Remote auto provisioning and publication of applications

• US 8,196,137 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2007
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Baker, James H III, Wang, Huei Chung, Bernardi, Ara, Brockway, Tad Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Tang, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US11/872,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20090100448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,695 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/549 Remote execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• 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

Techniques for auto provisioning and publication of applications are described. The auto provisioning process enables automatic installation of applications having their respective file packages pre-stored in the server. Subsequently, publication of these applications is conducted automatically. By employing such an automatic process, the latency involved in provisioning and publication of remote applications is reduced, thereby making the process more efficient.

Claims

1. A server computer comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory coupled to the one or more processors;

a predefined location in the memory configured to receive a collection of files related to an application that is to be installed in the server computer and to be published and provisioned to remote client devices other than the server computer;

a virtualization coordinator stored in the memory and executable by the one or more processors to monitor the predefined location to identify a presence of a collection of files related to the application in the predefined location, and provide an instruction to collect the collection of files related to the application from the predefined location and install the application on the server computer in response to identifying a presence of the collection of files related to the application in the predefined location; and

a provisioning module stored in the memory and executable by the one or more processors to collect the collection of files from the predefined location, install the application on the server in response to receiving the instruction from the virtualization coordinator and pre-cache the application for local use by remote users.

2. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the virtualization coordinator is further configured to identify a location of the collection of files.

3. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the virtualization coordinator initiates provisioning and publication of the application to the remote client devices of the remote users.

4. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the provisioning module installs the collection of files for use by the remote users.

5. The server computer of claim 1 further comprising a publishing module that publishes the application to cause the application available for one or more users.

6. The server computer of claim 5, wherein the publishing module adds the application to a list of other applications available to the one or more users.

7. The server computer of claim 1 further comprising a runtime module that is instructed by the virtualization coordinator to collect the collection of files and store the collection of files in the server computer as a new file package.

8. The server computer of claim 1 further comprising a control management module that controls operation of the virtualization coordinator.

9. A method comprising:

under control of one or more processors configured with executable instructions;

identifying a presence of a collection of files related to an application in a predefined location that is associated with a remote host, the predefined location being configured to receive a collection of files related to an application that is to be installed in the remote host;

constructing data to generate a request for publication of the application;

generating to remote users, the request for publication based on the data;

pre-caching the application for local use by the remote users;

determining a pre-existing list of applications that are available to the remote users;

updating the pre-existing list of applications with the application; and

publishing the updated list of applications.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the data includes data from application name, application path, application icon, and/or RDP files.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the generating includes collecting the data for publishing and publishing the application based on the data.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining includes identifying one or more applications that previously existed and appending any new applications to the pre-existing list.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the publishing comprises publishing the updated of applications to a web page.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the users access the web page to use the applications of the updated list.

15. One or more computer storage media configured with computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

identifying a presence of a collection of files related to an application in a predefined location that is associated with a remote host, the predefined location being configured to receive a collection of files related to an application that is to be installed in the remote host;

constructing data to generate a request for publication of the application;

generating to remote users, the request for publication based on the data;

pre-caching the application for local use by the remote users;

determining a pre-existing list of applications that are available to the remote users;

updating the pre-existing list of applications with the application; and

publishing the updated list of applications.

16. The one or more computer storage media of claim 15, wherein the data includes data from application name, application path, application icon, and/or RDP files.

17. The one or more computer storage media of claim 15, wherein the generating includes collecting the data for publishing and publishing the application based on the data.

18. The one or more computer storage media of claim 15, wherein the determining includes identifying one or more applications that previously existed and appending any new applications to the pre-existing list.

19. The one or more computer storage media of claim 15, wherein the publishing comprises publishing the updated list of applications to a web page.

20. The one or more computer storage media of claim 19, wherein the users access the web page to use the applications of the updated list.