Server operating system for supporting multiple client-server sessions and dynamic reconnection of users to previous sessions using different computers

• US 6,085,247 A
• Filed: 06/08/1998
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Momoh, Oshoma, Graziadio, Bradley J., Parsons, John E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Asta, Frank J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prieto, Beatriz
• Application Number:
  US09/093,969
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/225, 709/227, 709/228, 709/237, 709/202, 709/303, 709/223, 709/221, 709/226, 709/224, 705/400, 705/34, 375/219, 395/500.44, 379/88.23, 340/825, 348/7, 455/420, 370/230
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/327 in the session layer [OSI layer 5]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A server operating system supports multiple client-server sessions and enables a user to begin a session and later dynamically reconnect to that session even if the user uses two different client computers. The operating system has a multi-user session manager to enable multiple client-server sessions on the server and a multi-user stack protocol manager to manage one or more protocol stacks used in communicating with the clients. When a user connects to the server via a first client, the stack protocol manager assigns a first protocol stack to this first client-server connection and the session manager creates a first session for the user. When the user subsequently reconnects to the server using a second client that is different from the first client, the stack manager assigns a second protocol stack to a second client-server connection and the session begins creating a second session for the user. During this latter process, however, the session manager recognizes that the user is affiliated with the first session. The session manager adapts the first session to conform to the system configuration of the second client. The session manager then reassociates the second protocol stack with the reconfigured first session so that the user is returned to his/her original session, even though they logged on from a different client.

Claims

1. In a client-server computer system, a computer-implemented method implemented at a server comprising the following steps:

maintaining a first session at the server for a user who connects to the server via a first client, the first session conforming to a system configuration of the first client;

subsequently establishing a client-server connection for the user who connects to the server via a second client, the second client having a system configuration that is different than the first client;

recognizing the user as being associated with the first session;

adapting the first session to conform to the system configuration of the second client; and

reassociating the client-server connection with the first session.

2. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second clients have different display types, and the adapting step comprises the step of reconfiguring the first session to conform to the display type on the second client.

3. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the system configuration of the first and second clients include parameters selected from a group of parameters comprising display type, keyboard type, network protocol type, peripheral types, human language, and memory drives; and

the adapting step comprises the step of changing the first session to conform to at least one of the parameters on the second client.

4. An operating system embodied on a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1.

5. A server computer programmed to perform the computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1.

6. In a client-server computer system, a computer-implemented method implemented at a server comprising the following steps:

creating a connection with a first client, which is being operated by a user;

assigning a first protocol stack to the first client;

logging on the user;

establishing a first session for the first client;

configuring the first session to conform to configuration parameters of the first client;

associating the first session with the first user;

ending the connection with the first client;

subsequently creating a connection to a second client, which is being operated by the same user;

assigning a second protocol stack to the second client;

logging on the user;

detecting the user as being associated with the first session;

reconfiguring the first session to configuration parameters for the second client; and

reassociating the first session with the user by transferring contents of the second protocol stack to the first protocol stack associated with the first session so that the user may continue with the first session while using the second client.

7. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 6, wherein the first and second clients have different display types, and the reconfiguring step comprises the step of modifying the first session to conform to the display type on the second client.

8. An operating system embodied on a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implemented method as recited in claim 6.

9. A server computer programmed to perform the computer-implemented method as recited in claim 6.

10. In a client-server computer system, a computer-implemented method implemented at a server comprising the following steps:

maintaining a first session at the server for a user who connects to the server via a first client, the first session formatting video data for a first display type corresponding to the first client;

subsequently establishing a client-server connection for the user who connects to the server via a second client, the second client having a second display type that is different than the first client;

recognizing the user as being associated with the first session;

reconfiguring the first session to format the video data for the second display type corresponding to the second client; and

reassociating the client-server connection with the first session.

11. An operating system embodied on a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implemented method as recited in claim 10.

12. A server computer programmed to perform the computer-implemented method as recited in claim 10.

13. In a client-server computer system in which a client is connected to communicate with the server via a client-server connection, a computer-implemented method implemented at a server comprising the following steps:

creating a first session for a first user who accesses to the server from the client;

associating the client-server connection with the first session;

temporarily freezing the first session;

creating a second session for a second user who connects to the server from the client;

associating the client-server connection with the second session;

temporarily freezing the second session; and

subsequently reassociating the client-server connection with the first session.

14. An operating system embodied on a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implemented method as recited in claim 13.

15. A server computer programmed to perform the computer-implemented method as recited in claim 13.

16. An operating system for a server computer, wherein the operating system is embodied on a computer-readable medium, comprising:

a multi-user session manager to enable multiple client-server sessions on the server;

a first session created by the session manager when a user connects to the server from a first client, the first session being configured to accommodate a system configuration of the first client;

a second session created by the session manager when the user subsequently reconnects to the server from a second client different from the first client; and

wherein the session manager recognizes that the user is affiliated with the first session and adapts the first session to conform to a system configuration of the second client, the session manager reassociating the user with the reconfigured first session so that the second client communicates with the first session rather than the second session.

17. An operating system as recited in claim 16, wherein the first session includes one or more software modules to support a graphical user interface windowing environment for the first client.

18. An operating system as recited in claim 16, wherein the first session includes at least one of the following software modules:

a display driver, a protocol driver, a keyboard driver, and a mouse driver.

