System and method to support subscription based Infrastructure and software as a service

• US 20120311564A1
• Filed: 11/22/2010
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xencare Software Inc
• Original Assignee: XenCare Software
• Inventors: Khalid, ATM Shafiqul
• Granted Patent: US 8,782,637 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/4557 Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45595 Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45508 Runtime interpretation or emulation, e g. emulator loops, bytecode interpretation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A mini-cloud system has been described to enable subscription or service model for computing infrastructure, software and Digital content. The mini-cloud system work as a pipe line for information delivery connecting end user, infrastructure provider, content provider, and retailer offering automatic provisioning of infrastructure, content lifecycle management, automatic upgrade, servicing, license managements based on subscription model. Mini-cloud system uses a subscription management component, virtualization host to back computing environment, then add routing component to connect to backend cloud infrastructure along with a digital content delivery framework. The system allow a user to subscribe a computing environment, preferred software applications, and digital content like move and pay a monthly utility bill.

Claims

1. A mini-cloud system to transform computing infrastructure or software as a service comprising:

a) mini-cloud device with an hypervisor that can host one or more guest virtual machine,

b) at least one computer terminal connected to said mini-cloud system,

c) a subscription management component that allows user to provision at least one guest Virtual machine and add that to user'"'"'s subscription plan,

d) A brokering step to connect said computer terminal to said guest Virtual Machine.

2. Computer terminal as recited in claim 1 comprise a power reset button that reset virtual machine it connect to.

3. Mini-cloud system as recited in claim 1 contains DSL modem component that can connect the device to internet or external network.

4. Mini-cloud device as recited in claim 1 contains router component that allow the device to connect to external network and serve local network functioning as a networking hub.

5. Router component as recited in claim 4 contains wireless network access point that'"'"'s allows computer terminals to connect to mini cloud wirelessly.

6. Computer terminal as recited in claim 1 contains ports available in a regular computer comprising a) keyboard port b) mouse port c) video port d) audio port e) microphone port d) network connection port f) USB port.

7. Mini-cloud system as recited in claim 1 connect other mini-cloud system at remote locations or connects back end clouds for any updates related to subscription plan and any update on mini-cloud cache content or image library content.

8. Mini-cloud devices as recited in claim 1 can be split into multiple infrastructure pieces each hosting a separate virtual computing environment.

9. Brokering step as recited in claim 1 connect to guest virtual machine based on policy that establishes relationship among computer terminals, users, and virtual machine.

10. A system as recited in claim 1 further comprises:

a. a digital content checkout system that allow user to choose what application or content user want to use for a pre-set time,

b. A deployment component that deploy a selected said application or content at one of the computing environment running on mini-cloud,

c. A life cycle manager that update the deployed said application or content and remove whole foot print when subscription expires.

11. A system as recited in claim 1 further comprises:

a. an infrastructure check out system that allows user to select what computing environment they want to subscribe for a preset time,

b. a deployment component that create said computing environment on mini-cloud hosts if mini-cloud has enough resources,

c. Steps where said deployment component create said computing environment in the cloud and create another proxy computing environment on mini-cloud in such a way so that said proxy computing environment can connect to computing environment in the cloud.

12. Mini-cloud as recited in claim 1 host virtual machine that contains two stack one to serve thin terminal and another one to serve conventional remote client from a group consisting of RDP VNC ICA and PCoIP.

13. A system to deliver computing power to thin devices comprising:

a) mini-cloud system with type-2 hypervisor that can host one or more emulator for different devices,

b) at least one thin terminal connected to said mini cloud emulator,

c) a control step to start emulated computing environment created by said emulator using said thin terminal,

d) a delivery step to deliver said emulated computing environment to said thin terminal,

thereby, allowing building power efficient devices like thin laptop, tablet or mobile devices that can be as powerful as full desktop without integrating all computing hardware.

14. Emulator as recited in claim 13 create and run an computing environment that mimic another computing environment in such a way when the environment is delivered on a connected thin devices users simply feels the environment is running locally.

15. Emulator as recited in claim 13 create an environment that consider the actual physical properties to create an illusion that the environment is running locally on the thin terminal.

16. Thin terminal as recited in claim 13 is a device that has similar form factor of devices from a group consisting of a) laptop b) tablet c) mobile phone d) game console and e) Digital video recorder;

however said thin terminal contains fewer components and rather connect to emulating computing environment.

17. A system to encode and decode computing sessions comprising:

a) mini-cloud card device with an array of hardware encoder chips to encode at least one graphics sessions,

b) said mini-cloud card is hosted in an encoder server processing graphics session,

c) at least one thin terminal receiving said graphics session,

d) an scheduler component that allocate one said encoder chip for said graphics session,

e) a step to collect graphics session data, encoded them using a scheduled encoder, and then delivers that to said thin terminal.

18. Encoder server as recited in claim 17 receives graphics session from a virtual machine running on the same server.

19. Encoder server as recited in claim 17 receives graphics session from a virtual machine running on another system.

20. Encoder chip as recited in claim 17 contains at least one component from a group consisting of DSP, ASIC, and FPGA module.