Methods and apparatus for making a hypermedium interactive

• US 20040139117A1
• Filed: 10/20/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Muir, Jeff, Stergiades, Andrew L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,359,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/541 Client-server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/549 Remote execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications

Abstract

A system and method of making a hypermedium page interactive. In one embodiment the system includes a hyperlink on the hypermedium page displayed on a client node; a hyperlink configuration file (corresponding to the hyperlink on the client node) located on a network server node; and a client agent located on the client node. In response to a user selecting the hyperlink on the hypermedium page, the client agent establishes a communications link from the client agent to an application execution server agent on an application server using the information located in the configuration file obtained from the network server node. In response to the creation of the communications link between the application execution server agent and the client agent, the application executes on the application execution server and the user is capable of interactively using the application running on the application execution node from the client node. Data input and display occurs at the client node under the control of the client agent.

Claims

1. A system for making a hypermedium page interactive, the hypermedium page displayed by a network browser, the system comprising:

a client node executing a browser application, said browser application displaying a hypermedium page including a hyperlink identifying an application;

a network server transmitting, in response to selection of said hyperlink, a network configuration file to said client node, said network configuration file corresponding to said identified application;

a client agent executing on said client node, said client agent establishing, responsive to data in said configuration file, a communications link with an application execution server hosting said application,

wherein said application execution server executes said hosted program and transmits application output to said client agent for display without intervention by said browser application.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said hypermedium page includes a graphical hyperlink identifying an application.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said hypermedium page includes a textual hyperlink identifying an application.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said network configuration file specifies an application execution server hosting said application.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said network configuration file includes authentication information.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said network configuration file includes information relating to authorized users of said identified application.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said network server node and said application execution server comprise the same physical server.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a server agent executing on said application execution server, said server agent transmitting application output to said client agent without intervention by the network browser.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said client agent communicates with said server agent via a presentation protocol.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said client agent communicates with said server agent via the ICA protocol.

11. A method for making a hypermedium page interactive, the hypermedium page displayed by a network browser, the method comprising:

(a) executing, by a client node, a browser application displaying a hypermedium page including a hyperlink identifying an application;

(b) transmitting, by a network server in response to selection of the hyperlink, a network configuration file to the client node, the network configuration file corresponding to the identified application;

(c) establishing, by a client agent executing on the client node in response to data in the network configuration file, a communications link with an application execution server hosting the identified application,

(d) executing, by the application execution server hosting the identified application, the hosted program; and

(e) transmitting, by the application execution server, application output to the client agent for display without intervention by the browser application.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein step (a) comprises executing, by a client node, a browser application displaying a hypermedium page including a graphical hyperlink identifying an application.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein step (a) comprises executing, by a client node, a browser application displaying a hypermedium page including a textual hyperlink identifying an application.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein step (b) comprises transmitting, by a network server in response to selection of the hyperlink, a network configuration file to the client node, the network configuration file corresponding to the identified application and specifying an application execution server hosting the application.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein step (b) comprises transmitting, by a network server in response to selection of the hyperlink, a network configuration file to the client node, the network configuration file corresponding to the identified application and including authentication information.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein step (b) comprises transmitting, by a network server in response to selection of the hyperlink, a network configuration file to the client node, the network configuration file corresponding to the identified application and including information relating to authorized users of the identified application.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein step (b) comprises transmitting, by a network server in response to selection of the hyperlink, a network configuration file to the client node, the network configuration file corresponding to the identified application and specifying the network server as the application execution server.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of transmitting, by a server agent executing on the application execution server, application output to the client agent without intervention by the network browser.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of transmitting, by a server agent executing on the application execution server, application output to the client agent via a presentation protocol.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of transmitting, by a server agent executing on the application execution server, application output to the client agent via the ICA protocol.

21. An article of manufacture having computer-readable code means embodied thereon for making a hypermedium page displayed by a network browser interactive, the article of manufacture comprising:

(a) computer-readable program means for executing, by a client node, a browser application displaying a hypermedium page including a hyperlink identifying an application;

(b) computer-readable program means for transmitting, by a network server in response to selection of the hyperlink, a network configuration file to the client node, the network configuration file corresponding to the identified application and specifying an application execution server hosting the application;

(c) computer-readable program means for establishing, by a client agent executing on the client node, a communications link with the application execution server,

(d) computer-readable program means for executing, by the application execution server hosting the identified application, the hosted program; and

(e) computer-readable program means for transmitting, by the application execution server, application output to the client agent for display without intervention by the browser application.