Remote computing session feature differentiation

• US 8,688,845 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sampath, Sriram, Brockway, Tad, Ou, Jiazhi, Somendra, Aruna
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheema, Umar
• Application Number:
  US12/163,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20090327498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,104 Days
• Field of Search: 709227-229, 726/8, 726 81- 86
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

Example embodiments of the present disclosure are related to terminal servers. In an example embodiment a license can be associated with, or define, a set of capabilities and a session can be generated that includes the capabilities. In an example embodiment the session can be generated in view of a license and privileges that are associated with an account identifier of a user requesting a session from a terminal server.

Claims

1. A remote computing method, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, a request to start a terminal service session from a client;

determining from a license purchased from a license provider that the license indicates that peripheral device redirection capabilities are disabled for terminal service sessions generated in association with the license;

determining, from an account identifier, that peripheral device redirection capabilities are enabled for terminal service sessions generated in association with the account identifier;

disabling a peripheral redirection driver in response to a determination that peripheral device redirection capabilities associated with the license are in conflict with peripheral device redirection capabilities associated with the account identifier, the peripheral redirection driver configured to enable a terminal service session to control peripheral devices physically attached to the client;

generating a customized terminal service session, wherein the terminal session is customized by loading a peripheral redirection driver when said peripheral redirection driver is not disabled and without loading a peripheral redirection driver when the peripheral redirection driver is disabled; and

transmitting draw commands for a user interface of the customized terminal service session to a client.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the customized terminal service session, wherein the customized terminal service session includes access rights for accessing files on the computer system defined by the license.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the customized terminal service session, wherein the customized terminal service session includes a display resolution set in accordance with display settings defined by the license.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating threads associated with the customized terminal service session with a priority level defined in the license, a thread priority level useable by a scheduler to determine when to schedule threads to run on a processor.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disabling graphics translucency effects for the customized terminal service session in accordance with information associated with the license.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a signal indicative of a selected level of service;

transmitting a signal indicative of a selected capability to the license provider; and

receiving the license.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the license from a database in response to determining that all premium level licenses are checked out.

8. A computer system for customizing remote computing sessions, the system configured to communicate with a license database and a networked connected computer system operable to display a desktop environment generated at the computer system, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory including instructions that upon execution cause the processor to;

receive an account identifier from a network connected computer system;

receive a policy file associated with the account identifier, wherein the policy file includes file system access rights;

receive a license, wherein the license indicates that peripheral devices attached to the network connected computer system are made accessible to the computer system; and

generate a terminal server session on the computer system, the terminal server session configured to control a peripheral device attached to the network connected computer system when the license indicates that peripheral devices attached to the network connected computer system are made accessible to the computer system by loading a redirection driver for use by the terminal server session, wherein the terminal server session includes a desktop environment.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions that upon execution cause the processor to generate the terminal server session further comprise instructions that upon execution cause the processor to:

generate the terminal server session, wherein the terminal server session is configured to transmit video signals for the session to the networked connected computer system in accordance with information associated with the license.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions that upon execution cause the processor to generate the terminal server session further comprise instructions that upon execution cause the processor to:

prioritize the execution of one or more threads associated with the terminal server session in accordance with information associated with the license.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory further comprises instructions that upon execution cause the processor to:

select the license from a database using predetermined criteria.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory further comprises instructions that upon execution cause the processor to:

configure a display resolution of a display driver in accordance with information associated with the license.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory further comprises instructions that upon execution cause the processor to:

receive a signal indicating a selection of a premium license; and

transmit a signal indicative of the selected premium license to the license database; and

circuitry for receiving a premium license.

14. A computer readable storage device including instructions stored thereon that upon execution by a processor of a computer system cause the computer system to:

receive, from a client, a request to start a session on the computer system without a license;

disable graphics translucency effects and peripheral device redirection drivers, the peripheral redirection drivers usable by the session running on the computer system, the redirection drivers configured to enable the session to control peripheral devices physically attached to the client when enabled;

log a user account associated with an account identifier into the session, the session having graphics translucency effects and peripheral device redirection drivers disabled; and

send a graphical user interface indicative of the session to the client.

15. The computer readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the computer-readable storage device further comprises instructions that upon execution cause the computer system to:

generate a logon token from information associated with the account identifier, the logon token encapsulating access rights for a user account.

16. The computer readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the computer-readable storage device further comprises instructions that upon execution cause the computer system to:

set a display resolution to a display resolution defined by the license when a license is associated with the session.

17. The computer readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the computer-readable storage device further comprises instructions that upon execution cause the computer system to:

set thread priority information for the session to a thread priority level defined in the license when a license is associated with the session, the thread priority level useable by a scheduler to determine when to schedule threads to run on a processor.

18. The computer readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the instructions that upon execution by the processor of the computer system cause the computer system to receive information indicating that premium level licenses are unavailable further comprise instructions that upon execution cause the computer system to:

receive information indicating that premium level licenses are unavailable to a user account associated with the account identifier.

19. The computer readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the instructions that upon execution by the processor of the computer system cause the computer system to receive information indicating that premium level licenses are unavailable further comprise instructions that upon execution cause the computer system to:

receive information indicating that all premium level licenses are currently checked out.