Method and system for hands-on e-learning
First Claim
1. A method for providing remote access to a software application comprising the steps of:
- receiving an instruction at a host computer to communicate with a remotely located client computer;
in response to the instruction, initiating a plurality of virtual machines on the host computer;
receiving input from the client computer, said input addressed to a particular one of the virtual machines;
executing a software application on the particular virtual machine in accordance with the input; and
providing to the client computer any results from executing the software application in accordance with the input.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A remotely training system provides instruction to one or more users at the same or different times in an interactive manner that provides actual responses to the actual user inputs during instruction. Within the system, the user computer and additional networked computers typically cannot be crashed by the user inputs. Further, the present invention can provide online interactive instruction with high response speeds that substantially match speeds that would occur if a single user were providing instructions to computers, which they alone were accessing. A user accesses a remote system which has multiple virtual machines arranged to form a virtual network. Within this virtual environment, a user can reconfigure software and operating system settings as well as test software applications without being required to have the software and hardware resources locally available and without fear of damaging the remote system.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method for providing remote access to a software application comprising the steps of:
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receiving an instruction at a host computer to communicate with a remotely located client computer;
in response to the instruction, initiating a plurality of virtual machines on the host computer;
receiving input from the client computer, said input addressed to a particular one of the virtual machines;
executing a software application on the particular virtual machine in accordance with the input; and
providing to the client computer any results from executing the software application in accordance with the input. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of providing remote computer based training from a host computer comprising the steps of:
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communicating with a remotely located computer via a physical network;
executing a plurality of virtual machines on the host computer;
configuring each of the virtual machines to simulate a different host on a computer network, thereby organizing the virtual machines into a virtual network;
receiving input from the remotely located client computer, said input including instructions for operating a particular one of the virtual machines;
operating the particular one of the virtual machines according to the input; and
forwarding to the remotely located client computer actual results of operating the particular virtual machine according to the input to provide the remotely located client with an indication of how the particular virtual machine operates as a result of receiving the input. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21)
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12. A method for controlling remote access to a plurality of host systems comprising the steps of:
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receiving a request from a client to access one of the host systems;
determining if any of the hosts systems are available to handle the request;
if a particular host system is available, commanding the particular host system to initiate a plurality of virtual machines; and
transmitting to the client the identity of the particular host.
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19. A computer system providing remote access comprising:
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(a) a first programmable computer comprising a first network interface configured for communicating with a remotely located client computer and a plurality of host computers, said first computer operating under control of a first software application so as to be configured to;
(1) identify an available one of the host computers based on a first request received from the client computer, (2) forward the identity of the available host computer to the client computer via the first network interface, and (3) transmit via the first network interface a command to the available host computer about the request; and
(b) a plurality of host computers, each comprising a second network interface configured to communicate with the first computer and the remotely located client computer;
each host computer operating under control of a respective second software application so as to be configured to;
(1) initiate a plurality of virtual machines upon receiving a command from the first computer;
(2) receive data via the second network interface from the client computer;
(3) operate one or more of the virtual machines according to the received data; and
(4) forward, to the client computer via the second network interface, any output from the one or more virtual machines resulting from operating in accordance with the received data.
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22. A method for providing remote access to computer resources comprising the steps of:
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receiving at a first computer a request from a remotely located second computer to use a third computer from among a plurality of host computers;
determining if the third computer is available for use by the second computer;
if the third computer is available, then sending;
a command from the first computer to the third computer to launch a plurality of virtual machines on the third computer, and an identification of the third computer to the second computer;
if the third computer is not available, then informing the second computer that the third computer is not available;
in response to receiving the command, launching on the third computer the plurality of virtual machines;
receiving, at the third computer, input from the second computer;
operating the plurality of virtual machines according to the received input; and
forwarding, from the third computer to the second computer, the actual results of operating the plurality of virtual machines according to the received inputs. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification