Sharing content across applications and devices having multiple operation modes in an orchestration framework for connected devices

• US 9,189,645 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2013
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Borzycki, Andrew, Deva, Mallikharjuna Reddy, Gajendar, Uday Nandigam, Roychoudhry, Anil
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Dhairya A
• Application Number:
  US13/963,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20140108486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• 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 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 using a plurality of keys or algorithms

Abstract

Aspects described herein allow multiple devices to function as a coherent whole, allowing each device to take on distinct functions that are complementary to one another. Aspects described herein also allow the devices function as a coherent whole when interconnected devices and their respective applications are configured to operate in various operation modes, when management policies are employed to control the operation of the interconnected devices and their respective applications, when transferring content between the interconnected devices and storing the content at those devices, when obtaining access credentials for the interconnected devices that enable the devices to access enterprise resources, when a policy agent applies management policies to control operation of and interaction between the interconnected devices, and when the interconnected devices are used to access an enterprise application store.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

interconnecting a plurality of computing devices through an orchestration framework that coordinates operation of a computing activity across multiple computing devices of the plurality of computing devices;

performing a comparison of a first operation mode of a first application at a first one of the computing devices to a second operation mode of a second application at a second one of the computing devices, wherein the first and second operation modes are respectively one of

a managed operation mode in which availability of application functionality depends on a management policy, and

an unmanaged operation mode in which availability of application functionality does not depend on the management policy; and

either initiating or blocking a transfer of content from the first application to the second application based on enforcement of the management policy with respect to the comparison of the first and second operation modes, wherein the transfer comprises

copying the content from the first application to a virtual clipboard, and

pasting the content from the virtual clipboard at the second application;

wherein the management policy

permits the transfer of the content where the first operation mode is the same as the second operation mode,

permits the transfer of the content where the first operation mode is the unmanaged operation mode, and

restricts the transfer of the content where the first operation mode is the managed operation mode and the second operation mode is the unmanaged operation mode.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the first operation mode is the managed operation mode and that the second operation mode is the unmanaged operation mode;

instructing the second application to change the second operation mode to the managed operation mode; and

initiating the transfer of the content after the second application changes the second operation mode to the managed operation mode.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying one or more applications at the second one of the computing devices wherein the respective operation modes of the one or more application match the first operation mode of the first application at the first computing device; and

notifying the first application that the one or more applications are available for selection as a destination for the content.

4. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one of the processors, cause the apparatus to

interconnect a plurality of computing devices through an orchestration framework that coordinates operation of a computing activity across multiple computing devices of the plurality of computing devices,

receive a request to transfer content from a first one of the computing devices to a second one of the computing devices,

perform a comparison of a first operation mode of the first one of the computing devices to a second operation mode of a second one of the computing devices, wherein the first and second operation modes are respectively one of

a managed operation mode in which availability of application functionality depends on a management policy, and

an unmanaged operation mode in which availability of application functionality does not depend on the management policy, and

either initiate or block launch of an application capable of presenting the content at the second computing device based on enforcement of the management policy with respect to the comparison of the first and second operation modes;

wherein the management policy

permits the launch of the application where the first operation mode is the same as the second operation mode,

permits the launch of the application where the first operation mode is the unmanaged operation mode, and

restricts the launch of the application where the first operation mode is the managed operation mode and the second operation mode is the unmanaged operation mode.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to:

initiate launch of the application at the second computing device;

determine that the first operation mode of the first computing device is the managed operation mode; and

set an operation mode of the application as the managed operation mode after the application is launched at the second computing device.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

apply a first management policy to determine whether a first computing device is permitted to copy to a virtual clipboard based on a first operation mode of the first computing device; and

apply a second management policy to determine whether a second computing device is permitted to paste from the virtual clipboard based on a second operation mode of the second computing device.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to:

connect to one or more computing devices through an orchestration framework that coordinates operation of a computing activity across the computing device and the one or more computing devices;

transfer selected content to a selected one the computing devices, wherein the transfer of the selected content comprises

performing a comparison of a first operation mode of the computing device to a second operation mode of at least one of the computing devices, wherein the first and second operation modes are respectively one of

a managed operation mode in which availability of application functionality depends on a management policy, and

an unmanaged operation mode in which availability of application functionality does not depend on the management policy,

displaying a list of computing devices available for selection as the selected one of the computing devices, wherein the list of computing devices is based on the comparison, and

initiating the transfer of the selected content to the selected computing device via the orchestration framework; and

receive transferred content from one of the computing devices, wherein receipt of the transferred content comprises,

receiving an instruction from the orchestration framework identifying an application and a desired operation mode for the application,

launching the application and setting an operation mode of the application to the desired operation mode,

providing a notification the orchestration framework that the application has been launched with the desired operation mode,

receiving the transferred content responsive to receipt of the notification at the orchestration framework, and

presenting the transferred content using the application.

8. The computer-readable media of claim 7 wherein:

the list of computing devices includes at least one selectable computing device having an operation mode that is the same as the operation mode of the computing device; and

the list of computing devices excludes any computing device having an operation mode that is not the same as the operation mode of the computing device.

9. The computer-readable media of claim 7 wherein:

the operation mode of the computing device is the managed operation mode; and

the list of computing devices includes at least one selectable computing device having an operation mode that is the managed operation mode.

10. The computer-readable media claim 7 wherein:

the operation mode of the computing device is the unmanaged operation mode; and

the list of computing devices includes at least one selectable computing device having an operation mode that is the managed operation mode or the unmanaged operation mode.

11. The computer-readable media of claim 7 wherein the orchestration framework is configured to interconnect the computing device and the one or more computing devices via at least one of a client-server communication session, a peer-to-peer communication session, and combinations thereof.