XML-based web feed for web access of remote resources

• US 20090222531A1
• Filed: 02/28/2008
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: London, Kevin Scott, Howe, Travis, Reskusich, Ray, Ben-Shachar, Ido, Erdogan, Ersev Samim
• Granted Patent: US 8,161,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

Techniques for XML (Extensible Markup Language) web feeds for web access of remote resources are described. In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining information regarding one or more available resources from one or more resource hosts, rendering the information regarding one or more available resources into an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document, and providing the XML document to a user device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining information regarding one or more available resources from one or more resource hosts;

rendering the information regarding one or more available resources into an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document that describes the one or more available resources in a non-client specific format; and

providing the XML document to a user device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the XML document to a user computer includes providing the XML document in response to a request for available resources from the user device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the XML document to a user device includes providing the XML document as a syndication feed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the XML document to a user device includes providing the XML document having timestamp information for each of the one or more available resources, the timestamp information enabling the user computer to determine whether each of the one or more available resources have been modified from a previously-available resource version.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein rendering the information regarding one or more available resources into an XML document includes rendering the information regarding one or more available resources into an XML document having timestamp information for each of the one or more available resources, the timestamp information enabling the user device to determine whether each of the one or more available resources have been modified from a previously-available resource version.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein rendering the information regarding one or more available resources into an XML document includes rendering the information regarding one or more available resources into an XML document using an XML presentation layer operating on a web server, the web server operatively communicating with the one or more resource hosts and with the user device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the XML presentation layer includes an XML feed component, and wherein rendering the information regarding one or more available resources into an XML document includes rendering the information regarding one or more available resources into an XML document using the XML feed component.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the XML presentation layer includes an information component, the method further comprising receiving a request for available resources from the user device into the information component, and providing a call for an XML feed from the information component to the XML feed component.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein rendering the information regarding one or more available resources into an XML document includes rendering the information regarding one or more available resources into an XML document using an XML presentation layer operating on a back end server, the back end server operatively communicating with the user device and with a central server via a network, the central server operatively communicating with the one or more resource hosts.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the XML presentation layer includes an XML feed component and an information component, and wherein rendering the information regarding one or more available resources into an XML document includes rendering the information regarding one or more available resources into an XML document using the XML feed component, the method further comprising receiving a request for available resources from the user device into the information component, and providing a call for an XML feed from the information component to the XML feed component.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a current list of available resources is cached and available to provide to the client device, and wherein obtaining information regarding one or more available resources from one or more resource hosts includes obtaining information regarding one or more available resources if the current list of available resources is not cached and available to provide to the client device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein rendering the information regarding one or more available resources into an XML document includes rendering one or more of remote application files, icons, or RDP files.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document containing information regarding one or more available resources from one or more remote resource hosts, the XML document being configured to describe the one or more available resources in a non-client specific format;

parsing the XML document to determine the one or more available resources; and

displaying information regarding the one or more available resources.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving an XML document containing information regarding one or more available resources from one or more remote resource hosts includes receiving an XML document as a syndication feed.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving an XML document containing information regarding one or more available resources from one or more remote resource hosts includes receiving an XML document having timestamp information for each of the one or more available resources, the method further comprising determining whether each of the one or more available resources have been modified from a previously-available resource version using the timestamp information.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein parsing the XML document to determine the one or more available resources includes parsing the XML document to provide one or more of remote application files, icons, or RDP files.

17. A computing system, comprising:

a processing unit;

a communication component operatively coupled to the processing unit and configured to operatively communicate with a user device and with one or more resource hosts;

a memory operatively coupled to the processing unit and having an Extensible Markup Language (XML) presentation layer stored thereon, the XML presentation layer being configured to perform operations that, when executed on the processing unit, perform a method including;

obtaining information regarding one or more available resources from the one or more resource hosts;

rendering the information regarding one or more available resources into an XML document that describes the one or more available resources in a non-client specific format; and

providing the XML document to the user device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein providing the XML document to a user device includes providing the XML document as a syndication feed.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein rendering the information regarding one or more available resources into an XML document includes rendering the information regarding one or more available resources into an XML document having timestamp information for each of the one or more available resources, the timestamp information enabling the user device to determine whether each of the one or more available resources have been modified from a previously-available resource version.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the method further includes determining whether a current list of available resources is cached and available to provide to the client device, and wherein obtaining information regarding one or more available resources from one or more resource hosts includes obtaining information regarding one or more available resources if the current list of available resources is not cached and available to provide to the client device.