Survivable browsing in virtualized desktop environment when host connectivity is lost

• US 8,769,011 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2011
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baird, Randall B., Friedl, Stephan E., Wesselman, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gee, Jason
• Application Number:
  US13/164,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20120331406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions

Abstract

Techniques are provided herein for providing survivable browsing when a client endpoint device loses contact with its host server. A Hosted Virtual Desktop (HVD) draws and communicates an HVD display image comprising a HVD browser window to the client endpoint device for display, via a virtual desktop interface (VDI) protocol. A browser (or browser extension) on the HVD works together with a browser server on the client endpoint device to synchronize browser data, and in some examples to render data such as streaming media in a client-provided frameless browser window in place of a placeholder in the HVD browser window. In response to the detection of an inactive VDI session, the browser server on the client endpoint device launches an endpoint browser instance to seamlessly switch browsing from the HVD browser window to an endpoint browser window, using the browser synchronization data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a Virtual Desktop Interface (VDI) session between a client endpoint device and a Hosted Virtual Desktop (HVD) host;

establishing an endpoint browser service on the client endpoint device;

receiving from the HVD host at the client endpoint device a Hosted Virtual Desktop (HVD) display comprising an HVD browser window, the HVD browser window comprising one or more browser window elements, wherein web browsing is being performed at the HVD host;

receiving, by the endpoint browser service, first browser synchronization data from the HVD host;

detecting that the VDI session is inactive;

in response to detecting the inactive VDI session, the endpoint browser service launching an endpoint browser instance at the client endpoint device; and

utilizing, by the endpoint browser instance, the first browser synchronization data to display an endpoint browser window comprising the one or more browser window elements, thereby switching web browsing from the HVD host to the client endpoint device to provide seamless browsing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the VDI session is inactive because of a failure to maintain the VDI session.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first browser synchronization data comprises one or more types of data selected from the group consisting of data describing the currently open browser tabs and windows, browser configuration data, bookmark data, cookie data, certificate data, user profile configuration data, and browser history data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that the VDI session has been re-established;

in response to detecting the re-established VDI session, sending, by the endpoint browser service, second browser synchronization data to the HVD host;

receiving at the client endpoint device a new HVD display comprising a new HVD browser window; and

terminating the endpoint browser instance.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the VDI session has been re-established because a failure to maintain the VDI session has been repaired.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the second browser synchronization data comprises one or more types of data selected from the group consisting of data describing the currently open browser tabs and windows, browser configuration data, bookmark data, cookie data, certificate data, user profile configuration data, and browser history data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the client endpoint device, merging endpoint-specific configuration information with the first browser synchronization data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the endpoint-specific configuration information comprises proxy settings.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading one or more files to a temporary storage area while the VDI session is inactive.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

detecting that the VDI session has been re-established; and

in response to detecting the re-established VDI session, transferring the one or more files from the temporary storage area to a file storage area attached to the HVD host.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the HVD browser window further comprises at least one placeholder element where an endpoint-provided frameless window may be rendered, and further comprising:

creating, by the endpoint browser service, a frameless endpoint browser instance;

receiving data from a web content server at the frameless endpoint browser instance; and

generating a client endpoint display by rendering the HVD display and by the frameless endpoint browser instance rendering the received data in a frameless window in place of the at least one placeholder element of the HVD display; and

in response to detecting the inactive VDI session, receiving data from the web content server at the endpoint browser instance, and the endpoint browser service configuring the endpoint browser window to render the received data.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

terminating the frameless endpoint browser instance.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

putting the frameless endpoint browser instance to sleep, so that the frameless endpoint browser instance remains active on the client endpoint device but no longer renders the frameless window while the VDI session remains inactive.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting that the VDI session has been re-established;

in response to detecting the re-established VDI session, sending, by the endpoint browser service, second browser synchronization data to the HVD host;

awakening, by the endpoint browser service, the minimized frameless endpoint browser instance;

receiving data from the web content server at the awakened frameless endpoint browser instance;

generating a client endpoint display by rendering the HVD display and by the awakened frameless endpoint browser instance rendering the received data in a frameless window in place of the at least one placeholder element of the new HVD display; and

