Content presentation in remote monitoring sessions for information technology systems

• US 8,607,158 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2010
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Molander, Mark E., Pruett, Gregory B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Theriault, Steven B
• Application Number:
  US12/964,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20120151360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 715/764, 715/771, 715/781, 715/778, 715804-805
• US Class Current: 715/804
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

Content presentation in remote sessions by reducing processing and communication bandwidth requirements for the remote sessions in an information technology environment. Content presentation includes maintaining a session window on an electronic display screen of a remote administration console for remotely monitoring a corresponding server system via a communication link, and monitoring a display status of the session window on the display screen. Based on the display status of the session window, a quantity of refresh information for the session window is selectively transmitted from a management server to the remote administration console over the communication link for display in the session window. The refresh information includes status information for the remotely monitored server system.

Claims

1. A method of content presentation, comprising:

maintaining a session window on an electronic display screen of a remote administration console for remotely monitoring a corresponding server system via a communication link;

monitoring a display status of the session window on the display screen; and

based on the display status of the session window selectively transmitting a quantity of refresh information for the session window from a management server to the remote administration console over the communication link for display in the session window, wherein monitoring the display status of the session window comprises determining one or more of;

amount of visibility of the session window on the electronic display screen, focus status of the session window on the electronic display and active status of the session window, wherein the refresh information comprises status information for the remotely monitored server system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

selectively transmitting a quantity of refresh information for the session window further comprises transmitting a reduced quantity of refresh information for the session window from the management server to the remote administration console over the communication link for display in the session window, based on the visible area of the session window.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively transmitting a quantity of refresh information for the session window further comprises:

determining if a refresh of the session window is needed based on a percentage of area blocked of the session window; and

if a refresh of the session window is needed, transmitting a quantity of refresh information from the management server to the remote administration console over the communication link based on percentage of area of the session window that is visible.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining a refresh rate for the session window based on active focus status or thumbnail state of the session window on the display screen.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the quantity of the refresh information based on the amount of the session window that is blocked or covered.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the quantity of the refresh information for the session window comprises a subset of the status information for the monitored server system.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein:

color depth and resolution information included in the refresh information for the session window is adjusted based on active focus status of the session window on the display screen.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting refresh information for the session window at a refresh rate that is based on the visibility status of the session window.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing multiple remote sessions at the remote administration console for remotely monitoring multiple corresponding server systems via a communication link;

displaying a remote session window on a display screen of the remote administration console for each remotely monitored server system;

monitoring a display status of each remote session window on the display screen;

monitoring interaction with each remote session window on the display screen; and

for at least one remote session window, based on the display status of the at least one remote session window and interaction with the at least one remote session window, selectively transmitting a quantity of refresh information from a management server to the remote administration console over the communication link, wherein the refresh information comprises status information for a corresponding remotely monitored server system.

10. A system for content presentation on an electronic display in an information technology environment, comprising:

a monitoring module configured for maintaining a session window on a display screen of a remote administration console for remotely monitoring a corresponding server system via a communication link, monitoring a display status of the session window on the display screen, and based on the display status of the session window selectively receiving a quantity of refresh information for the session window over the communication link, wherein the monitoring module determines the display status of the session window based on one or more of;

amount of visibility of the session window on the display screen, focus status of the session window on the electronic display and active status of the session window, wherein the refresh information comprises status information for the remotely monitored server system.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a management server configured for maintaining status information for each server system being remotely monitored, and providing refresh information for the session window over the communication link.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the monitoring module is further configured for determining if a refresh of the session window is needed based on a percentage of area blocked of the session window, and if a refresh of the session window is needed, then requesting transmission of a quantity of refresh information from the management server to the remote administration console over the communication link based on percentage of area of the session window that is visible.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein:

selective refresh of the session window is based on a percentage of area blocked of the session window on the display screen.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the quantity of the refresh information for the session window comprises a subset of the status information for the monitored server system.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the quantity of the refresh information for the session window is based on a size of the session window that is blocked or covered on the display screen.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the quantity of refresh information for the session window is refreshed at a rate that is based on active focus status or thumbnail state of the session window.

17. A computer program product for content presentation on an electronic display, comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable program code when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform operations comprising;

maintaining a session window on a display screen of a remote administration console for remotely monitoring a corresponding server system via a communication link;

monitoring a display status of the session window on the display screen;

based on the display status of the session window selectively transmitting a reduced quantity of refresh information for the session window from a management server to the remote administration console over the communication link for display in the session window, wherein monitoring the display status of the session window comprises one or more of;

amount of visibility of the session window on the display screen, focus status of the session window on the electronic display and active status of the session window, wherein the refresh information comprises status information for the remotely monitored server system; and

the management server maintaining status information for each server system being remotely monitored.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the program code further causes the computer to perform operations further comprising:

determining if a refresh of the session window is needed based on a percentage of area blocked of the session window; and

if a refresh of the session window is needed, transmitting a quantity of refresh information from the management server to the remote administration console over the communication link based on percentage of area of the session window that is visible.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the program code further causes the computer to perform operations further comprising:

determining a refresh rate for the session window based on active focus status or thumbnail state of the session window on the display screen; and

determining the quantity of the refresh information based on an amount of the session window that is blocked or uncovered, wherein the quantity of the refresh information for the session window comprises a subset of the status information for the monitored server system.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein:

color depth or resolution information included in the refresh information for the session window is adjusted based on active focus status of the session window on the display screen.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the program code further causes the computer to perform operations further comprising:

transmitting refresh information for the session window at a refresh rate that is based on the visibility status of the session window.