User interface proxy method and system

• US 8,893,004 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2010
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wrp IP Management, LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Drews, Clemens, Nichols, Jeffrey William
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadeese
• Assistant Examiner(s): Durkin, James T
• Application Number:
  US12/778,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20110283202A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• Field of Search: 715733-746, 715174-178, 715/778, 715/781, 715/803, 715/864, 715/866, 709/203, 709/226, 718/1, 718100-108, 726/21, 726/26, 713/164
• US Class Current: 715/733
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/544 Remote
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

A user interface proxy method and system. The method includes presenting by a computer processor, an application user interface request from a client computing system. The application user interface request includes parameters associated with an application user interface. The computer processor enables a proxy user interface instance within a first cloud instance associated with the parameters. The computer processor transmits the application user interface request to the proxy user interface instance. The computer processor transmits results associated with the application user interface request to the client computing system. The computer processor receives messages associated with interactions between the client computing system and a user. The computer processor transmits the messages to the proxy user interface instance. The computer processor transmits feedback data associated with the messages to the client computing system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computer processor of a dispatcher computing system, a first application user interface request from a first client computing system, said first application user interface request comprising first parameters associated with a first application user interface, wherein said first parameters comprise an application user interface type and a necessary security domain;

maintaining, by said computer processor, a pool comprising configurable and commonly used proxy user interfaces;

determining, by said computer processor, a specified type of proxy user interface;

determining, by said computer processor, a specified access level of said user;

additionally determining, by said computer processor based on said specified access level, if said specified access level of said user is associated with an internal company Intranet or an external, from said internal company Intranet, network without access to a firewall of said company;

selecting, by said computer processor based on properties of said first client computing system, an associated application requested for proxy, and results of said additionally determining, a proxy user interface instance location and associated parameters;

initializing, by said computer processor, a first cloud instance without any proxy user interfaces;

transmitting, by said computer processor to said first client computing system, an IP address or a hostname of a first proxy user interface;

enabling on demand, by said computer processor in response to said receiving said first application user interface request, said transmitting said IP address or said hostname, and said initializing, said first proxy user interface instance within said first cloud instance associated with said first parameters and said proxy user interface instance location, wherein said first proxy user interface instance is selected from said pool, wherein said first proxy user interface instance is enabled within a first cloud virtual machine instance associated with only said first proxy user interface instance, wherein said first proxy user interface is completely isolated from any additional proxy user interfaces, wherein said first cloud virtual machine instance is selected based on said specified access level, and wherein said enabling is based on said specified type of proxy user interface and said specified access level;

isolating, by said computing system, said first proxy user interface instance by enabling a first isolated operating system session associated with only said first proxy user interface;

transmitting, by said computer processor to said first proxy user interface instance, said first application user interface request;

receiving, by said computer processor from said first proxy user interface instance, first results associated with said first application user interface request;

transmitting, by said computer processor to said first client computing system, said first results associated with said first application user interface request;

receiving, by said computer processor from said first client computing system, first messages associated with first interactions between said first client computing system and a first user;

transmitting, by said computer processor to said first proxy user interface instance, said first messages;

receiving, by said computer processor from said first proxy user interface instance, first feedback data associated with said first messages;

transmitting, by said computer processor to said first client computing system, first feedback data associated with said first messages; and

redirecting, by said computer processor, proxy user interface connections to said additional proxy user interfaces for future proxy interface requests such that said dispatcher computing system will not become overloaded if multiple operating system sessions are running concurrently.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by said computer processor, a second application user interface request from a second client computing system, said second application user interface request comprising second parameters associated with a second application user interface;

enabling, by said computer processor in response to said receiving said second application user interface request, a second proxy user interface instance within said first cloud instance associated with said second parameters;

transmitting, by said computer processor to said second proxy user interface instance, said second application user interface request;

receiving, by said computer processor from said second proxy user interface instance, second results associated with said second application user interface request;

transmitting, by said computer processor to said second client computing system, said second results associated with said second application user interface request;

receiving, by said computer processor from said second client computing system, second messages associated with second interactions between said second client computing system and a second user;

transmitting, by said computer processor to said second proxy user interface instance, said second messages;

