Virtual Application Server With Version Control

• US 20090198769A1
• Filed: 02/01/2008
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Shi, Alan C., Revels, Kenneth W., Keller, Bryan, Drew, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,560,694 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44536 Selecting among different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A management system for virtual applications may deploy sets of virtual applications to many client devices, dynamically allocate virtual application servers to individual clients, manage updates to the virtual applications, and provide other high level management to deployments of virtual applications. A client device may include a virtual application management client that may communicate with a management server. The management client may add or remove virtual applications to the client device based on a policy received from the management server, and may query the management server to determine a currently available virtual application distribution server when a virtual application is requested. The management server may distribute and manage versions of applications across one or more virtual application distribution servers.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first request for a first virtual application from a first client, said first request being made at a first time;

determining that a first version of said first virtual application is a current version at said first time;

establishing a first connection between said first client and said first version of said first virtual application;

receiving a second request for said first virtual application from a second client, said second request being made at a second time;

determining that a second version of said first virtual application is a current version at said second time; and

establishing a second connection between said second client and said second version of said first virtual application while said first connection is operational.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a third request for said first virtual application from said first client, said third request being made after said first connection has ended;

determining that said second version if said first virtual application is a current version; and

establishing a third connection between said first client and said second version of said first virtual application.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

making said first version of said first virtual application unavailable for new connections.

4. The method of claim 1, said first connection comprising a streaming distribution of said first virtual application.

5. The method of claim 1, said first connection comprising a downloaded distribution of said first virtual application.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

downloading at least a portion of said second version to said first client.

7. The method of claim 6, said determining that a first version of said first virtual application being performed by a version management server.8. The method of claim 6, said determining that a first version of said first virtual application being performed by said first client.

9. A version management server comprising:

an update connector configured to receive an update to a virtual application;

a configuration manager configured to determine a current configuration from at least one virtual application server and store said current configuration in a configuration database;

an administrative user interface; and

an update distribution engine configured to display at least some data from said configuration database on said administrative user interface, to receive an input from said administrative user interface, and to distribute said update to at least one virtual application server based on said input.

10. The version management server of claim 9, said at least one virtual application server being capable of streaming said virtual application to a client.

11. The version management server of claim 9, said at least one virtual application server being capable of downloading said virtual application to a client.

12. The version management server of claim 9, said update engine further configured to make an older version of said virtual application unavailable through said at least one virtual application servers.

13. The version management server of claim 9, said update connector configured to pull said update from an update server.

14. The version management server of claim 9, said update connector configured to receive said update via a push mechanism from an update server.

15. A virtual application server comprising:

a request processor configured to receive a request for a virtual application;

a version library comprising at least two versions of said virtual application;

a version manager configured to determine a latest version of said at least two versions of said virtual application based on said request; and

a virtual application processor configured to serve said latest version of said virtual application to a client device.

16. The virtual application server of claim 15, said request being received from said client device.

17. The virtual application server of claim 15, said request being received from a server device.

18. The virtual application server of claim 15, said virtual application being delivered in a streaming fashion.

19. The virtual application server of claim 15, said virtual application being at least partially downloaded and stored on said client.

20. The virtual application server of claim 19, said version manager further configured to determine that an older version of said virtual application is at least partially stored on said client device.