Systems and methods for providing client-side dynamic redirection to bypass an intermediary

• US 8,706,877 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Sundarrajan, Prabakar, He, Junxiao, Verzunov, Sergey, Venkatraman, Charu, Shetty, Anil, Suganthi, Josephine
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Lynn
• Assistant Examiner(s): COX, NATISHA D
• Application Number:
  US11/323,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20060248581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,035 Days
• Field of Search: 726/12
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• 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

Abstract

The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for dynamically redirecting on a client communications of the client with a server to bypass an intermediary that is determined to be unavailable for such communications. An acceleration program on the client establishes a transport layer connection between the client and server, and intercepts communications of the client to the server. The transport layer connection may be established via an intermediary, such as a gateway, proxy or appliance. If the client-side acceleration program determines the intermediary is not available for communicating by the client to the server, the acceleration program automatically establishes a second transport layer connection to the server in order to bypass the intermediary. The acceleration program then transmits the intercepted communications of the client via the second transport layer connection to the server. The acceleration program may automatically redirect intercepted communications of the client to the server transparently to any user or application of the client.

Claims

1. A method for redirecting, on a client, a communication of the client to a server to bypass an intermediary upon determining the intermediary is not useable to communicate by the client to the server, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) establishing, by an acceleration program on a client, a first transport layer connection between the client and a server via an intermediary, the first transport layer connection carrying an established application layer session between each of a plurality of applications of the client and the server;

(b) transmitting via multiplexing over the established first transport layer connection, by the acceleration program, data of each of the established application layer sessions between the plurality of applications of the client and the server;

(c) determining, by the acceleration program responsive to not receiving a communication from the intermediary within a predetermined time, the intermediary is not useable to communicate by the client via the first transport layer connection;

(d) intercepting, by the acceleration program, a communication of a first established application layer session of the plurality of application layer sessions from a respective application of the client to the server;

(e) establishing, by the acceleration program, a second transport layer connection between the acceleration program and the server to bypass the intermediary; and

(f) transmitting via the established second transport layer connection, by the acceleration program, the intercepted communication transparently to the first established application layer session to continue the same first established application layer session with the server without disruption.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises establishing, by the acceleration program, the second transport layer connection directly with the server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises establishing, by the acceleration program, the second transport layer connection with the server via a second intermediary.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising transmitting, by the acceleration program, the communication to the server via the second transport layer connection.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising automatically installing and executing, by the client, the acceleration program upon receipt of the acceleration program from the intermediary.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the acceleration program comprises a filter device driver interfaced to a transport layer of a network stack of the client.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising performing, by the acceleration program, one of the following acceleration techniques on the communication:

compression,

Transmission Control Protocol connection pooling,

Transmission Control Protocol connection multiplexing,

Transmission Control Protocol buffering; and

caching.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising encrypting, by the acceleration program, the communication between the client and the server.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising executing, by the client, the acceleration program, transparently to one of a network layer, a session layer, or application layer of a network stack of the client.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising executing, by the client, the acceleration program, transparently to one of an application on the client, a user of the client, or the server.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediary comprises one of a cache, a gateway, a firewall, a server, a proxy, a router, a switch, or a bridge.

12. A system for redirecting, on a client, a communication of the client to a server to bypass an intermediary upon determining the intermediary is not useable to communicate by the client to the server, the system comprising:

means for establishing, by an acceleration program on a client, a first transport layer connection between the client and a server via an intermediary, the first transport layer connection carrying an established application layer session between each of a plurality of applications of the client and the server;

means for transmitting via multiplexing over the established first transport layer connection, by the acceleration program, data of each of the established application layer sessions between the plurality of applications of the client and the server;

means for determining, by the acceleration program responsive to not receiving a communication from the intermediary within a predetermined time, the intermediary is not useable to communicate by the client via the first transport layer connection;

means for intercepting, by the acceleration program, a communication of a first established application layer session of the plurality of application layer sessions from a respective application of the client to the server;

means for establishing, by the acceleration program, a second transport layer connection between the acceleration program and the server to bypass the intermediary; and

means for transmitting via the established second transport layer connection, by the acceleration program, the intercepted communication transparently to the first established application layer session to continue the same first established application layer session with the server without disruption.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the acceleration program establishes the second transport layer connection directly with the server.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the acceleration program establishes the second transport layer connection with the server via a second intermediary.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the acceleration program transmits the communication to the server via the second transport layer connection.

16. The system of claim 12, comprising means for automatically installing and executing, by the client, the acceleration program upon receipt of the acceleration program from the intermediary.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the acceleration program comprises a filter device driver interfaced to a transport layer of a network stack of the client.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the acceleration program performs one of the following acceleration techniques for the communication

compression,

Transmission Control Protocol connection pooling,

Transmission Control Protocol connection multiplexing,

Transmission Control Protocol buffering;

and

caching.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the acceleration program encrypts the communication between the client and the server.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the client executes the acceleration program transparently to one of a network layer, a session layer, or application layer of a network stack of the client.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the client executes the acceleration program transparently to one of an application on the client, a user of the client, or the server.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the intermediary comprises one of a cache, a gateway, a firewall, a server, a proxy, a router, a switch, or a bridge.

23. A method for redirecting, on a client, a communication of the client to a server to bypass an intermediary upon determining the intermediary is not useable to communicate by the client to the server, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting, by an acceleration program on a client, a plurality of packets of a plurality of applications of the client to establish a plurality of application layer sessions with a server via a first transport layer connection established between the client and the server via an intermediary;

transmitting via multiplexing over the established first transport layer connection, by the acceleration program, data of each of the established application layer sessions of the plurality of applications of the client between the client and the server using an acceleration technique;

determining, by the acceleration program, the intermediary is not useable to communicate by the client via the first transport layer connection;

intercepting, by the acceleration program, a first packet of a first established application layer session of the plurality of application layer sessions from a respective application of the client to the server, wherein the first packet is not a request to establish or re-establish the first application layer session;

establishing, by the acceleration program, a second transport layer connection between the acceleration program and the server to bypass the intermediary;

determining that the first application is not capable of being accelerated by the client to the server via the second transport connection; and

transmitting via the established second transport layer connection, by the acceleration program, the intercepted first packet transparently to the first established application layer session of the application of the client to continue the same first established application layer session with the server without disruption, without using an acceleration technique, responsive to the determination.