Methods and systems for interacting, via a hypermedium page, with a virtual machine executing in a terminal services session

• US 8,355,407 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2006
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• 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: Wookey, Michael, Low, Anthony Edward, Parry-Barwick, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): EBRAHIM, ANEZ C
• Application Number:
  US11/559,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20070171921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,254 Days
• Field of Search: 370/401, 370/389, 370/390, 370/395, 709217-219, 709/203, 709/229, 709/201, 709/501, 345/333, 345/336, 345/346
• US Class Current: 370/401
• 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 making a hypermedium page interactive, the hypermedium page displayed by a network browser, includes the step of selecting a hyperlink on the hypermedium page displayed on a client machine, the hyperlink identifying a desired computing resource. A hyperlink configuration file is retrieved, the hyperlink configuration file corresponding to the hyperlink and identifying a server machine. A client agent is started on the client machine. The client agent creates, via a terminal services session, a communication link to a virtual machine executing on the server identified by the hyperlink configuration file, the virtual machine executed by a hypervisor executing in the terminal services session provided by an operating system executing on the server. The client agent receives data from the virtual machine and displays, on the client machine, the received data without intervention by the network browser.

Claims

1. A method for making a hypermedium page interactive, the hypermedium page displayed by a network browser, comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting, by a client machine, a hyperlink on a hypermedium page displayed on the client machine, the hyperlink identifying a desktop computing environment;

(b) retrieving, by the client machine, a hyperlink configuration file corresponding to the hyperlink, the hyperlink configuration file identifying a virtual machine that can provide the desktop computing environment and an operating system in which to execute the desktop computing environment;

(c) selecting, by a broker machine, an execution machine;

(d) launching, by the broker machine, a hypervisor providing access to hardware resources required by the virtual machine into a terminal services session on the execution machine, and creating by a client agent, via the terminal services session, a communication link to the desktop computing environment that has been launched into the virtual machine executing on the execution machine, the virtual machine executed by the hypervisor executing in the terminal services session provided by the operating system executing on the selected execution machine;

(e) launching, by the broker machine, the virtual machine into the hypervisor on the execution machine;

(f) launching, by the broker machine, the desktop computing environment into the virtual machine on the execution machine;

(g) executing, by the client machine, the client agent;

(h) creating by the client agent, via the terminal services session, a communication link to the desktop computing environment that has been launched into the virtual machine executing on the execution machine, the virtual machine executed by a hypervisor executing in the terminal services session provided by an operating system executing on the selected execution machine; and

(i) receiving, by the client agent, data output by the desktop computing environment from the virtual machine and displaying on the client machine the received data without intervention by a network browser.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising starting execution of an identified application on the virtual machine in response to the created communication link.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the client agent creates the communication link without intervention by the network browser.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network browser starts the client agent upon a successful match of information associated with the hyperlink configuration file with an identifier associated with the client agent in a registration file accessible by the network browser.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network browser starts the client agent upon a successful match of an entry in the hyperlink configuration file with an identifier associated with the client agent in a registration file accessible by the network browser.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein a presentation protocol is employed for communication over the communication link.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising registering the client agent with the network browser.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the received data from the virtual machine in a display window on the client machine.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising obtaining a hypermedium page from a network server.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising starting a server agent on the virtual machine.

11. A system for making a hypermedium page interactive, the hypermedium page displayed by a network browser, the system comprising:

a client machine executing a network browser, the network browser displaying a hypermedium page including a hyperlink identifying a desktop computing environment;

a network server transmitting, in response to selection of the hyperlink, a hyperlink configuration file to the client machine, the hyperlink configuration file identifying a virtual machine that can provide the desktop computing environment and an operating system in which to execute the desktop computing environment;

a broker machine selecting an execution machine and, launching (i) a hypervisor providing access to hardware resources required by the virtual machine into a terminal services session on the execution machine, (ii) the virtual machine into the hypervisor on the execution machine, and (iii) the desktop computing environment into the virtual machine on the execution machine;

a client agent executing on the client machine, the client agent creating, via the terminal services session, a communications link to the desktop computing environment that has been launched into the virtual machine on the execution machine,

wherein the client agent receives data output by the computing resource for display from the virtual machine without intervention by the network browser.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the network browser obtains the hypermedium page from the network server and provides the hypermedium page to the client machine.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the client agent displays data received from the virtual machine in a display window located at the client machine.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the display window is located within the boundaries of the hypermedium page.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the application display window is located outside the boundaries of the hypermedium page.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the hyperlink configuration file comprises a resource identifier corresponding to the hyperlink and an identifier of the virtual machine corresponding to the hyperlink.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the client agent creates, responsive to data associated with the hyperlink configuration file, a communications link with a management program executing on an execution machine.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the client agent creates, responsive to data in the hyperlink configuration file, a communications link with a management program executing on an execution machine.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the management program executes a virtual machine providing the desktop computing environment.