Methods and systems for providing access to a computing environment

• US 8,341,270 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2006
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• 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: Mazzaferri, Richard James, Robinson, David Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): SERRAO, RANODHI N
• Application Number:
  US11/563,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20070186212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,219 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/227, 718/1, 711/6
• 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, by a broker machine, a request from a client machine for access to a computing environment, the request including an identification of a user of the client machine. One of a plurality of virtual machines is identified, the identified virtual machine providing the requested computing environment. One of a plurality of execution machines is identified, the identified execution machine executing a hypervisor providing access to hardware resources required by the identified virtual machine. A connection is established between the client machine and the identified virtual machine.

Claims

1. A method of providing access to a desktop computing environment, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a broker machine including a virtual machine management component executing on the processor and a session management component executing on the processor, the session management component having an identification component comprising a transceiver, an execution component, and a management component;

(b) receiving, by a broker machine, a request from a client machine for access to a desktop computing environment, the request including a type of the desktop computing environment;

(c) selecting, by the virtual machine management component, a virtual machine that can provide a desktop computing environment requested by a user at a client and an operating system in which to execute the desktop computing environment;

(d) transmitting, by the virtual machine management component, an identification of a type of the desktop computing environment to the identification component;

(e) receiving, by the identification component, the identification of a type of the desktop computing environment;

(f) transmitting, by the identification component, to the virtual machine management component the identification, and receives from the virtual machine management component an identification of the virtual machine that provides the desktop computing environment requested by a user at the client machine;

(g) selecting, by the identification component, an execution machine executing a hypervisor that provides access to hardware resources required by the virtual machine;

(h) provisioning, by the execution component, the virtual machine;

i) launching, by the execution component, the virtual machine into the execution machine, the virtual machine executing the operating system;

ii) launching, by the execution component, the desktop computing environment into the virtual machine on the execution machine;

(k) establishing, by the management component,

i) an internet protocol address associated with the virtual machine to a client machine into which the requested desktop computing environment has been launched and

ii) a connection between the client machine and the desktop computing environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual machine management component selects the virtual machine according to an identification in the request of a user of the client machine.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request includes a type of the virtual machine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the session management component of the broker machine selects the virtual machine.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the hypervisor provides access to the hardware resources by provisioning the hardware resources on the execution machine.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the hypervisor provides access to the hardware resources by partitioning the hardware resources on the execution machine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification computer selects the execution machine according to the hardware resources required by the virtual machine.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the broker machine establishes the connection by providing to the client machine an internet protocol address associated with the execution machine.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the broker machine establishes the connection by providing a proxy for communication between the client machine and the virtual machine.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the broker machine uses a presentation layer protocol to establish the connection between the client machine and the virtual machine into which the requested desktop computing environment has been launched.

11. An apparatus providing access to a desktop computing environment, the apparatus comprising:

a broker machine including a virtual machine management component executing on a processor and a session management component executing on a processor, the session management component having an identification component comprising a transceiver, an execution component, and a management component, wherein

the virtual machine management component

i) selects a virtual machine that can provide

a) a desktop computing environment requested by a user at a client machine, and

b) an operating system in which to execute the desktop computing environment; and

ii) transmits an identification of a type of the desktop computing environment to the identification component;

the identification component

i) receives the identification of a type of the desktop computing environment, transmits to the virtual machine management component the identification, and receives from the virtual machine management component an identification of the virtual machine that provides the desktop computing environment requested by a user at a client machine, and

ii) selects an execution machine executing a hypervisor that provides access to hardware resources required by the virtual machine;

the execution component

i) provisions the virtual machine,

ii) launches the virtual machine into the execution machine, the virtual machine executing the operating system, and

iii) launches the desktop computing environment into the virtual machine on the execution machine; and

the management component provides an internet protocol address associated with the virtual machine to the client machine into which the requested desktop computing environment has been launched and establishes a connection between the client machine and the desktop computing environment.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a virtual machine service component, wherein the virtual machine service component executes in the hypervisor and receives from the session management component configuration information associated with the client machine.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a virtual machine service component, wherein the virtual machine service component executes in the virtual machine and receives from the session management component configuration information associated with the client machine.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the identification component selects the execution machine according to an identification of an execution machine received from the virtual machine management component.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the transceiver of the identification component receives an identification of a user of the client machine and transmits the identification of the user to the virtual machine management component.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the transceiver of the identification component receives an identification of a type of the virtual machine and transmits the identification of the type of the virtual machine to the virtual machine management component.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the virtual machine management component selects the virtual machine responsive to an identification of a user of the client machine.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the execution component launches the virtual machine into the hypervisor on the execution machine.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the virtual machine management component allocates the virtual machine to the user.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the management component provides a proxy for communication between the client machine and the virtual machine into which the requested desktop computing environment has been launched.

21. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the management component establishes the connection between the client machine and the virtual machine into which the requested desktop computing environment has been launched using a presentation layer protocol.