receiving, by said computer processor from said second proxy user interface instance, second feedback data associated with said second messages; and

transmitting, by said computer processor to said second client computing system, said second feedback data associated with said second messages.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said first proxy user interface instance is associated with a first application server, and wherein said second proxy user interface is associated with said first application server.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said first proxy user interface instance is associated with a first application server, and wherein said second proxy user interface is associated with a second application server, and wherein said first application server differs from said second application server.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, by said computer processor, a third application user interface request from a third client computing system, said third application user interface request comprising third parameters associated with a third application user interface;

enabling, by said computer processor in response to said receiving said third application user interface request, a third proxy user interface instance within a second cloud instance associated with said third parameters, wherein said second cloud instance differs from said first cloud instance;

transmitting, by said computer processor to said third proxy user interface instance, said third application user interface request;

receiving, by said computer processor from said third proxy user interface instance, third results associated with said third application user interface request;

transmitting, by said computer processor to said third client computing system, said third results associated with said third application user interface request;

receiving, by said computer processor from said third client computing system, third messages associated with third interactions between said third client computing system and a third user;

transmitting, by said computer processor to said third proxy user interface instance, said third messages;

receiving, by said computer processor from said third proxy user interface instance, third feedback data associated with said third messages; and

transmitting, by said computer processor to said third client computing system, said third feedback data associated with said third messages.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first proxy user interface instance comprises an existing unused proxy user interface instance.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before said enabling, generating by said computer processor, said first proxy user interface instance.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computer processor of a dispatcher computing system, a first application user interface request from a first client computing system, said first application user interface request comprising first parameters associated with a first application user interface, wherein said first parameters comprise an application user interface type and a necessary security domain;

maintaining, by said computer processor, a pool comprising configurable and commonly used proxy user interfaces;

determining, by said computer processor, a specified type of proxy user interface;

determining, by said computer processor, a specified access level of said user;

additionally determining, by said computer processor based on said specified access level, if said specified access level of said user is associated with an internal company Intranet or an external, from said internal company Intranet, network without access to a firewall of said company;

selecting, by said computer processor based on properties of said first client computing system, an associated application requested for proxy, and results of said additionally determining, a proxy user interface instance location and associated parameters;

initializing, by said computer processor, a first cloud instance without any proxy user interfaces;

transmitting, by said computer processor to said first client computing system, an IP address or a hostname of a first proxy user interface;

enabling on demand, by said computer processor in response to said receiving said first application user interface request, said transmitting said IP address or said hostname, and said initializing, said first proxy user interface instance within said first cloud instance associated with said first parameters and said proxy user interface instance location, wherein said first proxy user interface instance is selected from said pool, wherein said first proxy user interface instance is enabled within a first cloud virtual machine instance associated with only said first proxy user interface instance, wherein said first proxy user interface is completely isolated from any additional proxy user interfaces, wherein said first cloud virtual machine instance is selected based on said specified access level, and wherein said enabling is based on said specified type of proxy user interface and said specified access level;

scaling, by said computer processor, said first proxy user interface such said first cloud virtual machine instance comprises resources available to handle said additional proxy user interfaces;

isolating, by said computing system, said first proxy user interface instance by enabling a first isolated operating system session associated with only said first proxy user interface;

transmitting, by said computer processor to said first proxy user interface instance, said first application user interface request;

receiving, by said computer processor from said first proxy user interface instance, first results associated with said first application user interface request;

transmitting, by said computer processor to said first client computing system, said first results associated with said first application user interface request;

receiving, by said computer processor from said first client computing system, first messages associated with first interactions between said first client computing system and a first user;

transmitting, by said computer processor to said first proxy user interface instance, said first messages;

receiving, by said computer processor from said first proxy user interface instance, first feedback data associated with said first messages;

transmitting, by said computer processor to said first client computing system, first feedback data associated with said first messages; and

redirecting, by said computer processor, proxy user interface connections to said additional proxy user interfaces for future proxy interface requests such that said dispatcher computing system will not become overloaded if multiple operating system sessions are running concurrently.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving, by said computer processor, a second application user interface request from a second client computing system, said second application user interface request comprising second parameters associated with a second application user interface;

