Systems and methods for using virtual machines to sequence native applications into virtual packages and for reimaging virtual machines

• US 9,130,979 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2012
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Anderson, Adam Brady, Jindal, Meera, Achutha, Shruthi, Dalalelis, Nikolaos, Palo, Hamid
• Primary Examiner(s): Barry, Lance L
• Application Number:
  US13/711,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20140164480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 717176-178, 709/246
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45529 Embedded in an application, e.g. JavaScript in a Web browser
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

Providing virtual applications from a remote based system based on native applications. A method includes, at a remote based system, receiving a native application from an on-premises system remote from the remote based system. The method further includes at the remote based system, sequencing the native application into a virtual application. The method further includes providing the virtual application to a system different than the remote based system.

Claims

1. A method of providing virtual applications from a remote based system based on native applications, the method comprising:

at a remote based system, receiving a native application from an on-premises system remote from the remote based system;

at the remote based system using a virtual machine to perform sequencing the native application into a virtual application by installing and setting up the application for use and monitoring the installation and setup process for an application, and recording information needed for the application to run in a virtual environment;

providing the virtual application to a system different than the remote based system; and

reimaging the virtual machine used to perform the sequencing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the virtual application to a system different than the remote based system comprises streaming the virtual application to one or more clients.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the virtual application to a system different than the remote based system comprises returning the virtual application to the on-premises system, that provided the virtual application to the remote based system, remote from the remote based system.

4. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising the virtual machine marking itself as dirty as a result of the sequencing.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

examining the native application to be virtualized; and

based on examining the native application, performing a search for one or more accelerators that can be used to sequence the native application to a virtual application, the accelerators comprising scripts defining a set of sequencing actions that can be used to accelerate the act of sequencing the native application into a virtual application.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing sequencing acceleration using one or more predefined accelerators, the accelerators comprising scripts defining a set of sequencing actions that can be used to accelerate the act of sequencing the native application into a virtual application.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising different roles communicating through remote based storage.

8. A computing system for providing virtual applications from a remote based system based on native applications, the computing system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer readable media, wherein the one or more computer readable media comprise computer executable instructions that when executed by at least one of the one or more processors cause at least one of the one or more processors to perform the following;

at a remote based system, receiving a native application from an on-premises system remote from the remote based system;

at the remote based system sequencing the native application into a virtual application with a virtual machine;

providing the virtual application to a system different than the remote based system; and

marking the virtual machine as dirty in such a way as to cause the virtual machine to be reimaged prior to being used for a subsequent sequencing operation on another virtual application.

9. The computing system of claim 8, wherein providing the virtual application to a system different than the remote based system comprises streaming the virtual application to one or more clients.

10. The computing system of claim 8, wherein providing the virtual application to a system different than the remote based system comprises returning the virtual application to the on-premises system, that provided the virtual application to the remote based system, remote from the remote based system.

11. The computing system of claim 8, the method further comprising reimaging the virtual machine.

12. The computing system of claim 8, the computer readable media further comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by at least one of the one or more processors cause at least one of the one or more processors to perform the following:

examining the native application to be virtualized; and

based on examining the native application, performing a search for one or more accelerators that can be used to sequence the native application to a virtual application, the accelerators comprising scripts defining a set of sequencing actions that can be used to accelerate the act of sequencing the native application into a virtual application.

13. The computing system of claim 8, the computer readable media further comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by at least one of the one or more processors cause at least one of the one or more processors to perform sequencing acceleration using one or more predefined accelerators, the accelerators comprising scripts defining a set of sequencing actions that can be used to accelerate the act of sequencing the native application into a virtual application.

14. The computing system of claim 8, the computer readable media further comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by at least one of the one or more processors cause at least one of the one or more processors to cause different roles to communicate through remote based storage.

15. A hardware storage device storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause at least one of the one or more processors to perform the following:

at a remote based system, receiving a native application from a system remote from the remote based system;

at the remote based system sequencing the native application into a virtual application with a virtual machine;

providing the virtual application to a system different than the remote based system; and

marking the virtual machine in such a way as to cause the virtual machine to be reimaged as a result of the sequencing.