Multi-console workstations concurrently supporting multiple users

• US 8,015,331 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bouchet, Mohamed, Patwardhan, Makarand V, Parsons, John E., Sampath, Sriram, Bernardi, Ara
• Primary Examiner(s): TSENG, CHENG YUAN
• Application Number:
  US11/171,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20070005693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,260 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/231, 709/224, 709/217, 709/227, 725/38, 710/316, 710/2, 710/36, 710/62, 710/64, 710/72, 345/1.1, 345/179, 345/2.1, 361/683, 463/42, 713/168
• US Class Current: 710/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• 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 workstation including a host machine and a plurality of consoles directly connected to the host machine. Each of the consoles are configured as a separate console, and each of the consoles include a respective input device adapted to receive input from a user and a respective output device adapted to provide output to the user. A method provided herein includes configuring the host machine to support a plurality of users concurrently on a plurality of consoles, and connecting each of the consoles directly to the host machine so as to enable direct communication therebetween.

Claims

1. A workstation configured for concurrently supporting a plurality of users, comprising:

a host machine selectively operable to support a single console mode allowing a single user to access all resources of the host machine, and operable to support a multi-console mode allowing the plurality of users to simultaneously access one or more applications stored on the host machine;

a plurality of consoles directly connected to the host machine, each of the plurality of consoles configured as a separate physical console to be used by one of the plurality of users, each of the plurality of consoles having respective physical input and output devices connected to the host machine directly without a communications network therebetween, and each of the plurality of consoles having a console ID that is unique, the console ID logically defining the physical input and output devices into a console;

a configuration tool to process configuration commands and to record data representing the consoles and the input and output devices assigned to each console, and to store the unique console ID for each console, the configuration tool also able to switch from the single console mode to the multi-console mode;

a terminal manager configured to receive the unique console ID and to send a request to create a session, the session having a session ID pointing to processes included in the session, including an input device manager and an output device manager;

a session manager configured to receive the request to create the new session, to create the new session, to create the session ID, and to associate the new session with one of the plurality of consoles; and

a registry having an entry for each of the plurality of consoles, the entry storing configuration data for the respective console, the registry being accessible by the terminal manager, indexed by the console ID, and configured to return data regarding the input and output devices of each console.

2. The workstation of claim 1, wherein the host machine comprises a personal computer (PC).

3. The workstation of claim 1, wherein the single console mode is configured as a multi-monitor mode.

4. The workstation of claim 1, wherein the session also includes kernel mode portion.

5. The workstation of claim 1, wherein the input device manager is configured for operation of a keyboard and the output device manager for visual output device.

6. The workstation of claim 1, wherein a plurality of sessions is pre-created prior to user login.

7. The workstation of claim 1, wherein:

a temporary session is created in response to a user disconnecting from a session; and

the temporary session awaits a login from a new user or the disconnecting user.

8. The workstation of claim 1, wherein the host machine is equipped with at least two visual output devices, two keyboards and two mice.

9. A method for configuring a host machine, comprising:

operating the host machine to selectively support a single console mode allowing a single user to access all resources of the host machine or support a multi-console mode allowing a plurality of users to simultaneously access one or more applications stored on the host machine;

configuring a plurality of consoles to connect to the host machine, each of the plurality of consoles configured as a separate physical console to be used by one of the plurality of users, each of the plurality of consoles having respective physical input and output devices connected to the host machine directly without a communications network therebetween, and each of the plurality of consoles having a console ID that is unique, the console ID logically defining the physical input and output devices into a console;

processing configuration commands and to record data representing the consoles and the input and output devices assigned to each console, and to store the unique console ID for each console, the configuration commands also useable to switch from the single console mode to the multi-console mode;

receiving the unique console ID at a terminal manager configured to send a request to create a session, the session having a session ID pointing to processes included in the session, including an input device manager and an output device manager;

receiving the request to create the new session, creating the new session, creating the session ID, and associating the new session with one of the plurality of consoles; and

configuring a registry to have an entry for each of the plurality of consoles, the entry storing configuration data for the respective console, the registry being accessible by the terminal manager, indexed by the console ID, and configured to return data regarding the input and output devices of each console.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein processing configuration commands comprises processing commands from a configuration tool.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the request to create the new session is performed by a session manager.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein creating the session creates a session including a kernel mode portion.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the input device manager is configured for operation of a keyboard and the output device manager is configured for operation of a visual output device.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein a plurality of sessions is pre-created prior to user login.

15. The method of claim 9, additionally comprising:

creating a temporary session in response to a user disconnecting from a session; and

awaiting a login to the temporary session by a new user or the disconnecting user.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein operating the host machine comprises operating a workstation equipped with at least two visual output devices, two keyboards and two mice.