Method and system for locating and accessing resources

• US 20070067321A1
• Filed: 09/19/2005
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Roychoudhry, Anil, Bissett, Nicholas, Mazzaferri, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,095,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4488 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals

Abstract

In a method for accessing resources provided by an operating system, a request for a resource is received by an application program executing inside an environment. A first identifier associated with the resource is acquired. A registry is consulted, responsive to an association between a first identifier associated with the resource and a second identifier associated with the resource, the association associated with the environment. The resource and an environment on which to launch the resource are identified, responsive to consulting the registry. The second identifier is associated with the resource, with the environment, and with the environment on which to launch the resource. A registry key for the resource is stored in the registry, the registry key comprising the second identifier. The request for the resource is redirected to the identified instance of the resource, responsive to the second identifier. The request for the resource is responded to using the instance of the resource located in the environment on which the resource resides. The requested resource is launched in the identified environment, responsive to the second identifier.

Claims

1. A method for accessing resources provided by an operating system, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving, by an application program executing inside an environment, a request for a resource;

(b) acquiring a first identifier associated with the resource;

(c) consulting a registry, responsive to an association between a first identifier associated with the resource and a second identifier associated with the resource, the association associated with the environment;

(d) identifying the resource and an environment on which to launch the resource, responsive to consulting the registry;

(e) associating the second identifier with the resource, with the environment, and with the environment on which to launch the resource;

(f) storing in the registry a registry key for the resource, the registry key comprising the second identifier;

(g) redirecting the request for the resource to the identified instance of the resource, responsive to the second identifier;

(h) responding to the request for the resource using the instance of the resource located in the environment on which the resource resides; and

(i) launching responsive to the second identifier the requested resource in the identified environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises making, by an application program executing in an environment, a request for a resource.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises acquiring the first identifier responsive to a hooked COM API.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises hooking the CoCreateInstanceEx COM API.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises hooking the CoCreateInstance COM API.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises hooking the CoGetClassObject COM API.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises hooking the CoGetInstanceFromFile COM API.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises hooking the CoGetInstanceFromIStorage COM API.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of hooking the CoRegisterClassObject COM API.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises consulting a registry in the environment on which the application program resides.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises consulting a second registry in a second environment.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises consulting a registry, responsive to failing to receive a second identifier from the association.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises identifying a second environment on which the resource resides.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) further comprises associating in the association the second identifier with the resource, with the environment, with the environment on which to launch the resource, and with a description of a method for launching the resource into an environment.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein step (g) further comprises transmitting to a second process the second identifier.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein step (g) further comprises executing, by the second process, the resource.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein step (g) further comprises communicating, by the application program with the resource.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein step (g) further comprises making, by the resource, a modification to a display region associated with the application program.

19. A system for accessing resources provided by an operating system, comprising:

a resource;

an application program executing inside an environment, receiving a request for the resource;

an association between a first identifier associated with the resource and a second identifier associated with the resource, the association associated with the environment;

a hook process

acquiring a first identifier associated with the resource;

identifying the resource and an environment on which to execute the resource;

storing in the association a second identifier;

storing a registry key for the resource; and

a second process, redirecting to the resource, responsive to the second identifier, the request for the resource.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the resource further comprises a COM server.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the resource further comprises at least one registry entry in the environment on which the resource resides.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the resource resides on a second environment.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the application program further comprises executing inside an application isolation environment.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the application program further comprises executing inside an environment associated with an application isolation environment.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the application program executing inside the environment comprises making a request for a resource.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the association further comprises a mapping from a class identifier identifying at least one COM server and an environment in which the COM Client resides to a second class identifier.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the hook process further comprises consulting the association, responsive to the first identifier.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein the hook process further comprises determining, responsive to consulting the association, to consult a registry within an environment.

29. The system of claim 19, wherein the hook process further comprises determining, responsive to consulting the association, to consult a registry within an application isolation environment.

30. The system of claim 19, wherein the hook process further comprises determining, responsive to consulting the association, to consult a registry within a second environment.

31. The system of claim 19, wherein the hook process further comprises identifying the resource and an environment on which it resides, responsive to consulting the registry.

32. The system of claim 19, wherein the hook process and the second process are the same process.