Client-side policy enforcement of developer API use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9619779-B2
Application number	US-201113219551-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2011
Priority date	Aug 26, 2011
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed that allow automated pre-qualification and qualification of an application. An application description can be generated for an application submitted by a developer, the application description can be automatically examined to determine whether the application complies with rules or guidelines (e.g., policies) of a platform. If the application complies with the rules or guidelines, the application can be pre-qualified and submitted for approval and distribution. If the application does not comply with the rules or guidelines, the application developer can be notified of the errors in the application and the developer can be prevented from uploading the application for approval and distribution.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a distribution device, an application description prequalification request comprising an application description describing an application stored at a developer device, the application description identifies one or more symbols used by the application, and where the application description is distinct from the application;
determining, by the distribution device, that the application description is not in compliance with one or more application development policies, wherein the application development policies comprise general policy data and specific policy data, the general policy data applicable for all application descriptions and the specific policy data applicable to the received application description, and where compliance is determined based on comparing the one or more symbols identified in the application description and the general policy data and specific policy data of the application development policies;
generating, by the distribution device, at least one error when the application description is not in compliance with at least one of the general policy data and the specific policy data of the application development policies; and
in response to generating the error, preventing, by the distribution device, the application from being uploaded from the developer device to the distribution device for review, approval, and distribution.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the distribution device, that the application description is in compliance with one or more application development policies;
allowing the application to be uploaded from the developer device when the application description is in compliance with the application development policies.

3. The method of claim 1 , and further comprising:
generating warnings when the application description describes deprecated symbols.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specific policy data identify developer-licensed application programming interfaces, and further comprising:
comparing one or more application programming interfaces identified in the application description to the developer-licensed application programming interfaces in the application development policies;
downgrading the error when the one or more application programming interfaces matches a developer-licensed application programming interface; and
in response to downgrading the error, enabling, by the distribution device, the application to be uploaded from the developer device to the distribution device for review, approval, and distribution.

5. A method comprising:
generating, by a developer device, an application description for at least a portion of an application;
transmitting, by the developer device, an application description prequalification request including the application description to a distribution device, the application description identifies one or more symbols used by the application, and where the application description is distinct from the application;
receiving a message from the distribution device indicating that the application description violates an application development policy, wherein the application development policy comprises general policy data and specific policy data, the general policy data applicable for all application descriptions and the specific policy data applicable to the received application description, and where the violation is determined based on a comparison of the one or more symbols identified in the application description and the general policy data and specific policy data of the application development policy; and
preventing, by the developer device, the application from being uploaded to the distribution device for review, approval, and distribution when the message indicates that the application violates at least one of the general policy data and the specific policy data of the application development policy.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the application description is transmitted to the distribution device over a synchronous connection.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
receiving a message from the distribution device indicating that the application description describes an application that complies with application development policies configured at the server;
uploading, by the developer device, the application to the distribution device for review, approval, and distribution when the message indicates that the application complies with the application development policy.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the application description includes binary files associated with the application.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the application description includes configuration data for the application.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the application description includes resources associated with the application.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:
receive, at a distribution device, an application description prequalification request comprising an application description describing an application stored at a developer device, the application description identifies one or more symbols used by the application, and where the application description is distinct from the application;
determine, by the distribution device, that the application description is not in compliance with one or more application development policies, wherein the application development policies comprise general policy data and specific policy data, the general policy data applicable for all application descriptions and the specific policy data applicable to the received application description, and where compliance is determined based on comparing the one or more symbols identified in the application description and the general policy data and the specific policy data of the application development policies;
generate, by the distribution device, at least one error when the application description is not in compliance with at least one the general policy data and the specific policy data of the application development policies; and
in response to generating the error, preventing, by the distribution device, the application from being uploaded from the developer device to the distribution device for review, approval, and distribution.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to:
determine, by the distribution device, that the application description is in compliance with one or more application development policies; and
allow the application to be uploaded from the developer device for review, approval, and distribution when the application description is in compliance with the application development policies.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein instructions cause the one or more processors to:
generate warnings when the application description describes deprecated symbols.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the specific policy data identify developer-licensed application programming interfaces, and the instructions cause the one or more processors to:
compare one or more application programming interface to the developer-licensed application programming interfaces in the application development policies;
downgrade the error when the one or more application programming interface matches a developer-licensed application programming interface; and
in response to downgrade o

Assignees

• Fosback Jason Robert
• Cortes Ricardo D
• Makower David
• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Fosback Jason Robert
• Cortes Ricardo D
• Makower David

Classifications

• G06F8/75

  Structural analysis for program understanding · CPC title

• G06Q10/10 Primary

  Office automation; Time management · CPC title

• G06Q10/06

  Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title