METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR ACCESSING REMOTE USER FILES ASSOCIATED WITH LOCAL RESOURCES

• US 20080098006A1
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Harwood, William, Pedersen, Brad, Braddy, Rick, Fleck, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,452,812 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

A system for accessing, by a resource, a setting in a virtualized user profile includes an isolation environment, a resource, and a filter driver. The resource executes outside an isolation environment on a local machine and requests access to a setting in a user profile. The filter driver intercepts the request for access and identifies one of the isolation environment and a remote machine, responsive to an application of a rule to the request. The filter driver redirects the request to the one of the isolation environment and the remote machine. A method includes intercepting an instruction from a resource to modify a setting on a local machine, the resource provided by a local machine and executing outside of an isolation environment. The method includes identifying the isolation environment, responsive to an application of a rule to the instruction. The method includes redirecting the instruction to the isolation environment.

Claims

1. A system for accessing, by a local resource, a setting in a virtualized user profile comprising:

an isolation environment on a local machine;

a resource provided by the local machine, executing outside the isolation environment, and requesting access to a setting in a user profile; and

a filter driver;

intercepting the request for access to the setting in the user profile;

identifying one of the isolation environment and a remote machine, responsive to an application of a rule to the request; and

redirecting the request for access to the setting in the user profile to the one of the isolation environment and the remote machine.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the isolation environment further comprises a copy of the requested setting in the user profile.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the isolation environment further comprises a cache memory element.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising an environment outside the isolation environment receiving the redirected request upon an application of a rule to the request.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the setting in the user profile includes a configuration file.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the setting in the user profile includes a registry key.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the setting in the user profile includes a data file.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the filter driver intercepts a request from a second resource for access to the setting in the user profile, the resource provided by a second local machine.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising a copy of a modified version of the setting in the user profile stored on the remote machine and transmitted to the second local machine, responsive to the intercepted request.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the filter driver redirects the request to the identified isolation environment, identifies a modification to the requested setting, and transmits, to the remote machine, an identification of the modification.

11. The system of claim 1 comprising a resource executing in the isolation environment on the local machine and requesting access to the setting in the user profile.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the filter driver redirects the request to the identified isolation environment, identifies a modification to the requested setting, and transmits, to the remote machine, an identification of the modification.

13. A method for modifying, by a local resource, a setting in a virtualized user profile, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) intercepting an instruction from a resource to modify a setting on a local machine, the resource provided by a local machine and executing outside of an isolation environment;

(b) identifying the isolation environment, responsive to an application of a rule to the instruction; and

(c) redirecting, to the isolation environment, the instruction to modify the setting on the local machine.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein step (a) further comprises intercepting, by a filter driver, an instruction from a resource to modify a setting on a local machine, the resource provided by a local machine and executing outside of an isolation environment.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein step (a) further comprises intercepting an instruction from the resource to modify a setting in a user profile on the local machine, the resource provided by a local machine and executing outside of an isolation environment.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein step (a) further comprises intercepting an instruction from the resource to install, on the local machine, at least one file associated with an application.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein step (a) further comprises intercepting an instruction, from an installer application, to store a file on the local machine, the installer application executed by the user.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of storing an application file in the identified isolation environment.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of modifying the setting in the user profile on the local machine.

20. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of synchronizing data associated with the isolation environment with a copy of the data on a remote machine.

21. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

(d) synchronizing a copy of data stored on the remote machine and associated with the isolation environment on the local machine with a copy of the data stored on a second remote machine and associated with a second isolation environment;

(e) intercepting a request, by a second resource executing on the second remote machine, for access to a setting on the second remote machine; and

(f) responding to the request with the synchronized data associated with the second isolation environment on the second remote machine.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of executing the second resource, responsive to the synchronized data from the second remote machine.

23. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

(d) intercepting a request, by a second resource executing on a remote machine, for access to a setting on the remote machine;

(e) retrieving the requested setting from a copy of the data associated with the isolation environment on the local machine and stored on a second remote machine, responsive to a determination that a second isolation environment on the remote machine does not contain the file; and

(f) executing the second resource, responsive to the retrieved setting.