Method and system for serving software applications to client computers

• US 7,200,632 B1
• Filed: 03/17/2000
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Softricity (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Schaefer, Stuart, Greschler, David M., Mysliwy, Owen
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): JACOBS, LASHONDA T
• Application Number:
  US09/527,188
• Time in Patent Office: 2,573 Days
• Field of Search: 709227-229, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/203
• 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 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A method and system for serving software applications to remote clients across the internet, for example, is disclosed that preferably utilizes standard, SMB (server message block), protocols, which are available in commercial operating systems. Further, an associated business method is described in which subscribing institutions can out-source the application serving to a third party institution, transparently. Finally, a port proxy system is provided that enables tunneling through firewalls that are configured to block communications from SMB ports.

Claims

1. A method for serving executable application programs over a computer network from an application server system to a target computer having a helper application provided by the application server system, the method comprising:

signaling the application server system with a request for an application program;

receiving application descriptor from the application server system in response to the request;

executing the helper application in response to the received application descriptor;

determining, by the helper application a configuration to allow the target computer to execute the requested application program as function of the application descriptor;

controlling, by the helper application execution of the application program on the target computer, the application program residing on the application server system, the helper application implementing the configuration on the target computer, wherein portions of the application program are retrieved and executed from the application server

tracking a status of the execution of the application on the target computer; and

removing, by the helper application, the retrieved and executed portions of the application program from the target computer in response to termination of the application program on the target computer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

terminating, by the helper application, the application program when the helper application determines a connection to the application server system is no longer active.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the signaling further comprises:

selecting a link by a user of the target computer, said link displayed by a browser executing on the target computer, and said link associated with the application program.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the link includes an application identifier for identifying the requested application program to the application server system.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the link points the browser to the application server system.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting the link comprises triggering the downloading of the application descriptor from the application server system to the target computer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the received application descriptor is encrypted.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the helper application includes a graphical user interface for displaying advertisements.

9. A The method of claim 1, further comprising:

issuing, by the helper application, a command to a browser to a display a follow-up page in response to termination of the application program.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the application descriptor includes minimum system requirements information for determining the availability of adequate system resources on the target computer for execution of the application program.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the application descriptor includes transaction mode information.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

attaching, by the target computer, to a host computer to receive the application program wherein the application descriptor includes application server information including a host address of said host computer.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

attaching, by the target computer, to a host computer to receive an advertisement wherein the application descriptor includes application server information including a host address of said host computer.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, by the helper application executing on the target computer, error log information to a failure server of the application server system in response to improper operation of the application program on the target computer.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

mounting, by the target computer, a remote drive of the application server system, said remote drive providing access to the application program.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing, by the target computer, the application server system via port 80.

17. A method for serving executable application programs over a computer network from an application server system to a target computer, the method comprising:

transferring a helper application to the target computer, said helper application executing on the target computer;

receiving a request for an application program from the target computer;

sending an application descriptor to the target computer in response to the received request wherein the helper application determines a configuration to allow the target computer to execute the requested application program as a function of said application descriptor, and wherein the helper application controls execution of the application program on the target computer as the application residing on the application server system, the helper application implementing the configuration on the target computer, wherein portions of the application program are retrieved and executed on the target computer;

tracking a status of the execution of the application on the target computer; and

removing, by the helper application, the retrieved and executed portions of the application program from the target computer in response to termination of the application program on the target computer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the application descriptor includes application server information including one or more host addresses, each host address corresponding to a host computer and wherein the application server system comprises of two or more host computers, the target computer attaching to a first host computer indicated by a first host address included in the application server information to receive the application program portions.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first host computer is selected to load-balance across the two or more host computers of the application server system.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the target computer attaches to a second host computer to receive an advertisement.

21. A method as described in claim 17, further comprising:

sending, by the helper application executing on the target computer, error log information to a failure server of the application server system in response to improper operation of the application program on the target computer.

22. An application serving system configured to operate across a computer network, the system comprising:

an application server configured to execute computer-executable instructions for;

transferring a helper application to the target computer, said helper application executing on the target computer;

receiving a request for an application program from the target computer;

sending an application descriptor to the target computer in response to the received request wherein the helper application determines a configuration to allow the target computer to execute the requested application program as a function of said application descriptor, and wherein the helper application controls execution of the application program on the target computer as the application residing on the application server system, the helper application implementing the configuration on the target computer, wherein portions of the application program are retrieved and executed on the target computer;

tracking a status of the execution of the application on the target computer; and

a target computer executing the helper application transferred by the application server configured to execute computer-executable instructions for;

signaling the application server system with a request for an application program;

receiving application descriptor from the application server system in response to the request;

executing the helper application in response to the received application descriptor;

determining, by the helper application a configuration to allow the target computer to execute the requested application program as function of the application descriptor;

controlling, by the helper application execution of the application program on the target computer, the application program residing on the application server system, the helper application implementing the configuration on the target computer, wherein portions of the application program are retrieved and executed from the application server;

tracking a status of the execution of the application on the target computer; and

removing, by the helper application, the retrieved and executed portions of the application program from the target computer in response to termination of the application program on the target computer.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the application server provides an update to the helper application of the target computer in response to the received request for the application program.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the helper application validates the status of a firewall proxy to allow streaming of the application program elements from the application server to the target computer.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving the application program elements comprises receiving streaming data including the application program elements.

26. An application serving system configured to operate across a computer network, the system comprising:

an application server configured to execute computer-executable instructions for;

transferring a helper application to the target computer, said helper application executing on the target computer;

receiving a request for an application program from the target computer;

sending an application descriptor to the target computer in response to the received request;

sending to the helper application on the target computer a configuration to enable the target computer to execute the requested application program as a function of said application descriptor;

sending portions of the application program to the target computer in accordance with communications from the helper application as it controls execution of the application program on the target computer as configured based on the sent configuration, the application residing on the application server system, wherein the portions of the application program are transmitted for execution; and

tracking a status of the execution of the application on the target computer; and

removing, by the helper application the retrieved and executed portions of the application program from the target computer in response to termination of the application program on the target computer.