Multi-session Zero Client Device and Network for Transporting Separated Flows to Device Sessions via Virtual Nodes

• US 20160216993A1
• Filed: 01/27/2016
• Published: 07/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Objective Interface Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Objective Interface Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Beckwith, R William, Watson, J Nicolas
• Granted Patent: US 9,916,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70

Abstract

A network of nodes transports a plurality of flows from central nodes to a plurality of display sessions executing processes that operate under the control of one or more central operating systems. A plurality of isolated virtual nodes comprises 1) a plurality of virtual graphics nodes that concurrently process graphics flows used in the plurality of display sessions at the plurality of remote zero client nodes and 2) a plurality of virtual switches that switch the concurrently processed graphic flows from the virtual graphics nodes to the plurality of remote zero client nodes. Two or more graphic flows are used simultaneously in two or more display sessions at a single remote zero client node that executes a separating operating system for separating the two or more display sessions from each other based on a a separation policy for the two or more graphics flows.

Claims

1. A network of nodes configured to transport a plurality of flows from one or more central nodes to a plurality of display sessions executed in a plurality of remote zero client nodes, comprising:

a plurality of central processing units in the one or more central nodes configured to execute a plurality of processes that operate under the control of one or more central operating systems; and

a plurality of virtual nodes in the one or more central nodes that are isolated from each other by hardware simulation, said plurality of virtual nodes comprising

     1) a plurality of virtual graphics nodes configured to concurrently process graphics flows used in the plurality of display sessions at the plurality of remote zero client nodes and

     2) a plurality of virtual switches that switch the concurrently processed graphic flows from the plurality of virtual graphics nodes to the plurality of remote zero client nodes, wherein a virtual node is isolated by isolating a virtual graphic node and virtual switch in a corresponding virtual node from another virtual graphic node and virtual switch in another corresponding virtual node; and

a plurality of sender and receiver nodes configured to transport two or more graphic flows over the network that are used simultaneously in two or more display sessions at a single remote zero client node, which executes a separating operating system for separating the two or more display sessions from each other based on a separation configuration that implements a separation policy for the two or more graphics flows.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein a virtual node hosts a desktop operating system allowing the single remote zero client device to access an application.

3. The network of claim 1, wherein the plurality of virtual nodes further comprise a plurality of virtual audio nodes configured to concurrently process audio flows used in the plurality of display sessions at the plurality of remote zero client nodes.

4. The network of claim 1, wherein the plurality of virtual nodes further comprising a plurality virtual network interface cards coupled to the plurality of virtual switches.

5. The network of claim 1, wherein the two or more graphic flows are displayed according to a remote desktop protocol comprising at least one of RemoteFX, PCoIP or HDX.

6. The network of claim 1, further comprising a virtual infrastructure client configured to interface with the single remote zero client node.

7. The network of claim 1, wherein each virtual graphics node executes a virtual graphics application to generate a graphic flow, said virtual graphics application comprising at least one of Silverlight, Flash, Windows Aero.

8. The network of claim 1, wherein each virtual graphics node executes a virtual graphics application to generate a graphic flow, said virtual graphics application comprising an interactive application.

9. The network of claim 1, wherein the one or more central operating systems comprise a plurality of separating operating systems, each controlling one of the plurality of virtual nodes.

10. The network of claim 1, wherein network comprises an overlay network of overlay processes executing on overlay nodes connected to each other by links in a computer network that is built on top of an underlying network of nodes.

11. A system that transports a plurality of flows, comprising

one or more central nodes having a plurality of central processing units configured to execute a plurality of processes that operate under the control of one or more central operating systems;

and

a plurality of virtual nodes in the one or more central nodes, wherein each virtual node is configured to execute processes that isolate said plurality of virtual nodes from each other based on hardware simulation of

     1) a plurality of virtual graphics nodes that concurrently process graphics flows used in a plurality of the display sessions at the plurality of remote zero client nodes and

     2) a plurality of virtual switches that switch packets associated with the concurrently processed graphic flows; and

a plurality of sender and receiver nodes configured to transport two or more graphic flows that are used simultaneously in two or more display sessions at a single remote zero client node; and

a plurality of zero client nodes that are remote to the one or more central nodes, wherein each zero client node executes a separating operating system for separating the two or more display sessions from each other based on a separation configuration that implements a separation policy for the two or more graphics flows.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of virtual nodes further comprise a plurality of virtual audio nodes configured to concurrently process audio flows used in the plurality of display sessions at the plurality of remote zero client nodes.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the two or more graphic flows comprise video flows delivered to each one of the two or more display sessions at the single remote zero client node along with an audio flow delivered to each one of the two or more display sessions.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the two or more graphic flows comprise graphical user interfaces delivered to each one of the two or more display sessions at the single remote zero client node.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the two or more graphic flows comprise video flows delivered to each one of the two or more display sessions at the single remote zero client node.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more central nodes and the single remote zero client node comprise overlay nodes.

17. A method for transporting a plurality of flows comprising the steps of:

executing a plurality of processes that operate under the control of one or more central operating systems in one or more central nodes; and

executing a plurality of virtual nodes in the one or more central nodes, wherein each virtual node is configured to execute processes that isolate said plurality of virtual nodes from each other based on hardware simulation of

     1) a plurality of virtual graphics nodes that concurrently process graphics flows used in a plurality of the display sessions at the plurality of remote zero client nodes and

     2) a plurality of virtual switches that switch packets associated with the concurrently processed graphic flows; and

transporting two or more graphic flows that are used simultaneously in two or more display sessions at a plurality of zero client nodes that are remote to the one or more central nodes, wherein each zero client node executes a separating operating system for separating the two or more display sessions from each other based on a separation configuration that implements a separation policy for the two or more graphics flows.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of executing a plurality of virtual audio nodes configured to concurrently process audio flows used in the plurality of display sessions at the plurality of remote zero client nodes.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the two or more graphic flows comprise video flows delivered to each one of the two or more display sessions at the single remote zero client node along with an audio flow delivered to each one of the two or more display sessions.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the two or more graphic flows comprise graphical user interfaces delivered to each one of the two or more display sessions at the single remote zero client node.