Methods and systems for providing, by a remote machine, access to functionality associated with a resource executing on a local machine

• US 8,341,208 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Mazzaferri, Richard James
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mejia, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US13/240,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20120011198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/202, 715/734, 715/740, 718/100, 719/328, 719/330
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/542 Intercept
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/544 Remote
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

A method for providing, by a remote machine, access to functionality associated with a resource executing on a local machine includes receiving, by a remote agent executing on a remote machine, an identification of a shell extension associated with a resource provided by a local machine. The remote agent installs a proxy handler associated with the identified shell extension. The proxy handler receives a request for access to the shell extension and redirects the request to a shell extension invoker executing on the local machine.

Claims

1. In a networked computing system, a method for providing, by a remote machine, access to functionality associated with a resource executing on a local machine, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, by a remote agent executing on a remote machine, an identification of a shell extension associated with a resource provided by a local machine, the shell extension to be integrated into a desktop environment of the remote machine;

(b) installing, by the remote agent, a proxy handler on the remote machine, the proxy handler associated with the identified shell extension and integrating the identified shell extension of the local machine into the desktop environment of the remote machine;

(c) receiving, by the proxy handler, a request for access to the shell extension via the desktop environment of the remote machine; and

(d) redirecting, by the proxy handler, the request to a shell extension invoker executing on the local machine.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(e) receiving, by the proxy handler, a result of executing the shell extension on the local machine.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises receiving, by the proxy handler from a shell, the request for access to the shell extension.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises intercepting a request for an identification of a handler.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising responding to the request with an identification of the proxy handler associated with the identified shell extension.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising requesting, by a user of a remote desktop environment, access to the shell extension.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying, in a desktop environment generated by the remote machine, a received result of executing the shell extension on the local machine.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting, by the proxy handler to the shell extension invoker, data associated with the request.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising registering, by the remote agent, the proxy handler with a registry on the remote machine.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying, by a local agent executing on the local machine, the shell extension associated with the resource provided by the local machine, wherein the shell extension is to be integrated into a desktop environment of the remote machine.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising publishing, by the local agent, the identified shell extension.

12. A networked computing system for providing, by a remote machine, access to functionality associated with a resource executing on a local machine, the system comprising:

a remote agent executing on a remote machine and receiving an identification of a shell extension associated with a resource provided by a local machine, the shell extension to be integrated into a desktop environment of the remote machine;

a shell extension invoker residing on the local machine and associated with the identified shell extension; and

a proxy handler, installed on the remote machine by the remote agent, associated with the identified shell extension, integrating the identified shell extension of the local machine into the desktop environment of the remote machine, receiving a request for access to the shell extension via the desktop environment of the remote machine, and redirecting the received request to the shell extension invoker.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the remote agent further comprises a file system filter driver intercepting a request for an identification of a handler and responding to the request with an identification of the proxy handler.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the remote agent further comprises a registry filter driver intercepting a request for an identification of a handler and responding to the request with an identification of the proxy handler.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the proxy handler further comprises a transceiver receiving a result of executing the shell extension on the local machine.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the remote agent further comprises means for integrating a display of the result into a desktop environment generated by the remote machine.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the proxy handler further comprises a transceiver transmitting, to the shell extension invoker, data associated with the request.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the remote agent further comprises means for registering the proxy handler with a registry on the remote machine.

19. The system of claim 12 further comprising a local agent executing on the local machine and identifying the shell extension associated with the resource provided by the local machine.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the local agent further comprises means for publishing the identified shell extension.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the proxy handler further comprises an association with an identified shell extension providing additional functionality in a context menu.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the proxy handler further comprises an association with an icon handler associating a customized icon with the resource.

23. The system of claim 12, wherein the proxy handler further comprises an association with an identified shell extension providing additional functionality in program execution.

24. The system of claim 12, wherein the proxy handler further comprises an association with an identified shell extension additional functionality in icon overlay.

25. The system of claim 12, wherein the proxy handler further comprises an association with an identified shell extension associating a thumbnail icon with the resource.

26. The system of claim 12, wherein the proxy handler further comprises an association with an identified shell extension providing additional functionality in a menu identifying a drop target.

27. The system of claim 12, wherein the proxy handler further comprises an association with an identified shell extension providing a display of additional information associated with the resource.