Virtualization system and method for hosting applications

• US 9,227,139 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2011
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mamtani, Vinod, McLarnon, Brett, Markello, Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agostino, Paul A
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOSHI, ANKIT B
• Application Number:
  US13/232,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20120088584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42
• 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: A63F 13/358 Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/554 by saving game or status data
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/577 for watching a game played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/164 Feedback from the receiver or from the transmission channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/188 the unit being a video data packet, e.g. a network abstraction layer [NAL] unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/436 using parallelised computational arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 : in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 : Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 : involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 : Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26613 : for generating or managing keys in general key distribution for secret or secure communication involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP] H04L9/083; network support of key management H04L63/06; key management for network security in communication control or processing H04W12/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 : Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 : directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 : Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 : Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 : Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection

Abstract

A computer-implemented system for providing a virtualized application hosting environment comprising: a plurality of application/game servers each having a memory for storing application program code and data and a processor for executing the application program code and processing the data on behalf of a client; a virtualization service executed on each of the application/game servers, the virtualization service comprising a file redirection module for redirecting file system operations generated by the application program code to one or more virtualized file locations; and a registry redirection module for intercepting registry operations generated by the application program code and executing the registry operations on behalf of the application program code at one or more virtualized registry locations.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for providing a virtualized application or video game hosting environment comprising:

a network interface for receiving control signals over a network from a client as a user of the client is using an application or playing a video game, the control signals being generated responsive to the user manipulating an input device coupled to the client;

a plurality of application/game servers each having a memory for storing application or video game program code and data, wherein the application or video game program code and data are stored within an application container data structure which is portable between the plurality of application/game servers, the container data structure comprising;

application program files,

a registry hive data structure that stores configuration settings for an operating system on which the application or video game program code is natively executed, and

file metadata data structure that stores the path for file operations on the application program files to a virtual file location associated with the container;

a processor for executing the application or video game program code and processing the data in response to the control signals received from the client, to generate a sequence of video images resulting from the execution of the application or video game program code and processing of the data;

a low latency video compression unit to compress the sequence of video images to generate a sequence of compressed video images;

wherein the sequence of compressed video images are transmitted to the client over the network, the client decompressing the compressed video images to render the sequence of video images on a display of the client;

a virtualization service executed on each of the application/game servers, the virtualization service comprising;

a file redirection module for redirecting a file system operations generated by the application or video game program code to a base file system if the file system operation is directed to a non-virtual file system location or one or more virtualized file locations if the file system operation is directed to a virtual file system location, wherein the file redirection module determines the file system location by referencing the file metadata data structure of the container; and

a registry redirection module for intercepting registry operations generated by the application program code and executing the registry operations on behalf of the application program code at one or more virtualized registry locations;

wherein the registry operations are directed to the registry hive data structure of the container, wherein the registry redirection module virtualizes a registry by intercepting the registry operations and redirecting the registry operations to the virtualized registry location which stores the configuration settings.

2. The system as in claim 1 wherein redirecting the file system operations further comprises modifying a path associated with the file system operations to a virtualized path identifying a virtualized location in a memory and/or storage device.

3. The system as in claim 1 wherein intercepting the registry operations further comprises:

pending the registry operation;

executing the registry operation in the virtualized registry location on behalf of the application program code; and

providing the results back to the pended registry operation.

4. The system as in claim 3 wherein the results comprise an indication of a successful registry update and an associated value or an indication of a registry update failure.

5. The system as in claim 1 wherein the application program code comprises an online video game and wherein the application/game servers execute the online video game and responsively generate an audio/video output signal in response to video game control commands received from the client.

6. The system as in claim 5 further comprising:

an audio/video compression module for compressing the audio/video output signal from the online video game using a low latency audio/video compression algorithm.

7. The system as in claim 6 wherein the audio/video compression module compresses separate independent audio/video streams for each of a plurality of different clients.

8. The system as in claim 1 wherein the application program code and data is stored within an encrypted application container specific to a user of the client, wherein the encrypted application container is read into memory and decrypted prior to execution of the application program code.

9. The system as in claim 8 wherein a separate encrypted application container is maintained for each individual user and application.

10. The system as in claim 8 further comprising:

a metadata manager for storing metadata associated with each of the file system operations redirected to the one or more virtualized file locations and registry operations executed on behalf of the application program code at one or more virtualized registry locations.

11. The system as in claim 10 wherein when a user of the client logs off the system, the metadata, file and registry updates are stored within the application container associated with the user.

12. A computer-implemented method for providing a virtualized application hosting environment comprising:

receiving control signals over a network from a client as a user of the client is using an application or playing a video game, the control signals being generated responsive to the user manipulating an input device coupled to the client;

executing application or video game program code on an application/game server in response to the control signals received from the client to generate a sequence of video images resulting from the execution of the application or video game program code and processing of the data;

wherein the application or video game program code and data are stored within an application container data structure which is portable between the plurality of application/game servers, the container data structure comprising;

application program files,

a registry hive data structure that stores configuration settings for an operating system on which the application or video game program code is natively executed, and

file metadata data structure that stores the path for file operations on the application program files to a virtual file location associated with the container;

compressing the sequence of video images to generate a sequence of compressed video images;

transmitting the sequence of compressed video images to the client over the network, the client decompressing the compressed video images to render the sequence of video images on a display of the client;

redirecting file system operations generated by the application or video game program code to one or more virtualized file locations, wherein the file location is determined by referencing the file metadata data structure of the container; and

intercepting registry operations generated by the application or video game program code and executing the registry operations on behalf of the application or video game program code at one or more virtualized registry locations;

wherein the registry operations are directed to the registry hive data structure of the container, wherein the registry redirection module virtualizes a registry by intercepting the registry operations and redirecting the registry operations to the virtualized registry location which stores the configuration settings.

13. The method as in claim 12 wherein redirecting the file system operations further comprises modifying a path associated with the file system operations to a virtualized path identifying a virtualized location in a memory and/or storage device.

14. The method as in claim 12 wherein intercepting the registry operations further comprises:

pending the registry operation;

executing the registry operation in the virtualized registry location on behalf of the application program code; and

providing the results back to the pended registry operation.

15. The method as in claim 14 wherein the results comprise an indication of a successful registry update and an associated value or an indication of a registry update failure.

16. The method as in claim 12 wherein the application program code comprises an online video game and wherein the application/game servers execute the online video game and responsively generate an audio/video output signal in response to video game control commands received from the client.

17. The method as in claim 16 further comprising:

an audio/video compression module for compressing the audio/video output signal from the online video game using a low latency audio/video compression algorithm.

18. The method as in claim 17 wherein the audio/video compression module compresses separate independent audio/video streams for each of a plurality of different clients.

19. The method as in claim 12 wherein the application program code and data is stored within an encrypted application container specific to a user of the client, wherein the encrypted application container is read into memory and decrypted prior to execution of the application program code.

20. The method as in claim 19 wherein a separate encrypted application container is maintained for each individual user and application.

21. The method as in claim 19 further comprising:

storing metadata associated with each of the file system operations redirected to the one or more virtualized file locations and registry operations executed on behalf of the application program code at one or more virtualized registry locations.

22. The method as in claim 21 wherein when a user of the client logs off the system, the metadata, file and registry updates are stored within the application container associated with the user.