Device management system

• US 7,934,006 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2007
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tsunehiro, Takashi, Kato, Takatoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino; Joseph E
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCLEOD, MARSHALL M
• Application Number:
  US11/802,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20070288623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,433 Days
• Field of Search: 709/228, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

A device management system is provided which is used in a client/server architecture system, enabling safe sharing of a device without compromising user convenience. In a case where the device which is connected to a client is accessed from a server, in order that the device connected to the client can be used from the server by merely connecting the device to the client without performing another operation, a filter is provided on the client side, and a pseudo bus driver is provided on the server side. The filter in the client exclusively controls client operations to the device and server operations to the device. The pseudo bus driver virtually functions as a device driver between a communication unit for the client and the application in the server.

Claims

1. A device management system, comprising:

a server;

a client which issues an instruction to the server and receives a result of executing the instruction from the server; and

an authentication management server which authenticates the client, wherein;

the server, the client, and the authentication management server are connected to each other via a network;

the client has a device connected thereto, the device being exclusively controlled from one of the client and the server;

the client includes device managing means which transmits and receives data to and from a bus driver in the client, and transmits and receives the data to and from the server;

the authentication management server includes device information holding/use right managing means which manages a use right for the device;

the server includes virtual device managing means which controls transmission and reception of data via the network between a first application in the server and the device managing means of the client, in accordance with the use right held in the device information holding/use right managing means of the authentication management server;

a first device driver which is included in the server generates a first request for using the device connected to the client upon receipt of an instruction from a second application which is included in the server;

the virtual device managing means of the server transmits the first request to the client via a communication channel provided on the network;

a second device driver which is included in the client generates a second request for using the device upon receipt of an instruction from a third application which is included in the client; and

the device managing means of the client;

starts up the device connected to the client, the device being exclusively used by the client,

allows the server to exclusively use the device connected to the client,

receives the first request to be generated by the first device driver which is included in the server, via the communication channel, after allowing the server to exclusively use the device connected to the client,

converts the first request to generate a third request to be processed by the bus driver of the client to use the device connected to the client from the server, and

when allowing the server to exclusively use the device connected to the client, initializes the device, and interrupts the second request to be generated by the second device driver.

3. The device management system according to claim 1, wherein the virtual device managing means of the server includes a pseudo bus driver,

the pseudo bus driver including:

a startup device object which causes the device connected to the client to operate; and

an enumerator which produces the startup device object in accordance with the device when the device is connected to the client, and deletes the startup device object when the device and the client are disconnected.

4. The device management system according to claim 1, wherein:

each of the client and the server includes a remote operation program; and

each of the device managing means and the virtual device managing means transmits and receives data via the remote operation program.

5. The device management system according to claim 3, wherein the pseudo bus driver performs, upon receipt of a notification indicating that a device is newly connected to the client from the device managing means of the client, an acquisition process of device information which is required from an operating system of the server when the pseudo bus driver operates as a device driver for the newly connected device, and notifies the device managing means of the client that the device information acquiring process has been completed when the acquisition process of the device information is completed.

6. The device management system according to claim 5, wherein:

the server includes display means;

the virtual device managing means of the server judges whether there is an application that is using the device, upon receipt of a notification from the device managing means of the client, the notification indicating that the device and the client are disconnected; and

the pseudo bus driver executes a procedure required to complete an operation as the device driver for the device when it is judged that there is no application using the device, notifies the device managing means of the client that the procedure has been completed when the procedure is completed, and notifies the display means of the server that the procedure has not been completed when the procedure is not completed.

7. The device management system according to claim 6, wherein:

when the server is allowed to use the device connected to the client,

(1) the virtual device managing means of the server notifies the operating system of the server of an error, upon receipt of a notification indicating that the operating system of the server enters a standby state in order to save power, from the operating system of the server; and

(2) the device managing means of the client notifies the operating system of the client of an error, upon receipt of a notification indicating that the operating system of the client enters a standby state in order to save power, from the operating system of the client.

2. A device management system, comprising:

a server;

a client which issues an instruction to the server and receives a result of executing the instruction from the server; and

an authentication management server which authenticates the client, wherein;

the server, the client, and the authentication management server are connected to each other via a network;

the client has a device connected thereto, the device being exclusively controlled from one of the client and the server;

the client includes device managing means which transmits and receives data to and from a bus driver in the client, and transmits and receives the data to and from the server;

the authentication management server includes device information holding/use right managing means which manages a use right for the device;

the server includes virtual device managing means which controls transmission and reception of data via the network between a first application in the server and the device managing means of the client, in accordance with the use right held in the device information holding/use right managing means of the authentication management server;

a first device driver which is included in the server generates a first request for using the devise connected to the client upon receipt of an instruction from a second application which is included in the server;

the virtual device managing means of the server;

generates a second request by converting specific information included in the first request into information having a format not depending on the server, and

transmits the second request to the client via a communication channel provided on the network;

a second device driver in the client generates a third request for using the device upon receipt of an instruction from a third application which is included in the client; and

the device managing means of the client;

starts up the device connected to the device, the device being exclusively used by the client,

allows the server to exclusively use the device connected to the client,

receives the second request to be generated by the virtual device managing means which is included in the server, via the communication channel, after allowing the server to exclusively use the device connected to the client,

converts the second request to generate a fourth request to be processed by the bus driver in the client to use the device connected to the client from the server, and

when allowing the server to exclusively use the device connected to the client, initializes the device, and interrupts the third request to be generated by the second device driver.

8. A client which is included in a device management system,

the device management system including:

a server, wherein the client issues an instruction to the server and receives a result of executing the instruction from the server; and

an authentication management server which authenticates the client,

the server, the client, and the authentication management server being connected to each other via a network,

wherein the client to which a device connected, the device being controlled from one of the client and the server, comprise;

device managing means which transmits and receives data to and from a bus driver in the client, and transmits and receives the data to and from the server; and

a device driver which generates a first request for using the device upon receipt of an instruction from an application which is included in the client, wherein;

the device managing means;

starts up the device connected to the device, the device being exclusively used by the client,

allowing the server to exclusively use the device connected to the device,

receives a second request to be generated by the server, via the communication channel, after allowing the server to exclusively use the device connected to the client,

converts the second request to generate a third request to be processed by a bus driver to use the device connected to the client from the server, and

when allowing the server to exclusively use the device connected to the client, initializes the device, and interrupts the first request to be generated by the device driver.