System and method for live migration of remote desktop session host sessions without data loss

• US 10,560,535 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2015
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Khosrowpour, Farzad, Baladhandayutham, Senthil Kumaran
• Primary Examiner(s): Algibhah, Hamza N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, Tony
• Application Number:
  US14/718,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20160344821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,727 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0897 by horizontal or vertical scaling of resources, or by migrating entities, e.g. virtual resources or entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions

Abstract

A remote desktop session host system includes a first terminal server including a first data collector, a second terminal server including a second data collector, and a data storage device. The first terminal server hosts a first terminal session. In response to determining that the first terminal server is underutilized, the first data collector creates a snapshot of the first terminal session, stores the snapshot on the data storage device, and logs off the first terminal session. The snapshot includes a context for the first terminal session. A second terminal session is launched on the second terminal server, and the second data collector retrieves the snapshot and provides the snapshot to the second terminal session to restore the context to the second session.

Claims

1. A remote desktop session host system comprising:

a first terminal server including a first data collector, the first terminal server to host a first terminal session associated with a first application and a first user, and a second terminal session associated with a second application and a second user;

a second terminal server including a second data collector;

a data storage device; and

a watchdog that discovers the first and second data collectors, receives session information from the first and second data collectors, stores the session information in the data storage device, provides policies to the first and second data collectors, and monitors resource allocations in the first and second terminal servers;

wherein in response to determining that the first terminal server is underutilized;

the first data collector creates a first snapshot of the first terminal session and a second snapshot of the second terminal session, the first snapshot including a first context for the first terminal session and the first application, and the second snapshot including a second context for the second terminal session and the second application, the first data collector stores the first and second snapshots on the data storage device, and the first data collector logs off the first terminal session and the second terminal session;

a third terminal session is launched on the second terminal server; and

the second data collector requests the first user to log on to the third terminal session, receives a third indication that the first user desires to restore the first context to the third terminal session, retrieves the first snapshot in response to the third indication, provides the first snapshot to the third terminal session to restore the first context to the third terminal session, launches the first application on the second terminal server, and deletes the first snapshot in response to providing the first snapshot to the third terminal session.

2. The remote desktop session host system of claim 1, further comprising:

a load balancer that determines that the first terminal server is underutilized, and, in response to the first data collector logging off the first terminal session and the second terminal session, that shuts down the first terminal server.

3. The remote desktop session host system of claim 2, wherein further:

the load balancer determines to migrate the first terminal session from the first terminal server to the second terminal server; and

the third terminal session is launched on the second terminal server in response to the load balancer determining to migrate the first terminal session.

4. The remote desktop session host system of claim 1, further comprising:

a session broker that launches the third terminal session on the second terminal server.

5. The remote desktop session host system of claim 1, wherein, prior to the first data collector logging off the first terminal session and the second terminal session, the first terminal session stores data generated in the first terminal session to a cloud storage device.

6. The remote desktop session host system of claim 1, wherein in further response to determining that the first terminal server is underutilized, the first terminal server is placed into a drain mode, such that a request to launch a fourth terminal session on the first terminal server is redirected to the second terminal server.

14. The remote desktop session host system of claim 1, wherein in further response to determining that the first terminal server is underutilized:

a fourth terminal session is launched on the second terminal server; and

the second data collector requests the second user to log on to the fourth terminal session, receives a fourth indication that the second user desires to restore the second context to the fourth terminal session, retrieves the second snapshot in response to the fourth indication, provides the second snapshot to the fourth terminal session to restore the second context to the third terminal session, launches the second application on the second terminal server, and deletes the second snapshot in response to providing the second snapshot to the fourth terminal session.

7. A method comprising:

hosting a first terminal session associated with a first application and a first user on a first terminal server, and a second terminal session associated with a second application and a second user on the first terminal server;

determining that the first terminal server is underutilized;

creating, by a first data collector of the first terminal server, a first snapshot of the first terminal session and a second snapshot of the second terminal session, the first snapshot including a first context for the first terminal session and the first application, and the second snapshot including a second context for the second terminal session and the second application;

discovering, by a watchdog module, the first data collector;

storing, by the watchdog module, the first and second snapshots on a data storage device;

logging off the first and second terminal sessions on the first terminal server;

launching a third terminal session on a second terminal server;

requesting, by a second data collector on the second terminal server, the first user to log on to the third terminal session;

discovering, by the watchdog module, the second data collector;

receiving a third indication that the first user desires to restore the first context to the third terminal session;

retrieving, by the watchdog module, the first snapshot in response to the third indication;

providing the first snapshot to the third terminal session to restore the first context to the third terminal session;

launching the first application on the second terminal server; and

deleting the first snapshot in response to providing the first snapshot to the third terminal session.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a load balancer determines that the first terminal server is underutilized, the method further comprising:

shutting down the first terminal server in response to the first data collector logging off the first terminal session and the second terminal session.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining to migrate the first terminal session from the first terminal server to the second terminal server, wherein launching the third terminal session is in response to determining to migrate the first terminal session.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein a session broker launches the third terminal session on the second terminal server.

15. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

launching a fourth terminal session on a second terminal server;

requesting, by the second data collector, the second user to log on to the fourth terminal session;

receiving a fourth indication that the second user desires to restore the second context to the fourth terminal session;

retrieving the second snapshot in response to the fourth indication;

providing the second snapshot to the fourth terminal session to restore the second context to the fourth terminal session;

launching the second application on the second terminal server; and

deleting the second snapshot in response to providing the second snapshot to the fourth terminal session.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including code for performing a method, the method comprising:

hosting a first terminal session associated with a first application and a first user on a first terminal server, and a second terminal session associated with a second application and a second user on the first terminal server;

determining that the first terminal server is underutilized;

creating, by a first data collector of the first terminal server, a first snapshot of the first terminal session and a second snapshot of the second terminal session, the first snapshot including a first context for the first terminal session and the first application, and the second snapshot including a second context for the second terminal session and the second application;

discovering, by a watchdog module, the first data collector;

storing, by the watchdog module, the first and second snapshots on a data storage device;

logging off the first terminal session and the second terminal session;

launching a third terminal session on a second terminal server;

requesting, by a second data collector on the second terminal server, the first user to log on to the third terminal session;

discovering, by the watchdog module, the second data collector;

receiving a third indication that the first user desires to restore the first context to the third terminal session;

retrieving, by the watchdog module, the first snapshot in response to the third indication;

providing the first snapshot to the third terminal session to restore the first context to the third terminal session;

launching the first application on the second terminal server; and

deleting the first snapshot in response to providing the first snapshot to the third terminal session.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein a load balancer determines that the first terminal server is underutilized, and the method further comprises:

shutting down the first terminal server in response to the first data collector logging off the first terminal session and the second terminal session; and

determining to migrate the first terminal session from the first terminal server to the second terminal server, wherein launching the third terminal session is in response to determining to migrate the first terminal session.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first context includes an application that is hosted by the first terminal server and that is utilized by the first terminal session, and the method further comprises:

launching the application on the second terminal server.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

launching a fourth terminal session on a second terminal server;

requesting, by the second data collector, the second user to log on to the fourth terminal session;

receiving a fourth indication that the second user desires to restore the second context to the fourth terminal session;

retrieving the second snapshot in response to the fourth indication;

providing the second snapshot to the fourth terminal session to restore the second context to the fourth terminal session;

launching the second application on the second terminal server; and

deleting the second snapshot in response to providing the second snapshot to the fourth terminal session.