Method and apparatus for capturing the presentation of an interactive user session, monitoring, replaying and joining sessions
First Claim
1. A session mirroring software facility for monitoring for subsequent playing back, sessions being run in a host system, said host system including a number of terminal devices and files, said host system further including memory for storing an operating system layer having service facilities for allocating and managing host system resources including terminal driver interfaces used for establishing communications with processes being run in said host system, said mirroring software facility being operatively coupled to said operating system layer for communicating with said service facilities and comprising:
- an addressable command line array in said memory having a plurality of locations for storing said number of arguments of each received command line specifying said session mirroring facility, said each command line specifying said facility having one of said number of arguments allocated for designating a command specifying a process which is to be monitored during a session of said host system;
an addressable input list array in said memory having a plurality of locations for maintaining a list of input source entries;
an addressable output list array in said memory having a plurality of locations for maintaining a list of output location entries; and
,a control procedures element coupled to said command line array, said input list array and said output list array, said element accessing said command line array and in response to different ones of said arguments, storing entries in said input list array and output list array designating which input sources are providing data for routing by said control procedures element during the session in which said process is being monitored and which ones of any number of output locations up to a predefined maximum number is to receive said data during said session.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A session mirroring facility is utilized in conjunction with the operating system of a host system. The facility captures user input and system output in a way which is transparent to the user whose session is being captured. It can operate in selectable operating modes which allows the monitoring of a session by any number of parties as it is taking place and being recorded and the playing back of the session at some later time by one or more parties.
111 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A session mirroring software facility for monitoring for subsequent playing back, sessions being run in a host system, said host system including a number of terminal devices and files, said host system further including memory for storing an operating system layer having service facilities for allocating and managing host system resources including terminal driver interfaces used for establishing communications with processes being run in said host system, said mirroring software facility being operatively coupled to said operating system layer for communicating with said service facilities and comprising:
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an addressable command line array in said memory having a plurality of locations for storing said number of arguments of each received command line specifying said session mirroring facility, said each command line specifying said facility having one of said number of arguments allocated for designating a command specifying a process which is to be monitored during a session of said host system; an addressable input list array in said memory having a plurality of locations for maintaining a list of input source entries; an addressable output list array in said memory having a plurality of locations for maintaining a list of output location entries; and
,a control procedures element coupled to said command line array, said input list array and said output list array, said element accessing said command line array and in response to different ones of said arguments, storing entries in said input list array and output list array designating which input sources are providing data for routing by said control procedures element during the session in which said process is being monitored and which ones of any number of output locations up to a predefined maximum number is to receive said data during said session. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A session mirroring software facility for monitoring and playing back sessions being run in a host system, said host system including a number of terminal devices and file resources, said host system further including memory containing an operating system layer having service facilities for allocating and managing host system resources including terminal driver interfaces used for establishing communications with processes being run in said host system and said terminal devices, each command line having a number of arguments, said session mirroring software facility comprising:
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a first module operatively coupled to said operating system layer for communicating with different ones of said service facilities, said first module including an addressable command line array in said memory, an addressable input list array in said memory having a plurality of locations for maintaining a list of input source entries, an addressable output list array in said memory having a plurality of locations for maintaining a list of output location entries and a control procedures element coupled to said command line array, said input list array and said output list array, each user generated command line specifying an operation to be performed by said session mirroring facility, said each command line having at least one argument for designating a command specifying a process which is to be monitored during a session, said first module accessing said command line array and in response to different ones of said arguments, storing entries in said input list array and output list array designating which input sources which are providing data for routing by said first module during said session and which output locations are to receive concurrently said data during said sessions; and
,a second module operatively coupled to said first module through said operating system layer, said second module being operatively coupled to one of said terminal devices through said terminal driver interfaces for monitoring and playing back said sessions, said second module including a command line array for storing arguments of each received command line, a control block structure element having a plurality of locations for storing control information and a control element coupled to said command line array and to said control block structure element, said control element in response to said each user generated command line, setting said control information in said control block structure element according to said arguments for defining how a session recorded by said first module is to be monitored or played back by said second module. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of monitoring sessions being run in a host system, said host system including a number of terminal devices for entering user command lines for initiating sessions and files, the host system further including a memory for storing an operating system layer having service facilities for allocating and managing host system resources used for establishing communications with each process being run in the host system, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) operatively connecting an addressable command line array in said memory to store the arguments of each user generated command line received from each process containing an argument designating a specific command whose operation is to be monitored during a host system session; (b) adding entries to an input list array designating the input sources which are to provide data during the session as specified by the command line; (c) adding entries to an output list array designating those output locations of an number of possible output locations which are to receive data from any one of the input sources during session monitoring as specified by the command line; and
,(d) routing data received from each specified input source to all of the specified output sources in a way which is transparent to the user originating the command line and the operation being monitored during the host session.
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Specification