enabling, by said computer processor in response to said receiving said second application user interface request, a second proxy user interface instance within said first cloud instance associated with said second parameters; and

transmitting, by said computer processor to said second client computing system, a second identifier associated with said second proxy user interface instance, wherein said second client computing system connects to said second proxy user interface instance in response to said transmitting said second identifier, wherein second messages associated with second interactions between a second user and said second client computing system are transmitted to said second proxy user interface instance, and wherein second feedback data associated with said second messages is transmitted to said second client computing system.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said first proxy user interface instance is associated with a first application server, and wherein said second proxy user interface is associated with said first application server.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said first proxy user interface instance is associated with a first application server, and wherein said second proxy user interface is associated with a second application server, and wherein said first application server differs from said second application server.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by said computer processor, a third application user interface request from a third client computing system, said third application user interface request comprising third parameters associated with a third application user interface;

enabling, by said computer processor in response to said receiving said third application user interface request, a third proxy user interface instance within a second cloud instance associated with said third parameters, wherein said second cloud instance differs from said first cloud instance; and

transmitting, by said computer processor to said third client computing system, a third identifier associated with said third proxy user interface instance, wherein said third client computing system connects to said third proxy user interface instance in response to said transmitting said third identifier, wherein third messages associated with third interactions between a third user and said third client computing system are transmitted to said third proxy user interface instance, and wherein third feedback data associated with said third messages is transmitted to said third client computing system.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said first proxy user interface instance comprises an existing unused proxy user interface instance.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

before said enabling, generating by said computer processor, said first proxy user interface instance.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein said first identifier comprises an Internet protocol address.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein said first identifier comprises a hostname.

17. A dispatcher computing system comprising a computer processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising instructions that when enabled by the computer processor implements a method comprising:

receiving, by said computer processor, a first application user interface request from a first client computing system, said first application user interface request comprising of first parameters associated with a first application user interface, wherein said first parameters comprise of an application user interface type and a necessary security domain;

maintaining, by said computer processor, a pool comprising configurable and commonly used proxy user interfaces;

determining, by said computer processor, a specified type of proxy user interface;

determining, by said computer processor, a specified access level of said user;

additionally determining, by said computer processor based on said specified access level, if said specified access level of said user is associated with an internal company Intranet or an external, from said internal company Intranet, network without access to a firewall of said company;

selecting, by said computer processor based on properties of said first client computing system, an associated application requested for proxy, and results of said additionally determining, a proxy user interface instance location and associated parameters;

initializing, by said computer processor, a first cloud instance without any proxy user interfaces;

transmitting, by said computer processor to said first client computing system, an IP address or a hostname of a first proxy user interface;

enabling on demand, by said computer processor in response to said receiving said first application user interface request, said transmitting said IP address or said hostname, and said initializing, said first proxy user interface instance within said first cloud instance associated with said first parameters and said proxy user interface instance location, wherein said first proxy user interface instance is selected from said pool, wherein said first proxy user interface instance is enabled within a first cloud virtual machine instance associated with only said first proxy user interface instance, wherein said first proxy user interface is completely isolated from any additional proxy user interfaces, wherein said first cloud virtual machine instance is selected based on said specified access level, and wherein said enabling is based on said specified type of proxy user interface and said specified access level;

isolating, by said computing system, said first proxy user interface instance by enabling a first isolated operating system session associated with only said first proxy user interface;

transmitting, by said computer processor to said first proxy user interface instance, said first application user interface request;

receiving, by said computer processor from said first proxy user interface instance, first results associated with said first application user interface request;

transmitting, by said computer processor to said first client computing system, said first results associated with said first application user interface request;

receiving, by said computer processor from said first client computing system, first messages associated with first interactions between said first client computing system and a first user;

transmitting, by said computer processor to said first proxy user interface instance, said first messages;

receiving, by said computer processor from said first proxy user interface instance, first feedback data associated with said first messages;

transmitting, by said computer processor to said first client computing system, first feedback data associated with said first messages; and

redirecting, by said computer processor, proxy user interface connections to said additional proxy user interfaces for future proxy interface requests such that said dispatcher computing system will not become overloaded if multiple operating system sessions are running concurrently.