.

5. The emulation server of claim 1, wherein the instructions to calculate the reputation score further comprise instructions that when executed cause at least some of the at least one or more processors to combine the user reputation metrics for the application with additional reputation metrics for one or more additional applications to be downloaded to the end user device.

6. The emulation server of claim 1, wherein the instructions that when executed cause at least some of the one or more processors to instantiate the emulation environment comprise instructions that when executed cause at least some of the one or more processors to access a previously configured emulation environment.

7. The emulation server of claim 1, wherein the emulation environment comprises a virtual environment.

8. The emulation server of claim 1, wherein the emulation environment comprises an instrumented environment.

9. The emulation server of claim 1, wherein the instructions that when executed cause at least some of the one or more processors to calculate the reputation score comprise instructions that when executed cause at least some of the at least one or more processors to determine a rating for the application from a graduated scale of rating values.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon that when executed cause at least one or more processors to:

instantiate an emulation environment using the emulation server based at least in part on an end user identity and an application to be downloaded to a user device;

configure the emulation environment responsive to end user input;

collect user reputation metrics for the application based on user interaction activity and application activity in the emulation environment;

save the configured emulation environment; and

calculate a reputation score for the application responsive to user reputation metrics collected from a plurality of users.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause at least some of the one or more processors to add to the emulated environment an additional application to be downloaded to the end user device responsive to a user request.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the at least one or more processors to delete an application from the emulated environment responsive to a user purchase decision.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the user reputation metrics comprises information for one or more properties of the application collected from the plurality of users.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions that when executed cause at least some of the one or more processors to calculate the reputation score comprise instructions that when executed cause at least some of the at least one or more processors to combine the user reputation metrics for the application with additional reputation metrics for one or more additional applications to be downloaded to the end user device.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions that when executed cause at least some of the one or more processors to instantiate the emulation environment comprise instructions that when executed cause at least some of the one or more processors to access a previously configured emulation environment.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the emulation environment comprises a virtual environment or an instrumented environment.

17. A method of operating a computer system, the method comprising:

instantiating an emulation environment using the emulation server based at least in part on an end user identity and an application to be downloaded to a user device;

configuring the emulation environment responsive to end user input;

collecting user reputation metrics for the application based on user interaction activity and application activity in the emulation environment;

saving the configured emulation environment; and

calculating a reputation score for the application responsive to user reputation metrics collected from a plurality of users.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising adding to the emulated environment an additional application to be downloaded to the end user device responsive to a user request.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising deleting from the emulated environment an application to be downloaded to the end user device responsive to a user purchase decision.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein collecting user reputation metrics further comprises collecting information for one or more properties of the application that are collected from the plurality of users.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising combining the user reputation metrics for the application with additional reputation metrics for one or more additional applications to be downloaded to the end user device.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein instantiating the emulation environment comprises accessing a previously configured emulation environment.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein instantiating the emulation environment comprises instantiating the emulation environment as a virtual environment or an instrumented environment.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining a rating for the application from a graduated scale of rating values.