System and Method for Transferring Data Among Computing Environments

• US 20090030971A1
• Filed: 11/16/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Momtchilov, Georgy, Pope, David, Trivedi, Pooja
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,707 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/20 Details of the management of multiple sources of image data
• 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 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

Systems and methods for transferring data among computing environments include a method for transferring data items among a portion of a remote computing environment and a portion of a local computing environment using a presentation layer protocol. Data items are transferred during transfer cycles and upon the release of data objects into a destination computing environment. Transfer cycles may transfer data among local and remote computing environments, among more than one remote computing environment, and may further transfer in parallel with other transfer cycles. A first transfer cycle transferring a first data item continues to transfer the first data item when a second transfer cycle initializes and transfers a second data item during a portion of the first transfer cycle. Data operations may be performed on data items during the transfer of a data item, and data items may be compressed or segmented prior to transfer.

Claims

1. A method for transferring data among a portion of a local computing environment and a portion of a remote computing environment, the local computing environment communicating with the remote computing environment using a presentation layer protocol, the method comprising:

retrieving a data item, represented by a selected object, the data item located in one of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment;

initiating a first transfer cycle among the computing environments upon detection of the release of the selected object in the other of either of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment;

transferring during the first transfer cycle, via a presentation layer protocol, the selected data item from the one of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment to the other of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment;

retrieving a second data item, represented by a second selected object, the second data item located in one of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment;

initiating a second transfer cycle during execution of the first transfer cycle and among the computing environments, upon detection of the release of the second selected object in the other of either of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment; and

transferring during the second transfer cycle and during at least a portion of the first transfer cycle, via the presentation layer protocol, the second selected data item from the one of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment, to the other of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing the selected data item prior to transferring.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving a selected data item comprises retrieving data representative of a collection of data items.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising converting the selected data into a list of individual data item entries, and reading each data item entry representative of an individual data item within the collection of data items.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

choosing a data operation to perform during transferring; and

applying the data operation to the selected data item upon detection of the release of the selected object.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein choosing further comprises choosing a data operation selected from the group consisting of a copy operation, a move operation, a link operation and a cancellation operation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from either of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment, feedback data indicative of data drop information, the data drop information selected from the group consisting of data drop permissions, data drop status, and data drop attributes.

8. A method for transferring data among a portion of a first remote computing environment and a portion of a second remote computing environment, the first remote computing environment communicating with the second remote computing environment using a presentation layer protocol, the method comprising:

retrieving a data item, represented by a selected object, the data item located in one of the first remote computing environment and the second remote computing environment;

initiating a first transfer cycle among the computing environments upon detection of the release of the selected object in the other of either of the first remote computing environment and the second remote computing environment;

transferring during the first transfer cycle, via a presentation layer protocol, the selected data item from the one of the first remote computing environment and the second remote computing environment, to the other of the first remote computing environment and the second remote computing environment;

retrieving a second data item, represented by a second selected object, the second data item located in one of the first remote computing environment and the second remote computing environment;

initiating a second transfer cycle during execution of the first transfer cycle and among the computing environments, upon detection of the release of the second selected object in the other of either of the first remote computing environment and the second remote computing environment; and

transferring during the second transfer cycle and during at least a portion of the first transfer cycle, via the presentation layer protocol, the second selected data item from the one of the first remote computing environment and the second remote computing environment, to the other of the first remote computing environment and the second remote computing environment.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transferring during the first transfer cycle, via the presentation layer protocol, the selected data item from the one of the first remote computing environment and the second remote computing environment to a local computing environment, and from the local computing environment to the other of the first remote computing environment and the second remote computing environment; and

transferring during the second transfer cycle and during at least a portion of the first transfer cycle, via the presentation layer protocol, the second selected data item from the one of the first remote computing environment and the second remote computing environment to the local computing environment, and from the local computing environment to the other of the first remote computing environment and the second remote computing environment.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

choosing a data operation to perform during transferring; and

applying the data operation to the selected data item upon detection of the release of the selected object.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein choosing further comprises choosing a data operation selected from the group consisting of a copy operation, a move operation, a link operation and a cancellation operation.

12. A system for transferring data among a portion of a local computing environment and a portion of a remote computing environment, the local computing environment communicating with the remote computing environment using a presentation layer protocol, the system comprising:

means for retrieving a data item, represented by a selected object, the data item located in one of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment;

means for initiating a first transfer cycle among the computing environments upon detection of the release of the selected object in the other of either of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment;

means for transferring during the first transfer cycle, via a presentation layer protocol, the selected data item from the one of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment to the other of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment;

means for retrieving a second data item, represented by a second selected object, the second data item located in one of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment;

means for initiating a second transfer cycle during execution of the first transfer cycle and among the computing environments, upon detection of the release of the second selected object in the other of either of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment; and

means for transferring during the second transfer cycle and during at least a portion of the first transfer cycle, via the presentation layer protocol, the second selected data item from the one of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment, to the other of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a means for compressing the selected data item prior to transferring.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein a means for retrieving a selected data item further comprises a means for retrieving data representative of a collection of data items.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a means for converting the selected data into a list of individual data item entries, and reading each data item entry representative of an individual data item within the collection of data items.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

means for choosing a data operation to perform during transferring; and

means for applying the data operation to the selected data item upon detection of the release of the selected object.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein choosing further comprises a means for choosing a data operation selected from the group consisting of a copy operation, a move operation, a link operation and a cancellation operation.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising a means for receiving from either of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment, feedback data indicative of data drop information, the data drop information selected from the group consisting of data drop permissions, data drop status, and data drop attributes.

19. A computer readable medium having instructions thereon, that when executed provide a method for transferring data among a portion of a local computing environment and a portion of a remote computing environment, the local computing environment communicating with the remote computing environment using a presentation layer protocol, the computer readable medium comprising:

instructions to retrieve a data item, represented by a selected object, the data item located in one of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment;

instructions to initiate a first transfer cycle among the computing environments upon detection of the release of the selected object in the other of either of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment;

instructions to transfer during the first transfer cycle, via a presentation layer protocol, the selected data item from the one of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment to the other of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment;

instructions to retrieve a second data item, represented by a second selected object, the second data item located in one of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment;

instructions to initiate a second transfer cycle during execution of the first transfer cycle and among the computing environments, upon detection of the release of the second selected object in the other of either of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment; and

instructions to transfer during the second transfer cycle and during at least a portion of the first transfer cycle, via the presentation layer protocol, the second selected data item from the one of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment, to the other of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions to compress the selected data item prior to transferring.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein instructions to retrieve a selected data item comprises instructions to retrieve data representative of a collection of data items.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions to convert the selected data into a list of individual data item entries, and read each data item entry representative of an individual data item within the collection of data items.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising:

instructions to choose a data operation to perform during transferring; and

instructions to apply the data operation to the selected data item upon detection of the release of the selected object.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein instructions to choose further comprises instructions to choose a data operation selected from the group consisting of a copy operation, a move operation, a link operation and a cancellation operation.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions to receive, from either of the local computing environment and the remote computing environment, feedback data indicative of data drop information, the data drop information selected from the group consisting of data drop permissions, data drop status, and data drop attributes.