terminating the endpoint browser instance.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting that the VDI session has been re-established;

in response to detecting the re-established VDI session, sending, by the endpoint browser service, second browser synchronization data to the HVD host;

creating, by the endpoint browser service, a new frameless endpoint browser instance;

receiving data from the web content server at the new frameless endpoint browser instance;

generating a client endpoint display by rendering the HVD display and by the new frameless endpoint browser instance rendering the received data in a frameless window in place of the at least one placeholder element of the new HVD display; and

terminating the endpoint browser instance.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more browser window elements includes at least two tabs, each tab associated with a web page rendering area.

17. A method comprising:

establishing a host web browser on a Hosted Virtual Desktop (HVD) host;

establishing a Virtual Desktop Interface (VDI) session between the HVD host and a client endpoint device;

generating an HVD display comprising an HVD browser window, the HVD browser window comprising one or more host-provided browser window elements, wherein web browsing is being performed at the HVD host;

sending the HVD display to the client endpoint device using the VDI session;

sending first browser synchronization data to the client endpoint device;

detecting that the VDI session is inactive, and in response to detecting the inactive VDI session, switching web browsing from the HVD host to the client endpoint device;

detecting that the VDI session has been re-established;

in response to detecting the re-establishment of the VDI session, receiving second browser synchronization data from the client endpoint device;

utilizing, by the host web browser, the second browser synchronization data to generate a new HVD display comprising a new HVD browser window, the new HVD browser window comprising one or more host-provided browser window elements; and

sending the new HVD display to the client endpoint device using the VDI session, thereby switching web browsing from the client endpoint device to the HVD host.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the HVD browser window further comprises at least one placeholder element where a client-provided frameless window may be rendered.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the VDI session has been re-established because a failure to maintain the VDI session has been repaired.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the first browser synchronization data comprises one or more types of data selected from the group consisting of data describing the currently open browser tabs and windows, browser configuration data, bookmark data, cookie data, certificate data, user profile configuration data, and browser history data.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a display device;

a web content server; and

a processor configured to;

establish a Virtual Desktop Interface (VDI) session with a Hosted Virtual Desktop (HVD) host;

establish an endpoint browser service;

receive from the HVD host a Hosted Virtual Desktop (HVD) display comprising an HVD browser window, the HVD browser window comprising one or more browser window elements, wherein web browsing is being performed at the HVD host;

receive, by the endpoint browser service, first browser synchronization data from the HVD host;

detect that the VDI session is inactive;

in response to detecting the inactive VDI session, launch, by the endpoint browser service, an endpoint browser instance; and

utilize, by the endpoint browser instance, the first browser synchronization data to display an endpoint browser window comprising the one or more browser window elements, thereby switching web browsing from the HVD host to the client endpoint device to provide seamless browsing.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the web content server is selected from the group consisting of a content source server and a content cache server.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the apparatus is selected from the group consisting of a thin client and a personal computer.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect that the VDI session has been re-established;

in response to detecting the re-established VDI session, send, by the endpoint browser service, second browser synchronization data to the HVD host;

receive at the apparatus a new HVD display comprising a new HVD browser window; and

terminate the endpoint browser instance.

25. One or more non-transitory computer readable media encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

establish a Virtual Desktop Interface (VDI) session between a client endpoint device and a Hosted Virtual Desktop (HVD) host;

establish an endpoint browser service on the client endpoint device;

receive from the HVD host at the client endpoint device a Hosted Virtual Desktop (HVD) display comprising an HVD browser window, the HVD browser window comprising one or more browser window elements, wherein web browsing is being performed at the HVD host;

receive, by the endpoint browser service, first browser synchronization data from the HVD host;

detect that the VDI session is inactive;

in response to detecting the inactive VDI session, launch, by the endpoint browser service, an endpoint browser instance at the client endpoint device; and

utilize, by the endpoint browser instance, the first browser synchronization data to display an endpoint browser window comprising the one or more browser window elements, thereby switching web browsing from the HVD host to the client endpoint device to provide seamless browsing.