Application streaming proactive failover

• US 8,799,494 B1
• Filed: 02/04/2008
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Ramzan, Zulfikar, Satish, Sourabh, Hernacki, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shepperd, Eric W
• Application Number:
  US12/025,590
• Time in Patent Office: 2,374 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 709/217, 709/219, 709223-225, 709231-232, 709/234, 709/240, 717168-169, 717171-178, 725/25, 725/29, 725/97, 714/1, 714/24, 714/48, 714/708
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/172 Caching, prefetching or hoarding of files
• 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 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A streaming server which streams an application to a client computer (“endpoint”), as well as the client on which the streamed application runs, makes predictions as to what sections of the application the client is likely to execute in the future. Upon receipt of an indication (e.g., from a system administrator) of a planned service outage of the server or the network, the server transmits the application content that is predicted to be needed by the client during the outage in order to continue executing the application without interruption. The client receives and caches the content. Provided that the prediction is sufficiently accurate, the client can continue to seamlessly execute the application during the service outage.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for adjusting streaming of an application to proactively manage planned service disruptions, the method comprising the steps of:

streaming code pages of an executable application from a server to an endpoint for execution of the executable application being streamed by the endpoint;

performing predictive analysis to determine, in advance, which specific code pages of the executable application are most likely to be executed by the endpoint;

receiving an indication, in advance, of a planned service disruption affecting streaming of code pages of the executable application to the endpoint, said indication indicating start time and duration of the service disruption in advance;

predicting which specific code pages of the executable application are most likely to be executed by the endpoint during the planned service disruption based on the performed predictive analysis, said specific code pages of the executable application predicted to most likely be executed by the endpoint during the planned service disruption comprising a subset of a plurality of potential execution paths of the executable application; and

proactively streaming, prior to the planned service disruption, the specific code pages of the executable application predicted to most likely be executed by the endpoint during the planned service disruption to the endpoint, for uninterrupted execution of the executable application by the endpoint during the planned service disruption, said subset of a plurality of potential execution paths comprising a plurality of potential execution paths predicted to most likely be executed by the endpoint during planned service disruption, and

wherein performing predictive analysis to determine, in advance, which specific code pages of the executable application are most likely to be executed by the endpoint further comprises performing a group of steps consisting of;

performing, by the endpoint, at least some analysis to predict a plurality of potential execution paths for the executable application and transmitting resultant predictive data to the server;

receiving predictive data predicting a plurality of potential execution paths for the executable application from the endpoint; and

performing, by the server, at least some analysis to predict a plurality of potential execution paths for the executable application.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein performing predictive analysis to determine, in advance, which specific code pages of the executable application are most likely to be executed by the endpoint further comprises performing at least one step from a group of steps consisting of:

performing call graph analysis of the application;

performing historical profiling of execution of the application on the endpoint; and

maintaining per client usage history of the application for a plurality of clients.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving an indication of a planned service disruption affecting streaming of code pages of the executable application to the endpoint further comprises performing a step from a group of steps consisting of:

receiving an indication of a planned server service outage, said indication of a planned server service outage indicating time and duration information concerning the service outage; and

receiving an indication of a planned network service outage, said indication of a planned network service outage indicating time and duration information concerning the service outage.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein proactively streaming, prior to the planned service disruption, the specific code pages of the executable application predicted to most likely be executed by the endpoint during the planned service disruption to the endpoint further comprises:

transmitting to the endpoint code pages and associated metadata predicted to be needed for uninterrupted execution of the application by the endpoint during the planned service disruption.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

dynamically caching proactively streamed, predicted code pages of the executable application, by the endpoint, for execution during the planned service disruption.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

executing at least some proactively streamed, predicted code pages of the executable application, by the endpoint, during the planned service disruption.

7. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium containing a computer program product for adjusting streaming of an application to proactively manage planned service disruptions, the computer program product comprising:

program code for streaming code pages of an executable application from a server to an endpoint for execution of the executable application being streamed by the endpoint;

program code for performing predictive analysis to determine, in advance, which specific code pages of the executable application are most likely to be executed by the endpoint;

program code for receiving an indication, in advance, of a planned service disruption affecting streaming of code pages of the executable application to the endpoint, said indication indicating start time and duration of the service disruption in advance;

program code for predicting which specific code pages of the executable application are most likely to be executed by the endpoint during the planned service disruption based on the performed predictive analysis, said specific code pages of the executable application predicted to most likely be executed by the endpoint during the planned service disruption comprising a subset of a plurality of potential execution paths of the executable application; and

program code for proactively streaming, prior to the planned service disruption, the specific code pages of the executable application predicted to most likely be executed by the endpoint during the planned service disruption to the endpoint for uninterrupted execution of the executable application by the endpoint during the planned service disruption, said subset of a plurality of potential execution paths comprising a plurality of potential execution paths predicted to most likely be executed by the endpoint during the planned service disruption, and

