Methods and servers for establishing a connection between a client system and a virtual machine executing in a terminal services session and hosting a requested computing environment

• US 8,051,180 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2006
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Parry-Barwick, Stephen, Mazzaferri, Richard James, Low, Anthony Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele; Krista
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eskandarnia; Arvin
• Application Number:
  US11/552,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20070198656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,833 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/541 Client-server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1415 with means for detecting differences between the image stored in the host and the images displayed on the displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 using more than one graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1462 with means for detecting differences between the image stored in the host and the images displayed on the remote displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5088 involving task migration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/22 Detection of presence or absence of input display information or of connection or disconnection of a corresponding information source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 : Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 : Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 : for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 : for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 : Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 : Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 : specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 : Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 : Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 : Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 : Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 : Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 : Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 : Negotiation of communication capabilities

Abstract

A method for providing access to a computing environment includes the step of receiving a request from a client system for an enumeration of available computing environments. Collected data regarding available computing environments are accessed. Accessed data are transmitted to a client system, the accessed data indicating to the client system each computing environment available to a user of the client system. A request is received from the client system to access one of the computing environments. A connection is established between the client system and a virtual machine hosting the requested computing environment via a terminal services session, the virtual machine executed by a hypervisor executing in the terminal services session provided by an operating system executing on one of a plurality of execution machines.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to a desktop computing environment by a virtual machine launched by a hypervisor executing in a terminal services session, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving from a client system

i) credentials for a user of the client system and

ii) a request for an enumeration of desktop computing environments available to the user;

b) collecting data from a plurality of execution machines, the data including

i) desktop computing environment images on each execution machine and

ii) access control information for each desktop computing environment image;

c) storing the collected data in a database;

d) using the user credentials and the collected data from the database to determine desktop computing environment images available to the user;

e) transmitting the collected data to the client system indicating desktop computing environments corresponding to the desktop computing environment images available to the user,

f) receiving, from the client system, a request to access one of the desktop computing environments;

g) selecting, by a broker machine, a virtual machine that can provide the requested desktop computing environment and a first operating system in which to execute the requested desktop computing environment;

h) selecting, by the broker machine, an execution machine executing a hypervisor providing access to hardware resources required by the virtual machine;

i) launching, by the broker machine, the virtual machine into the execution machine,

i) the execution machine having a second operating system that provides a terminal services session,

ii) the terminal services session executing the hypervisor,

iii) the hypervisor executing the virtual machine, and

iv) the virtual machine executing the first operating system for the requested desktop computing environment;

j) launching, by the broker machine, the requested desktop computing environment into the first operating system provided by the virtual machine by deploying a desktop computing environment image corresponding to the requested desktop computing environment; and

k) establishing a connection between the client system and the requested desktop computing environment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitted data is displayed at the client system as icons in a graphical user interface window, the icons representing desktop computing environments available to the user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitted data is displayed at the client system as icons in a graphical user interface window, the icons representing desktop computing environments unavailable to the user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the request to access one of the desktop computing environments requests execution of an application, the requested application requiring one of the available desktop computing environments.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the connection between the client system and the requested desktop computing environment uses a presentation layer protocol.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the connection between the client system and the requested desktop computing environment uses the X11 protocol.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the connection between the client system and the requested desktop computing environment uses the Remote Desktop Presentation (RDP) protocol.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the connection between the client system and the requested desktop computing environment uses the Independent Computing Architecture (ICA) protocol.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is authenticated based on the user credentials and the connection between the client system and the requested desktop computing environment is established without further input of the user credentials.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising gathering information about the client system and generating a data set from the gathered information.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the generated data set is used in addition to the user credentials and the collected data to determine the desktop computing environment images available to the user.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein a policy is applied to the generated data set to determine the desktop computing environment images available to the user.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein a web server receives the request for the enumeration of desktop computing environments available to the user.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein step (d) further comprises

(i) retrieving from a persistent storage a page template, and

(ii) creating, at the web server, a page describing a display of the desktop computing environment images available to the user responsive to the collected data and the retrieved page template, and

wherein step (e) further comprises transmitting the created page to the client system indicating the desktop computing environments corresponding to the desktop computing environment images available to the user.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating an output display indicating the desktop computing environments corresponding to the desktop computing environment images available to the user and transmitting the created output display to the client system.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating an output display comprising a page constructed in a markup language, the output display indicating the desktop computing environments corresponding to the desktop computing environment images available to the user, and transmitting the created output display to the client system.

17. In a network including a client system and a plurality of servers storing desktop computing environments, a server comprising:

a collection module

a) collecting data from a plurality of execution machines, the data including

i) desktop computing environment images on each execution machine and

ii) access control information for each desktop computing environment image, and

b) storing the collected data in a database;

a broker module accessing the collected data in the database and using user credentials to determine desktop computing environment images available to a user;

a transmitter transmitting collected data to the client system indicating desktop computing environments corresponding to the desktop computing environment images available to the user;

a receiver receiving a request to access one of the desktop computing environments; and

a transceiver;

wherein

the broker module

a) selects a virtual machine that can provide the requested desktop computing environment and a first operating system in which to execute the requested desktop computing environment,

b) selects an execution machine executing a hypervisor providing access to hardware resources required by the virtual machine;

c) launches the virtual machine into the execution machine,

i) the execution machine having a second operating system that provides a terminal services session,

ii) the terminal services session executing the hypervisor,

iii) the hypervisor executing the virtual machine, and

iv) the virtual machine executing the first operating system for the requested desktop computing environment; and

d) launches the requested desktop computing environment into the first operating system provided by the virtual machine by deploying a desktop computing environment image corresponding to the requested desktop computing environment; and

the transceiver provides a connection between the client system and the requested desktop computing environment.

18. The server of claim 17 wherein the receiver receives the user credentials from the client system.

19. The server of claim 17 further comprising an output display creation engine creating output displays indicating the desktop computing environments available to the user.

20. The server of claim 19 wherein the output display creation engine creates a web page describing a display of the desktop computing environments available to the user, the web page created responsive to the collected data and a web page template.

21. The server of claim 17 wherein the connection between the client system and the requested desktop computing environment image is established using a presentation-layer protocol connection.

22. The server of claim 17 wherein the connection between the client system and the requested desktop computing environment image is established using an X11 connection.

23. The server of claim 17 wherein the connection between the client system and the requested desktop computing environment image is established using an ICA connection.

24. The server of claim 17 wherein the connection between the client system and the requested desktop computing environment image is established using an RDP connection.