Virtual application extension points

• US 9,170,855 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2013
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Sheehan, John M, Reierson, Kristofer H
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU HA T
• Application Number:
  US13/941,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20130305264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/227, 709/213, 709/217
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/455 Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

A virtual application may be configured with several extension points within a host operating system. The virtual application may be configured with a private namespace in which various components, such as registry settings, dynamic linked libraries, and other components may reside. During configuration, links may be placed in the host operating system that may point to objects in the virtual application'"'"'s private namespace so that the operating system and other applications may launch, control, or otherwise interact with the virtual application. The links may be located in a file system, registry, or other locations and may be available to other applications, including other virtual applications. A configuration routine may place the links into the host operating system at the time the application may be configured.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computer processor for operating a virtual application on a device, the method comprising:

formulating a link into a private namespace, the link providing an extension point for accessing a stored item related to the virtual application, the stored item stored in the private namespace, the private namespace private to the virtual application such that one or more other applications at the device are prevented from natively accessing the stored item, the link configured such that the one or more other applications can interact with the virtual application in a specified manner by accessing the stored item;

storing the link in a public namespace of a host operating system at the device to make the link accessible to the one or more other applications;

receiving a selection of the link, the link having been selected through the public namespace by an application from among the one or more other applications; and

in response to receiving the selection of the link;

identifying the stored item from the link; and

permitting the application to interact with the virtual application in the specified manner through access to the stored item.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

formulating a second link into the private namespace, the second link providing an extension point for accessing a second stored item related to the virtual application, the second link configured such that the one or more other applications can interact with the virtual application in a different specified manner by accessing the second stored item;

storing the second link in the public namespace;

receiving a selection of the second link, the second link having been selected through the public namespace by a second application from among the one or more other applications; and

in response to receiving the selection of the second link;

identifying the second stored item from the second link; and

permitting the second application to interact with the virtual application in the different specified manner through access to the second stored item.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the application and the second application are the same application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein formulating a second link comprising formulating a second link in one of:

a host file system of the device or a host registry of the device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein an application virtualizer and the link are included in an installation package.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the installation package comprises an installation program, installation program being configured to:

read a manifest comprising the link; and

create the link in the host operating system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a selection of the link comprises receiving a selection of the link from a second virtual application executing at the device;

and

wherein permitting the application to interact with the virtual application in the specified manner comprises permitting the second virtual application to interact with the virtual application in the specified manner.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising streaming the virtual application into an application virtualizer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein formulating a link into a private namespace comprises formulate a link into the private namespace that permits one of:

passing parameters to the virtual application and traversing configuration information for the virtual application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein formulating a link into a private namespace comprises formulating a link from one of:

a file system in said public namespace or a registry in said public namespace, into said private namespace.

11. A computer program product, the computer program product for implementing a method for operating a virtual application on a device, the computer program product comprising one or more computer storage memory devices having stored thereon computer-executing instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform the method, including the following:

formulate a link into a private namespace, the link providing an extension point for accessing a stored item related to the virtual application, the stored item selected from among one or more stored items stored in the private namespace, the private namespace private to the virtual application such that one or more other applications at the device are prevented from natively accessing the stored item, the link configured such that one or more other applications can interact with the virtual application in a specified manner by accessing the stored item;

store the link in a public namespace of a host operating system at the device to make the link accessible to the one or more other applications;

receive a selection of the link, the link having been selected through the public namespace by an application from among the one or more other applications; and

in response to receiving the selection of the link;

identify the stored item from the link; and

permit the application to interact with the virtual application in the specified manner through access to the stored item.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the following:

formulate a second link into the private namespace, the second link providing an extension point for accessing a second stored item related to the virtual application, the second stored item selected from among the one or more stored items, the second link configured such that the one or more other applications can interact with the virtual application in a different specified manner by accessing the second stored item;

store the second link in the public namespace;

receive a selection of the second link, the second link having been selected through the public namespace by a second application from among the one or more other applications; and

in response to receiving the selection of the second link;

identify the second stored item from the second link; and

permit the second application to interact with the virtual application in the different specified manner through access to the second stored item.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein computer-executable instructions that when executed formulate a link into a private namespace comprise computer-executable instructions that when executed formulate a link into the private namespace that permits one of:

passing parameters to the virtual application and traversing configuration information for the virtual application.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, computer-executable instructions that when executed perform formulating a link into said private namespace comprise computer-executable instructions that when executed perform formulating a link from one of:

a file system in said public namespace or a registry in said public namespace, into said private namespace.

15. At a device, method for accessing a virtual application, the method comprising:

receiving an indication that a link has been stored in a public namespace at the device to make the link accessible to one or more other applications, the link providing an extension point for accessing a stored item related to the virtual application, the stored item stored in a private namespace, the private namespace private to the virtual application such that another application at the device is prevented from natively accessing the stored item, the link configured such that the other application can interact with the virtual application in a specified manner by accessing the stored item;

the other application selecting the link through the public namespace; and

in response to selecting the link, the application interacting with the virtual application in the specified manner through access to the stored item, including identifying the stored item from the link.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein an application at the device selecting the link comprises the application selecting the link to pass parameters to the virtual application.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein an application at the device selecting the link comprises the application selecting the link to launch the virtual application.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein an application at the device selecting the link comprises the application selecting the link to examine configuration information for the virtual application.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein in response to selecting the link, the application interacting with the virtual application in the specified manner comprises in response to selecting the link, the application launching the virtual application.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein in response to selecting the link, the application interacting with the virtual application in the specified manner comprises in response to selecting the link, the application receiving a value for a registry key, the registry key value in a registry in the private namespace.