19. An operating system as recited in claim 16, wherein the first and second clients have different display types, and the first session is reconfigured from conforming to a first display type on the first client to conforming to a second display type on the second client.

20. An operating system as recited in claim 16, wherein the system configuration of the first and second clients include parameters selected from a group of parameters comprising display type, keyboard type, network protocol type, peripheral types, human language, and memory drives.

21. An operating system for a server computer, wherein the operating system is embodied on a computer-readable medium, comprising:

a multi-user session manager to enable multiple client-server sessions on the server;

a multi-user stack protocol manager to manage one or more protocol stacks, the protocol stacks facilitating communication with corresponding clients during the client-server sessions;

in an event that a user connects to the server from a first client, the stack protocol manager assigns a first protocol stack to a first client-server connection and the session manager creates a first session for the user, the first session being configured to accommodate a system configuration of the first client;

in an event that the user exits the current session and subsequently reconnects to the server from a second client different from the first client, the stack manager assigns a second protocol stack to a second client-server connection;

wherein the session manager recognizes the user as being affiliated with the first session and adapts the first session to conform to a system configuration of the second client, the session manager transferring contents of the second protocol stack to the first protocol stack associated with the first session.

22. An operating system as recited in claim 21, wherein the first and second clients have different display types, and the session manager adapts the first session from a first display type on the first client to a second display type on the second client.

23. An operating system as recited in claim 21, wherein the system configuration of the first and second clients include parameters selected from a group of parameters comprising display type, keyboard type, network protocol type, peripheral types, human language, and memory drives.

24. In a server operating system that provides multiple graphical user interface windowing sessions for multiple clients, the server operating system embodied on a computer-readable medium comprising:

computer readable instructions to direct a server to recognize when a user, who is connecting to the server via a remote client, is associated with a previous windowing session that the user started previously; and

computer readable instructions to direct the server to reassociate the user with the previous windowing session and to reconfigure the previous windowing session to conform to any different system configurations of the remote client in the event that the remote client is different than a client from which the user originally connected to the server to start the previous windowing session.

25. In a windows-based server operating system embodied on a computer-readable medium at a server, wherein the server operating system is capable of providing multiple client-server graphical user interface windowing sessions for multiple clients, an improvement to the server operating system comprising:

code means for maintaining sessions at the server after clients disconnect from the server;

code means for detecting whether a user, who reconnects to the server through a new client, is already affiliated with a previous session;

code means for adapting the previous session to conform to a system configuration of the new client in an event that the system configuration is different from that of a previous client through which the user was previously connected to the server; and

code means for reassociating the user with the previous session.

26. In a windows-based server operating system embodied on a computer-readable medium at a server, wherein the server operating system is capable of facilitating multiple client-server sessions in which the server provides a windowing environment for a client, an improvement to the server operating system comprising:

computer readable instructions to direct a server to recognize when a user, who is connecting to the server via a remote client, is associated with a previous windowing session that the user started previously;

computer readable instructions to direct the server to adapt the previous windowing session to support a new display type in the event that the new display type is different than an original display type on a client from which the user originally connected to the server to start the previous windowing session; and

computer readable instructions to direct the server to reassociate the user with the previous windowing session and to reformat data served from the previous windowing session for depiction on the new display type.

27. In a windows-based server operating system embodied on a computer-readable medium at a server, wherein the server operating system is capable of facilitating multiple client-server sessions in which the server provides a windowing environment for a client, an improvement to the server operating system comprising:

first computer readable instructions to direct a server to recognize when a first user, who is connecting to the server via a remote client, is associated with a previous windowing session that the first user started previously;

second computer readable instructions to direct the server to reassociate the first user with the previous windowing session;

the first computer readable instructions further directing a server to recognize when a second user, who is connecting to the server via the same remote client, is associated with a previous windowing session that the second user started previously; and

the second computer readable instructions further directing the server to reassociate the second user with the previous windowing session.

28. In a client-server computer system, a system comprising:

a server-based operating system embodied on a computer-readable medium and executed at a server, the server-based operating system enabling multiple graphical user interface windowing sessions for multiple clients;

a client-based code embodied on a computer-readable medium and executed at a client, the client-based code enabling the client to initiate a connection with the server and to run a local graphical user interface (UI) window to facilitate access to the server-based windowing session; and

the server-based operating system being implemented to recognize when a user, who is connecting to the server via the client, is associated with a previous windowing session that the user started previously and to reassociate the user with the previous windowing session, the server-based operating system adapting the previous windowing session to conform to any different system configurations of the client in the event that the client is different than a client from which the user originally connected to the server to start the previous windowing session.

29. A system as recited in claim 28, wherein the client-based code is configured to run on a client that is implemented with an operating system that is capable of connecting to the server.

30. In a client-server computer system, a system comprising:

a server-based operating system embodied on a computer-readable medium and executed at a server, the server-based operating system enabling multiple graphical user interface windowing sessions for multiple clients;

a client-based code embodied on a computer-readable medium and executed at a client, the client-based code enabling the client to initiate a connection with the server and to run a local graphical window user interface (UI) to the server-based windowing sessions; and

the server-based operating system being configured to associate communication to and from the client-based code with various ones of the windowing sessions so that multiple users can employ the client to operate their own corresponding windowing sessions.

31. A system as recited in claim 30, wherein the client-based code is configured to run on a client that is implemented with an operating system that is capable of connecting to the server.