Virtual use of electronic design automation tools

• US 10,326,648 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2013
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Software Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Mentor Graphics Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Fuller, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Christensen, Scott B
• Application Number:
  US13/783,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20130311627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,300 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet

Abstract

A control server facilitates communication between a tool server hosting an instance of a software tool and a client device employed by a user of the software tool. The client device initially contacts the control server to request the use of the software tool. The control server then arranges for a separate computer to be configured as a tool server that can provide remote access to an instance of the software tool. The control server may provide usage information to the tool server that will control how the software tool may be used. The control server may also provide connection information to the client device, which the client device then can use to establish a connection with the tool server. Using the connection information, the client device then establishes a remote connection with the tool server, allowing the user of the client device to use the software tool hosted on the tool server through the remote connection.

Claims

1. A method of providing use of a software tool, comprising:

by a control server;

receiving a request from a client device separate from the control server to use an electronic design automation (EDA) software tool provided by a tool server separate from the control server and the client device, the request being associated with a particular user;

responsive to the receiving the request, causing a computer system to instantiate the tool server to provide use of the EDA software tool to the client device;

sending usage information to the tool server, the usage information comprising parameter values that control how the particular user of the client device may use an instance of the EDA software tool, the parameter values being selected based on the particular user for which the request is associated and the parameter values limiting the number of circuit designs or a size of circuit designs that the particular user may provide to the EDA software tool for analysis; and

providing the client device with connection information to establish a remote connection between the client device and the tool server.

2. The method recited in claim 1, further wherein the control server causing the computer system to instantiate the tool server includes:

identifying an entity associated with the client device;

determining an electronic communication port value for a previously successful remote connection between another computer system instantiating the EDA software tool and another client device associated with the entity; and

configuring the tool server instantiated on the computer system to employ the electronic communication port value for remotely connecting with client device.

3. The method recited in claim 2, wherein

the control server provides the client device with connection information that includes the port value.

4. The method recited in claim 2, wherein the client device and the another client device are the same.

5. The method recited in claim 2, wherein the computer system and the another computer system are the same.

6. The method recited in claim 2, wherein identifying the entity associated with the client device includes obtaining entity identification information from the particular user of the client device.

7. The method recited in claim 6, wherein

the entity identification information is an electronic mail address;

and

the entity with the client device is identified based upon a domain name of the electronic mail address.

8. The method recited in claim 2, wherein the entity associated with the client device is identified by obtaining an internet protocol address associated with the client device.

9. The method recited in claim 1, wherein:

the control server causing the computer system to instantiate the tool server includes configuring the tool server instantiated on the computer system to employ a specific internet protocol address; and

the control server providing the client device with connection information includes providing the specific internet protocol address.

10. The method recited in claim 9, wherein the control server causing the computer system to instantiate the tool server includes selecting the specific internet protocol address from a pool of internet protocol addresses.

11. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the control server causing the computer system to instantiate the tool server includes:

identifying a geographic location of the client device; and

selecting the computer system from a plurality of computer systems based upon a geographic proximity of the computer system to the geographic location of the client device.

12. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the control server providing the client device with connection information for remotely connecting to the tool server instantiated on the computer system includes:

obtaining configuration information from the computer system;

packaging the configuration information into a configuration file that can be used by a remote connection application employed by the client device; and

providing the configuration file to the client device for use by the remote connection application.

13. The method recited in claim 12, wherein the configuration information includes one or more of the group consisting of:

a name for the computer system, a screen resolution for the computer system, an electronic communication port value, and an internet protocol address.

14. The method recited in claim 12, wherein the control server providing the client device with connection information for remotely connecting to the tool server instantiated on the computer system includes configuring the remote connection application to automatically employ the provided configuration file.

15. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the usage information associates a memory resource of the tool server with the particular user of the client device.

16. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the parameter values include one or more values selected from the group consisting of:

a total maximum use time value, a session maximum use time value, a maximum session value, a maximum data output value, a maximum design value, and a cost value.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection information comprises information relating to a previous successful connection for a user associated with the client device.

18. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining a previous user associated with the client device of the EDA software tool, having previous successful connection information; and

,

obtaining at least a portion of the previous successful connection information for providing as the connection information to the client device.

26. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the parameter values included in the usage information include at least one parameter value for determining costs associated with use of the tool server by the particular user of the client device.

19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a client device separate from a control server to use an electronic design automation (EDA) software tool provided by a tool server separate from the control server and the client device;

arranging for a computer system to instantiate the tool server for providing use of the EDA software tool to the client device;

sending usage information to the tool server which controls how a particular user of the client device may use the software tool, wherein the usage information is specific to the particular user and associates the particular user with a specific memory resource of the tool server and wherein the usage information comprises parameter values that limit the number of circuit designs or a size of circuit designs that the particular user may provide to the EDA software tool for analysis;

providing the client device with connection information that can be used to establish a remote connection between the client device and the tool server; and

establishing the connection between the client device and the tool server.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media comprising computer-executable instructions of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

providing the tool server with a portion of the connection information; and

wherein the connection information provided by the control server comprises connection information relating to a previous successful connection or default connection information if no previous successful connection can be identified.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media comprising computer-executable instructions of claim 20, wherein the previous successful connection information is identified by:

obtaining some or all of the connection information relating to a previous successful connection for the client device; and

if the client device has not previously successfully connected, having the control server obtain some or all of the connection information relating to a previous successful connection of another user associated with the client device.

22. A control server for providing use of a software tool, the control server comprising:

memory;

at least one processor coupled to the memory;

at least one network interface coupled to the processor and providing a communication interface to a tool server and a client device; and

the control server being configured to;

receive a request from a user of the client device to use an electronic design automation (EDA) software tool,

request a resource from a plurality of available resources and send a message to instantiate the tool server on the selected resource, the message indicating that the tool server is to

provide the EDA software tool for use by the client device, provide the client device with connection information for use in establishing and maintaining a connection to the tool server,

transmit usage information configured based on the user to the tool server, the usage information controlling at least in part how the user of the client device may use the EDA software tool, the usage information configured based on the user, the usage information comprising at least one of a session schedule, a maximum sessions value, a maximum data output value, a maximum design value, an operational data value, a memory resource value, or a cost value, the usage information comprising parameter values that limit the number of circuit designs or a size of circuit designs that the particular user may provide to the EDA software tool for analysis,

initiate establishment of the connection between the client device and the tool server, thereby causing a connection between the control server and the client device to be maintained such that the control server monitors the use of the EDA software tool and maintains a record of previous communications between users of the EDA software tool and the tool server, and

send notices to the client device based on the usage information and information in the record of previous communications.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein:

the control server monitors the use of the software tool pursuant to usage parameters in the usage information for the software tool for the particular user.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the usage parameters limit the use of the EDA software tool to only the operational data located at a memory resource associated with the particular user.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein:

the control server sends one or more of the notices regarding the usage information to the client device outside of the connection between the client device and the tool server.