Functionality management via application modification

• US 9,800,454 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2015
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AirWatch LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AirWatch LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dabbiere, Alan, Stuntebeck, Erich
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayou, Yonas
• Application Number:
  US14/806,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20150324608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/54 by adding security routines or objects to programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• 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 21/6281 at program execution time, where the protection is within the operating system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1435 volume-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1467 involving prepayment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0884 by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications

Abstract

Methods, systems, apparatuses, and/or computer-readable media for providing device management via application modification may be provided. In some embodiments, a request to perform an action may be received. Upon determining that the action is associated with a metered resource, a further determination may be made as to whether the request complies with at least one management policy. In response to determining that the request complies with the at least one management policy, the requested action may be authorized and/or caused to be performed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, in a management server, a request to perform an action from an application executed by a client device, the action comprising a request to communicate with the Internet, wherein the application is configured to redirect the request to the management server in response to determining that the application is unauthorized to communicate with the Internet;

determining, by the management server, that the action is associated with a metered resource by determining that authorizing the action would consume at least a portion of the metered resource, wherein the metered resource comprises a data usage quota associated with communications over the Internet;

in response to determining that the action would consume the metered resource, determining, by the management server, that the request complies with at least one management policy stored in the management server; and

in response to determining that the request complies with the at least one management policy, authorizing, by the management server, the request to communicate with the Internet to perform the action.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the management server, the request through an application programming interface (API).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to perform the action comprises an intercepted request, the request being intercepted from the application by an agent application executed by the client device, wherein the agent application is configured to manage the client device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining that the action would consume at least a portion of the metered resource comprises computing an amount of the metered resource consumed by the action.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining that the amount of the metered resource consumed by the action exceeds a quota amount of the metered resource.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising establishing, by the management server, the quota amount of the metered resource based at least in part upon the action.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising blocking the request to communicate with the Internet in response to determining that the data usage quota has been depleted.

8. A system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processor coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processor is configured to;

obtain a request to perform an action from an application executed by a client device, the action comprising a request to communicate with the Internet, wherein the application is configured to redirect the request to the management server in response to determining that the application is unauthorized to communicate with the Internet;

determine that the action is associated with a metered resource by determining that authorizing the action to be performed would consume at least a portion of the metered resource, wherein the metered resource comprise a data usage quota associated with communications over the Internet;

in response to determining that the action would consume the metered resource, determine that the request complies with at least one management policy stored in the management server; and

in response to determining that the request complies with the at least one management policy, authorize the request to communicate with the Internet to perform the action.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to obtain the request through an application programming interface (API).

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the request to perform the action comprises an intercepted request, the request being intercepted from the application by an agent application executed by the client device, wherein the agent application is configured to manage the client device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein determining that the action would consume at least a portion of the metered resource comprises computing an amount of the metered resource consumed by the action.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to determine that the amount of the metered resource consumed by the action exceeds a quota amount of the metered resource.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to establish the quota amount of the metered resource based at least in part upon the action.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to block the request to communicate with the Internet in response to determining that the data usage quota has been depleted.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a program executable by a computing device, the program, when executed, configured to cause the computing device to at least:

obtain a request to perform an action from an application executed by a client device, the action comprising a request to communicate with the Internet, wherein the application is configured to redirect the request to the management server in response to determining that the application is unauthorized to communicate with the Internet;

determine that the action is associated with a metered resource by determining that authorizing the action to be performed would consume at least a portion of the metered resource, wherein the metered resource comprise a data usage quota associated with communications over the Internet;

in response to determining that the action would consume the metered resource, determine that the request complies with at least one management policy stored in the management server; and

in response to determining that the request complies with the at least one management policy, authorize the request to communicate with the Internet to perform the action.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the request to perform the action comprises an intercepted request, the request being intercepted from the application by an agent application executed by the client device, wherein the agent application is configured to manage the client device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining that the action would consume at least a portion of the metered resource comprises computing an amount of the metered resource consumed by the action and determining that the amount exceeds a quota amount of the metered resource.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the program is configured to cause the at least one computing device to establish the quota amount of the metered resource based at least in part upon the action.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the program, when executed, is configured to cause the computing device to at least block the request to communicate with the Internet in response to determining that the data usage quota has been depleted.