Method and system for accessing a remote file in a directory structure associated with an application program executing locally

• US 7,779,034 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2005
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Nord, Joseph H., Hoy, David Randal, Pedersen, Bradley J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mahmoudi; Tony
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCue; Brittany N
• Application Number:
  US11/246,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20070083501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• Field of Search: 717/177, 718/104, 707/200
• US Class Current: 707/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers

Abstract

A method and system for accessing a file in a directory structure associated with an application includes a method of accessing a file in a directory structure associated with an application. A request by an application for access to a file is intercepted. The request is redirected to a first isolation environment. A determination is made that the requested file does not exist in the first isolation environment. The request is redirected to a second isolation environment responsive to a determination that the file is identified in an enumeration of a directory structure including a plurality of application files residing on a remote machine. The requested file is retrieved from a file server, responsive to a determination that the second isolation environment does not contain the file and that the file is identified in the enumeration.

Claims

1. A method for accessing a file in a directory structure associated with an application, the method comprising:

intercepting, by a filter driver executing on a computing machine, a request by an application for access to a file;

redirecting, by the filter driver, the request to a first isolation environment including an application isolation layer and a user isolation layer;

determining, by the filter driver, that the requested file does not exist in the first isolation environment;

redirecting, by the filter driver, the request to a second isolation environment including an application isolation layer and a user isolation layer, responsive to a determination that the file is identified in an enumeration of a directory structure including a plurality of application files residing on a remote machine;

receiving, by a transceiver executing on the computing machine, the requested file from the remote machine, responsive to a determination that the second isolation environment does not contain the file and that the file is identified in the enumeration;

responding to the intercepted request with the retrieved file; and

intercepting a request to access the file made by a second application executing in a third isolation environment;

redirecting the request to the second isolation environment, responsive to determination that the file is identified in the enumeration and that the second isolation environment contains the file; and

providing, by the second isolation environment, the second application with access to the file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein intercepting a request further comprises intercepting a request by an application for access to an executable file.

3. The method of claim 1, where intercepting a request further comprises intercepting a request by an application for access to a file, a portion of the application executing on a local machine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein intercepting a request further comprises intercepting a request for access to a file by an application capable of receiving an application stream.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein intercepting a request further comprises intercepting the request by the application, wherein at least one portion of the application resides in a first isolation environment on a local machine.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the requested file further comprises retrieving the requested file from a second remote machine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the requested file further comprises streaming, by the remote machine, the requested file to a local machine.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the requested file further comprises storing the retrieved file in the second isolation environment.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the requested file further comprises encrypting the retrieved file.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the requested file further comprises storing the retrieved file in an encrypted form.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising redirecting the request for the file to an environment outside the first isolation environment and outside the second isolation environment, responsive to a determination that the file is not identified in the enumeration.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein providing access to the file further comprises storing the file in the third isolation environment.

13. A system for accessing a file in a directory structure associated with an application executing on a computing machine, the system comprising:

a first isolation environment on a computing machine, the first isolation environment including an application isolation layer and a user isolation layer, a first application executing on the computing machine and within the first isolation environment, and requesting access to a file;

a second isolation environment on the computing machine, the second isolation environment storing an enumeration of a directory structure associated with a plurality of application files installed on a remote machine, the second isolation environment including an application isolation layer and a user isolation layer;

a third isolation environment on the computing machine, the third isolation environment including an application isolation layer and a user isolation layer and a second application executing on the computing machine and within the third isolation environment, the second application requesting access to the file;

a filter driver executing on the computing machine, the filter driver;

intercepting the request of the first application for access to the file,

redirecting the request of the first application to the first isolation environment,

determining that the requested file does not exist in the first isolation environment,

redirecting the request of the first application to the second isolation environment, responsive to a determination that the file is identified in the enumeration of the directory structure,

intercepting the request of the second application for access to the file, and

redirecting the request of the second application to the second isolation environment, responsive to the determination that the file is identified in the enumeration of the directory structure; and

a transceiver, executing on the computing machine and communicating with the filter driver, the transceiver;

transmitting the redirected request to a remote machine,

receiving a stream comprising the requested file, responsive to the request and to a determination by the filter driver that the second isolation environment does not contain the file and that the file is identified in the enumeration, and

providing the first and second applications access to the received stream responsive to the intercepted requests.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the transceiver stores the streamed file in the second isolation environment.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the filter driver:

intercepts a request by a second application for access to the file, and

redirects the request to the second isolation environment.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the filter driver:

intercepts a request by a second application for access to the file, and

redirects the request to the second isolation environment, responsive to a determination that the transceiver stored the streamed file in the second isolation environment.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the second isolation environment further comprises a cache memory element.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the second isolation environment stores the enumeration of the directory structure in a cache memory element.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the transceiver receives the stream comprising the requested file from the remote machine.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the transceiver receives the stream comprising the requested file from a second remote machine.