Methods and systems for generating playback instructions for rendering of a recorded computer session

• US 20060159080A1
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Mazzaferri, Richard James
• Granted Patent: US 8,340,130 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

A type of input stored by a packet in a recorded session is identified, said recorded session comprising a plurality of packets representing display data generated by an application program. The packet is marked responsive to the type of input. A destination for rendering the contents of the packet is stored in a playback data structure, responsive to the marking.

Claims

1. A method of generating playback instructions for rendering a recorded session, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying a type of input stored by a packet in a recorded session, said recorded session comprising a plurality of packets representing display data generated by an application program;

(b) marking the packet responsive to the type of input; and

(c) storing, in a playback data structure, a destination for rendering the contents of the packet responsive to the marking.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises identifying the type of input as input from an input device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises identifying the type of input as keyboard input.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises identifying the type of input as a command.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises marking the packet responsive to a policy.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) further comprises storing, in a playback data structure, an instruction to render the contents of the marked packet in a perceptible manner and to a buffer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises storing, in the playback data structure, an instruction to render the contents of the marked packet to a buffer.

8. A method of eliminating a period of inactivity in rendering a recorded session, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying a first packet in a recorded session, said recorded session comprising a plurality of packets and representing display data;

(b) identifying a second packet in the recorded session, said second packet immediately preceding the first packet;

(c) determining a first time interval between the first packet and the second packet;

(d) determining that the first time interval exceeds a threshold; and

(e) rendering the contents of the recorded session with a second time interval between the first packet and the second packet, said second time interval comprising a shorter time interval than the first time interval.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein step (e) further comprises storing, in a playback data structure, an indication to render the contents of the recorded session with the second time interval between the first packet and the second packet.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein step (e) further comprises identifiying a second packet in the recorded session, said second packet immediately following the first packet.

11. A method of eliminating a period containing no meaningful activity in rendering a recorded session, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a first time interval between a marked packet and a nearest previous marked packet in a recorded session, said recorded session comprising a plurality of packets and representing display data;

(b) determining that the first time interval exceeds a threshold; and

(c) rendering the contents of the recorded session with a second time interval between the marked packet and the nearest previous marked packet, said second time interval comprising a shorter time interval than the first time interval.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein step (c) further comprises rendering the contents of the recorded session with a second time interval between the marked packet and a previous packet said second time interval comprising a shorter time interval than the first time interval.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein step (c) further comprises rendering the contents of the recorded session with a second time interval between the marked packet and a packet following the marked packet, said second time interval comprising a shorter time interval than the first time interval.

14. A method of eliminating graphics updates in rendering a recorded session, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying a packet in a recorded session representing display data generated by an application program, said packet containing a first graphics update;

(b) determining a screen region affected by the first graphics update;

(c) storing an indication of the state of the screen region after the first graphics update and the location of the screen region;

(d) identifying a second graphics update affecting the screen region within a time interval; and

(e) indicating in a playback data structure a destination for rendering a second packet containing the second graphic update affecting the screen region, responsive to whether the state of the screen region after the second graphics update varies from the state of the screen region after the first graphics update.

(f) indicating in a playback data structure a time interval to render associated with the second packet containing the second graphic update affecting the screen region, responsive to whether the state of the screen region after the second graphics update varies from the state of the screen region after the first graphics update.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein step (b) further comprises identifying a graphics update contained within a plurality of packets.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein step (b) further comprises determining the screen region affected responsive to the graphics update stored by each packet in the identified plurality of packets.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein step (c) further comprises storing a copy of the screen region affected by the graphics update.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein step (d) further comprises a time interval that is defined to approximate an upper limit of a human scale cyclic period.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein step (e) further comprises indicating, by the background protocol engine, in a playback data structure, that the contents of the packet render in a perceptible manner and to a buffer.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein step (e) further comprises indicating, by the background protocol engine, in a playback data structure, that the contents of the packet render to a buffer.

21. A method of eliminating interaction sequences in rendering a recorded session, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) Identifying, responsive to a policy, a start of an interaction sequence of at least one packet;

(b) Indicating, in a playback data structure, that the interaction sequence should render to a buffer;

(c) identifying a termination of an interaction sequence;

(d) identifying a first time interval between a packet preceding the identified start of the interaction sequence and a packet following the identified termination of the interaction sequence; and

(e) indicating, in a playback data structure, a second time interval to render shorter than the first time interval.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the interaction sequence comprises a log-on sequence.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the interaction sequence comprises a log-off sequence.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein a policy defines the interaction sequence.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein step (a) further comprises identifying the start of the interaction sequence by identifying a visual marker.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein step (a) further comprises identifying the start of the interaction sequence by determining a start time of an interaction sequence.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein step (a) further comprises identifying the start of the interaction sequence responsive to identifying a window with an input focus.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying the termination of the interaction sequence by identifying a visual marker.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying the termination of the interaction sequence by determining a termination time of an interaction sequence.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying the termination of the interaction sequence responsive to identifying a window with an input focus.