Application Distribution Network

• US 20120303778A1
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Numecent Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Approxy Inc., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ahiska, Yavuz, Heath, Ryan, Austwick, Tony, Kent, Osman
• Granted Patent: US 9,072,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/358 Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/60 Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/538 for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6036 for offering a minigame in combination with a main game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44521 Dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44568 Immediately runnable code
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1045 Proxies, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• 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 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data

Abstract

Methods and systems for remotely provisioning applications from the cloud in secure environments with robust license control failover options using a hierarchical server topology. Cloud-based servers provide applications and licenses to an organization'"'"'s local servers, which in turn serve applications and licenses to end user devices. By synchronizing information including license and application provision information among the local and cloud-based servers, an organization'"'"'s local servers can continue to serve applications and licenses when one or more of the organization'"'"'s local servers fail.

Claims

1. A system for managing application distribution, comprising:

one or more global appfeeders, ones of said global appfeeders controlling at least some of application downloading and permission allocation to ones of at least one group pagefeeders; and

said group pagefeeders controlling at least some of application pagefeeding and permission allocation to ones of a plurality of clients.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said group pagefeeders are distinct from said global appfeeders.

3. The system of claim 1, ones of said global appfeeders being separated by one or more security measures from ones of said group pagefeeders, said group pagefeeders not being separated by said security measures from ones of said clients.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein connections between group pagefeeders and clients have more bandwidth than connections between global pagefeeders and group pagefeeders.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein different ones of said global appfeeders can download multiple different applications and can allocate multiple different permissions to respective group pagefeeders

6. The system of claim 1, wherein different ones of said group pagefeeders can pagefeed different applications and can allocate different permissions to respective clients.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein only designated group pagefeeders can pagefeed applications or allocate permissions to a given client.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said global pagefeeders only control application pagefeeding or permission allocation to a given client when no group pagefeeders corresponding to said given client are available to pagefeed applications or allocate permissions to said given client.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein some of said group pagefeeders communicate with each other, and wherein some clients are pagefed applications or allocated permissions under control of multiple group pagefeeders that do not communicate with each other.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said group pagefeeders receives applications and permissions from a plurality of said global appfeeders.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein some applications do not require permission allocation.

12. A method for managing application distribution, comprising:

a) controlling, using one or more global appfeeders, at least some of application downloading and permission allocation to ones of one or more group pagefeeders; and

b) controlling, using said group pagefeeders, at least some of application pagefeeding and permission allocation to ones of a plurality of clients.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said group pagefeeders are distinct from said global appfeeders.

14. The method of claim 12, ones of said global appfeeders being separated by one or more security measures from ones of said group pagefeeders, said group pagefeeders not being separated by said security measures from ones of said clients.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein connections between group pagefeeders and clients have more bandwidth than connections between global pagefeeders and group pagefeeders.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein different ones of said global appfeeders can control download of multiple different applications and/or allocation of multiple different permissions to respective group pagefeeders.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein different ones of said group pagefeeders can control pagefeeding of some different applications and can control allocation of some different permissions to respective clients.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein only designated group pagefeeders control pagefeeding of applications or allocation of permissions to a given client.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein said global pagefeeders only control application pagefeeding or permission allocation to a given client when no group pagefeeders corresponding to said given client are available to pagefeed applications or allocate permissions to said given client.

20-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A system for managing license service failover in an application distribution network, comprising:

one or more global appfeeders, ones of said global appfeeders controlling at least some of application downloading and permission allocation to ones of at least one group pagefeeders;

ones of said group pagefeeders controlling at least some of application pagefeeding and permission allocation to ones of a plurality of clients; and

at least one sync agent communicating permission allocation information among group pagefeeders;

wherein, when communications between a particular client and a particular group pagefeeder currently controlling at least some application pagefeeding or allocating permissions to said particular client fail, at least one of any available communicating group pagefeeders assumes control of at least some corresponding application pagefeeding and permission allocation for said particular client.

25-69. -69. (canceled)