MSI enhancement to update RDP files

• US 20080201457A1
• Filed: 02/16/2007
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: London, Kevin Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,127,286 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A Terminal Server Administrator is provided with the ability to indirectly update RDP files that have been placed inside an MSI file. The TS Web Access server retrieves the RDP file from the MSI file being published by the Active Directory, contacts the corresponding Terminal Server for any updated settings to the RDP file and icon allowing the remote program to be launched, and then passes the updated RDP file and icon to the client that is to connect to the Terminal Server. In this way RDP files can be dynamically updated without creating a new MSI file.

Claims

1. A method of using a web-based interface residing on a web server to update a structured storage file associated with a remote program requested by a client, the method comprising the steps of:

extracting a first file containing a link to the requested remote program from the structured storage file;

parsing the first file to obtain a name of a server to which the first file points;

connecting to the server;

determining if the remote program identified in the first file is on the server and is enabled to be shown in the web-based interface, wherein if the remote program is on the server and if the remote program is enabled to be shown in the web-based interface, obtaining an updated first file from the server;

extracting an icon from the server, said icon allowing the remote program to be launched; and

embedding the icon and the updated first file in an HTML page that is rendered by the web-based interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said web-based interface residing on the web server is TS Web Access.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first file is an RDP file.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said RDP file contains configuration information including how to connect to the server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said RDP file contains information including which remote program to launch once connected.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the structured storage file is an MSI file.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of retrieving the structured storage file from Active Directory.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein Active Directory is configured to selectively limit the ability of users to access the files therein.

9. A module for updating RDP files within an MSI file associated with a remote program requested by a client, said module comprising:

a parser for parsing an RDP file associated with an MSI file to obtain a name of a server to which the RDP file points;

an interface for connecting to said server;

a program-identifying component for determining if a remote program identified in the RDP file is on said server, and wherein if the remote program is on the server and if the remote program is enabled to be shown in the module, obtaining an updated version of the RDP file and an icon allowing the remote program to be launched from said server; and

an embedding component for embedding the icon and the updated RDP file in an HTML page and rendering said HTML page.

10. The module of claim 9, further comprising an interface for connecting to Active Directory and querying Active Directory to obtain information including links to MSI files that contain the RDP files associated with the requested remote program.

11. The module of claim 10, further comprising an extraction component for extracting the RDP file the MSI file.

12. The module of claim 10, wherein said module resides on a web server.

13. The module of claim 12, wherein said module comprises TS Web Access.

14. The module of claim 9, wherein said RDP file contains configuration information including how to connect to the server.

15. The module of claim 14, wherein said RDP file contains information including which remote program to launch once connected.

16. A method of using TS Web Access to enhance MSI files to update RDP files within MSI files, the method comprising the steps of:

parsing an RDP file to obtain a name of a server to which the RDP file points;

connecting to said server;

determining if a remote program identified in the RDP file is on said server, wherein if the remote program is on said server, and if the remote program is enabled to be shown in TS Web Access, obtaining an updated RDP file, and an icon allowing the remote program to be launched, from said server;

embedding the icon and the updated RDP file in an HTML page; and

rendering said HTML page.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of retrieving a GPO associated with the user, with links to MSI files that contain the RDP files, from Active Directory prior to said parsing step.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of extracting the RDP file from the MSI file.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of querying Active Directory to obtain a list of links to MSI files that contain RDP files.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising repeating the steps recited for each of the remote programs included on said list.