wherein the program code for performing predictive analysis to determine, in advance, which specific code pages of the executable application are most likely to be executed by the endpoint further comprises program code for performing a group of steps consisting of;

performing, by the endpoint, at least some analysis to predict a plurality of potential execution paths for the executable application and transmitting resultant predictive data to the server;

receiving predictive data predicting a plurality of potential execution paths for the executable application from the endpoint; and

performing, by the server, at least some analysis to predict a plurality of potential execution paths for the executable application.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the program code for performing predictive analysis to determine, in advance, which specific code pages of the executable application are most likely to be executed by the endpoint further comprises program code for performing at least one step from a group of steps consisting of:

performing call graph analysis of the application;

performing historical profiling of execution of the application on the endpoint; and

maintaining per client usage history of the application for a plurality of clients.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the program code for receiving an indication of a planned service disruption affecting streaming of code pages of the executable application to the endpoint further comprises program code for performing a step from a group of steps consisting of:

receiving an indication of a planned server service outage, said indication of a planned server service outage indicating time and duration information concerning the service outage; and

receiving an indication of a planned network service outage, said indication of a planned network service outage indicating time and duration information concerning the service outage.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the program code for proactively streaming, prior to the planned service disruption, the specific code pages of the executable application predicted to most likely be executed by the endpoint during the planned service disruption to the endpoint further comprises:

program code for transmitting to the endpoint code pages and associated metadata predicted to be needed for uninterrupted execution of the application by the endpoint during the planned service disruption.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising:

program code for dynamically caching proactively streamed, predicted code pages of the executable application, by the endpoint, for execution during the planned service disruption.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising:

program code for executing at least some proactively streamed, predicted code pages of the executable application, by the endpoint, during the planned service disruption.

13. A computer system for adjusting streaming of an application to proactively manage planned service disruptions, the computer system comprising:

means for streaming code pages of an executable application from a server to an endpoint for execution of the executable application being streamed by the endpoint;

means for performing predictive analysis to determine, in advance, which specific code pages of the executable application are most likely to be executed by the endpoint;

means for receiving an indication, in advance, of a planned service disruption affecting streaming of code pages of the executable application to the endpoint, said indication indicating start time and duration of the service disruption in advance;

means for predicting which specific code pages of the executable application are most likely to be executed by the endpoint during the planned service disruption based on the performed predictive analysis, said specific code pages of the executable application predicted to most likely be executed by the endpoint during planned service disruption comprising a subset of a plurality of potential execution paths of the executable application; and

means for proactively streaming, prior to the planned service disruption, the specific code pages of the executable application predicted to most likely be executed by the endpoint during the planned service disruption to the endpoint for uninterrupted execution of the executable application by the endpoint during the planned service disruption, said subset of a plurality of potential execution paths comprising a plurality of potential execution paths predicted to most likely be executed by the endpoint during the planned service disruption, and

wherein the means for performing predictive analysis to determine, in advance, which specific code pages of the executable application are most likely to be executed by the endpoint further comprise means for performing a group of steps consisting of;

performing, by the endpoint, at least some analysis to predict a plurality of potential execution paths for the executable application and transmitting resultant predictive data to the server;

receiving predictive data predicting a plurality of potential execution paths for the executable application from the endpoint; and

performing, by the server, at least some analysis to predict a plurality of potential execution paths for the executable application.

14. The computer system of claim 13 wherein the means for performing predictive analysis to determine, in advance, which specific code pages of the executable application are most likely to be executed by the endpoint further comprise means for performing at least one step from a group of steps consisting of:

performing call graph analysis of the application;

performing historical profiling of execution of the application on the endpoint; and

maintaining per client usage history of the application for a plurality of clients.

15. The computer system of claim 13 wherein the means for receiving an indication of a planned service disruption affecting streaming of code pages of the executable application to the endpoint further comprise means for performing a step from a group of steps consisting of:

receiving an indication of a planned server service outage, said indication of a planned server service outage indicating time and duration information concerning the service outage; and

receiving an indication of a planned network service outage, said indication of a planned network service outage indicating time and duration information concerning the service outage.

16. The computer system of claim 13 wherein the means for proactively streaming, prior to the planned service disruption, the specific code pages of the executable application predicted to most likely be executed by the endpoint during the planned service disruption to the endpoint further comprises:

means for transmitting to the endpoint code pages and associated metadata predicted to be needed for uninterrupted execution of the application by the endpoint during the planned service disruption.

17. The computer system of claim 13 further comprising:

means for dynamically caching proactively streamed, predicted code pages of the executable application, by the endpoint, for execution during the planned service disruption.