Systems and methods for providing client-side dynamic redirection to bypass an intermediary

• US 20060248581A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Venkatraman, Charu, Shetty, Anil, He, Junxiao, Verzunov, Sergey, Suganthi, Josephine, Sundarrajan, Prabakar
• Granted Patent: US 8,706,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable

Abstract

The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for dynamically redirecting on a client communications of the client with a server to bypass an intermediary that is determined to be unavailable for such communications. An acceleration program on the client establishes a transport layer connection between the client and server, and intercepts communications of the client to the server. The transport layer connection may be established via an intermediary, such as a gateway, proxy or appliance. If the client-side acceleration program determines the intermediary is not available for communicating by the client to the server, the acceleration program automatically establishes a second transport layer connection to the server in order to bypass the intermediary. The acceleration program then transmits the intercepted communications of the client via the second transport layer connection to the server. The acceleration program may automatically redirect intercepted communications of the client to the server transparently to any user or application of the client.

Claims

1. A method for redirecting, on a client, a communication of the client to a server to bypass an intermediary upon determining the intermediary is not useable to communicate by the client to the server, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) establishing, by an acceleration program on a client, a transport layer connection between the client and a server via an intermediary;

(b) determining, by the acceleration program, the intermediary is not useable to communicate by the client via the transport layer connection to the server;

(c) intercepting, by the acceleration program, a communication from the client to the server; and

(d) establishing, by the acceleration program, a second transport layer connection between the acceleration program and the server to bypass the intermediary.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises establishing, by the acceleration program, the second transport layer connection directly with the server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises establishing, by the acceleration program, the second transport layer connection with the server via a second intermediary.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising transmitting, by the acceleration program, the communication to the server via the second transport layer connection.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising automatically installing and executing, by the client, the acceleration program upon receipt of the acceleration program from the intermediary.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the acceleration program comprises a filter device driver interfaced to a transport layer of a network stack of the client.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising performing, by the acceleration program, one of the following acceleration techniques on the communication:

compression,

Transmission Control Protocol connection pooling,

Transmission Control Protocol connection multiplexing,

Transmission Control Protocol buffering; and

caching.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising encrypting, by the acceleration program, the communication between the client and the server.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising executing, by the client, the acceleration program, transparently to one of a network layer, a session layer, or application layer of a network stack of the client.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising executing, by the client, the acceleration program, transparently to one of an application on the client, a user of the client, or the server.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediary comprises one of a cache, a gateway, a firewall, a server, a proxy, a router, a switch, or a bridge.

12. A system for redirecting, on a client, a communication of the client to a server to bypass an intermediary upon determining the intermediary is not useable to communicate by the client to the server, the system comprising:

means for establishing, by an acceleration program on a client, a transport layer connection between the client and a server via an intermediary;

means for determining, by the acceleration program, the intermediary is not useable to communicate by the client via the transport layer connection to the server;

means for intercepting, by the acceleration program, a communication from the client to the server; and

means for establishing, by the acceleration program, a second transport layer connection between the acceleration program and the server to bypass the intermediary.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the acceleration program establishes the second transport layer connection directly with the server.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the acceleration program establishes the second transport layer connection with the server via a second intermediary.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the acceleration program transmits the communication to the server via the second transport layer connection.

16. The system of claim 12, comprising means for automatically installing and executing, by the client, the acceleration program upon receipt of the acceleration program from the intermediary.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the acceleration program comprises a filter device driver interfaced to a transport layer of a network stack of the client.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the acceleration program performs one of the following acceleration techniques for the communication

compression,

Transmission Control Protocol connection pooling,

Transmission Control Protocol connection multiplexing,

Transmission Control Protocol buffering;

and

caching.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the acceleration program encrypts the communication between the client and the server.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the client executes the acceleration program transparently to one of a network layer, a session layer, or application layer of a network stack of the client.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the client executes the acceleration program transparently to one of an application on the client, a user of the client, or the server

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the intermediary comprises one of a cache, a gateway, a firewall, a server, a proxy, a router, a switch, or a bridge.