System and method for integrated on-demand delivery of operating system and applications

• US 20060031547A1
• Filed: 05/07/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Marketing Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wyse Technology Incorporated (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Calomeni, Mark, Deshpande, Amit, Tsui, Andrew Kin Ning, Fausak, Andy, Mylvara, Satya
• Granted Patent: US 8,230,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]

Abstract

The present invention discloses a system and a method for integrated on-demand delivery of operating system and applications, where operating system images are separate and distinct from application images. Integration of operating system streaming and application streaming services makes streaming delivery possible to a wide range of client devices, including those without any local disk space such as thin-clients and diskless workstations. In addition, by integrating the centralized management of operating system delivery and application delivery, the present invention provides a complete solution to server-centric application management, thereby further reducing the total cost of ownership of network-based computing approach. Implementing the operating management functions at the client machine level of specificity and application management functions at the user level of specificity combined with providing separate and distinct operating system images and application images provides an inherently canonical architecture that allows proper scaling and affords appropriate security management functions. The result is a complete, scalable, robust, and reliable server-centric application and operating system management system with a lower total cost of ownership than existing products.

Claims

1. A system for integrated on-demand delivery of operating systems and applications to client computers over a network, the system comprising:

at least one operating system image;

an operating system streaming server;

at least one application image;

an application streaming server; and

an integrated user interface for managing operating system delivery and application delivery to at least one client computer,

wherein the integrated user interface can select at least one operating system image and at least one application image to be delivered on-demand to at least one client computer, and the at least one operating system image is separate and distinct from the at least one application image.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an operating system streaming agent for a client computer, wherein an operating system image selected for the client computer is streamed to the client computer via the operating system streaming agent and the operating system streaming server.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an application streaming agent for a client computer, wherein at least one application image selected for the client computer is streamed to the client computer via the application streaming agent and the application streaming server.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an integrated common database for managing operating system delivery and application delivery to at least one client computer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated user interface for managing operating system delivery and application delivery is a web-based user interface.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a virtual disk on the operating system streaming server for writing out paging files when running applications on a client computer.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a virtual disk from which the at least one operating system image is streamed.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a virtual disk from which the at least one application image is streamed.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a virtual file system by which the at least one application image is streamed.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a local storage cache on a client computer for storing portions of an operating system image which had already been streamed to the client computer.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a local storage cache on a client computer for storing portions of application images which had already been streamed to the client computer.

12. A system for integrated on-demand delivery of operating systems and applications to client computers over a network, the system comprising:

at least one operating system image;

an operating system streaming server;

at least one application image; and

an application streaming server,

wherein the at least one operating system image is separate and distinct from the at least one application image.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

an integrated common database for managing the integrated on-demand delivery of operating systems and applications.

14. A method for integrated on-demand delivery of operating systems and applications to client computers over a network, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an operating system streaming server;

providing an application streaming server;

providing at least one operating system image;

providing at least one application image, wherein the at least one operating system image is separate and distinct from the at least one application image;

providing an integrated user interface for managing operating system delivery and application delivery to at least one client computer;

selecting an operating system for a client computer with the integrated user interface;

selecting at least one application for a user with the integrated user interface;

when the user logs on to the client computer, delivering the selected operating system to the client computer on-demand by streaming an operating system image for the selected operating system to the client computer; and

delivering the selected at least one application on-demand by streaming an application image for the selected at least one application to the client computer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, in the step of providing an integrated user interface for managing operating system delivery and application delivery to at least one client computer, managing operating system delivery is client computer specific and managing application delivery is user specific.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

providing an operating system streaming agent, wherein the operating system image for the selected operating system is streamed to the client computer via the operating system streaming agent and the operating system streaming server.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

providing an application streaming agent, wherein the application image for the selected at least one application is streamed to the client computer via the application streaming agent and the application streaming server.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

providing an integrated common database for managing operating system delivery and application delivery to at least one client computer.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the integrated user interface for managing operating system delivery and application delivery is a web-based user interface.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

providing a virtual disk on the operating system streaming server for writing out paging files when running applications on a client computer.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

providing a virtual disk from which the at least one operating system image is streamed.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

providing a virtual disk from which the at least one application image is streamed.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

providing a virtual file system by which the at least one application image is streamed.

24. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

providing a local storage cache on a client computer;

storing on the local storage cache portions of an operating system image which had already been streamed to the client computer; and

while delivering an operating system on-demand, delivering portions of the operating system from the local storage cache when the portions of the operating system image stored on the local storage cache are requested.

25. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

providing a local storage cache on a client computer;

storing on the local storage cache portions of application images which had already been streamed to the client computer; and

while delivering applications on-demand, delivering portions of the applications from the local storage cache when the portions of the application images stored on the local storage cache are requested.

26. A method for integrated on-demand delivery of operating systems and applications to client computers over a network, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an operating system streaming server;

providing an application streaming server;

providing at least one operating system image; and

providing at least one application image,

wherein the at least one operating system image is separate and distinct from the at least one application image.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of:

providing an integrated common database for managing the integrated on-demand delivery of operating systems and applications.

28. A system for integrated on-demand delivery of operating systems and applications to client computers over a network, the system comprising:

means for providing an operating system streaming server;

means for providing an application streaming server;

means for providing at least one operating system image;

means for providing at least one application image, wherein the at least one operating system image is separate and distinct from the at least one application image;

means for providing an integrated user interface for managing operating system delivery and application delivery to at least one client computer;

means for selecting an operating system for a client computer with the integrated user interface;

means for selecting at least one application for a user with the integrated user interface;

means for, when the user logs on to the client computer, delivering the selected operating system to the client computer on-demand by streaming an operating system image for the selected operating system to the client computer; and

means for delivering the selected at least one application on-demand by streaming an application image for the selected at least one application to the client computer.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

means for providing an operating system streaming agent, wherein the operating system image for the selected operating system is streamed to the client computer via the operating system streaming agent and the operating system streaming server.

30. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

means for providing an application streaming agent, wherein the application image for the selected at least one application is streamed to the client computer via the application streaming agent and the application streaming server.

31. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

means for providing an integrated common database for managing the operating system delivery and the application delivery to at least one client computer.

32. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

means for providing a virtual disk from which the at least one operating system image is streamed.

33. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

means for providing a virtual disk from which the at least one application image is streamed.

34. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

means for providing a virtual file system by which the at least one application image is streamed.

35. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

means for providing a local storage cache on a client computer;

means for storing on the local storage cache portions of an operating system image which had already been streamed to the client computer; and

means for, while delivering an operating system on-demand, delivering portions of the operating system from the local storage cache when the portions of the operating system image stored on the local storage cache are requested.

36. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

means for providing a local storage cache on a client computer;

means for storing on the local storage cache portions of application images which had already been streamed to the client computer; and

means for, while delivering applications on-demand, delivering portions of the applications from the local storage cache when the portions of the application images stored on the local storage cache are requested.