System and method for executing commands associated with specific virtual desktop

• US 6,463,459 B1
• Filed: 01/22/1999
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Borland Software Corporation (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Wall Data, Inc. (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Chimienti, Dennis, Orr, Robert B., Kinser, Colby
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit, Bunjob
• Application Number:
  US09/235,221
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/227, 709/228, 709/315, 709/316, 709/317, 709/331, 709/1
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams

Abstract

A system and method for executing commands on a specific virtual desktop operating in a multi-user server environment. The present invention provides a system and method for executing commands associated with a specific virtual desktop. A virtual process broker (20) running on a server communicates with a remote requester and multiple virtual desktops. A virtual process agent (24) running in each of the virtual desktops communicates with the virtual process broker. A virtual desktop identifier is assigned to each of the virtual desktops and communicated to the virtual process broker. The virtual process broker records a status for the virtual desktop identifier in a virtual process broker database. Later, a remote requester such as a remote system or a virtual desktop generates a command request that is received by the virtual broker. The virtual broker determines whether the user associated with the command request is currently logged in by querying the virtual process broker database. If the user is logged in and the command request needs the first virtual desktop to perform some action, the virtual process broker forwards the request to the virtual process agent associated with the command request. The virtual process agent then initiates any actions requested in the command request.

Claims

1. A method for executing actions on a plurality of virtual desktops running on a server computer, the method comprising:

running the plurality of virtual desktops on the server computer, each of the virtual desktops being unable to communicate directly with each other;

running a virtual broker on the server computer;

running within each of the plurality of virtual desktops a virtual agent that communicates with the virtual broker;

receiving a command at the server computer to initiate an action associated with a selected virtual desktop of the plurality of virtual desktops;

forwarding the command to the virtual broker;

determining at the virtual broker whether the selected virtual desktop associated with the command is available; and

if the selected virtual desktop associated with the command is available, sending a request to the virtual agent associated with the command to execute the command.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining at the virtual broker whether the virtual desktop associated with the command is available comprises:

providing a database having entries for storing a user name field, an identifier field, and a status field;

finding an entry in the database associated with the command by locating the entry having the identifier field associated with the command;

determining whether the status field for the entry associated with the command contains a logged in indication; and

if so, providing an available indication for that virtual desktop.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of finding an entry in the database associated with the command by locating the entry having the identifier field associated with the command comprises comparing a SNA Local Logical Unit Name stored in the identifier field with a SNA Locigal Unit Name stored in the command.

4. A method for executing commands associated with one of a plurality of virtual desktops in a multi-user server environment, the method comprising:

(a) running a first process on a server capable of communicating with a remote requester and the plurality of virtual desktops;

(b) running a second process in at least one of the plurality of virtual desktops that communicates with the first process;

(c) providing a virtual desktop identifier to the first process, for each of the virtual desktops running the second process;

(d) recording a status for the virtual desktop identifier in a database;

(e) receiving a command request in the first process that was preprocessed by the server;

(f) determining the status for the virtual process identifier associated with the command request based on an entry in the database; and

(g) initiating actions requested in the command request.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of running a second process in at least one of the plurality of virtual desktops that communicates with the first process comprises communicating using an interprocess communication protocol.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of recording a status for the virtual desktop identifier in a database comprises:

(a) creating the entry comprising a user name field, an identifier field, and a status field;

(b) storing a user name in the user name field;

(c) storing a unique identifier in the identifier field; and

(d) locating the entry associated with the virtual desktop identifier received from the second process; and

(e) storing a logged in value in the status field.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of determining a status for the virtual desktop identifier associated with the command request based on an entry in the database comprises:

(a) locating the entry in the database associated with the command request; and

(b) determining whether the status field for the associated entry contains the logged in value.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of storing a unique identifier in the identifier field comprises storing a SNA Local Logical Unit Name as the unique identifier in the identifier field.

9. A system for executing commands associated with one of a plurality of virtual desktops in a multi-user server environment, comprising:

a first process running on a server capable of communicating with a remote requester and the plurality of virtual desktops;

a second process running in at least one of the plurality of virtual desktops that communicates with the first process;

a virtual desktop identifier provided by the first process for each of the virtual desktops running the second process;

a status for the virtual desktop identifier;

a database having entries for recording the status for the virtual desktop identifier;

a command request received by the first process; and

wherein the first process determines the status for the virtual desktop identifier associated with the command request by locating an entry in the database corresponding to the virtual desktop identifier, and upon finding an entry in the database associated with the command request, initiates actions requested in the command request.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second process communicates with the first process using an Interprocess Communication Protocol.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the database comprises:

a user name field for storing a user name;

an identifier field for storing a unique identifier; and

a status field for storing a logged-in value when the virtual desktop identifier is received from the second process.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the unique identifier is a SNA Local Logical Unit Name.

13. In a multi-user server environment, a computer-readable medium holding instructions for performing a method for executing commands associated with one of a plurality of virtual desktops, the method comprising:

(a) running a first process on a server capable of communicating with a remote requester and the plurality of virtual desktops;

(b) running a second process in at least one of the plurality of virtual desktops that communicates with the first process;

(c) providing a virtual desktop identifier to the first process for each of the virtual desktops running the second process;

(d) recording a status for the virtual desktop identifier in a database;

(e) receiving a command request in the first process that was preprocessed by the server;

(f) determining the status for the virtual process identifier associated with the command request based on an entry in the database; and

(g) initiating actions requested in the command request.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the step of running a second process in at least one of the plurality of virtual desktops that communicates with the first process comprises communicating using an interprocess communication protocol.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the step of recording a status for the virtual desktop identifier in a database comprises:

(a) creating the entry comprising a user name field, an identifier field, and a status field;

(b) storing a user name in the user name field;

(c) storing a unique identifier in the identifier field; and

(d) locating the entry associated with the virtual desktop identifier received from the second process; and

(e) storing a logged in value in the status field.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the step of determining a status for the virtual desktop identifier associated with the command request based on an entry in the database comprises:

(a) locating the entry in the database associated with the virtual desktop identifier received from the second process; and

(b) determining whether the status field contains the logged in value.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the step of storing a unique identifier in the identifier field comprises storing a SNA Local Logical Unit Name as the unique identifier in the identifier field.