State separation for virtual applications

• US 9,304,791 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2015
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2008
• 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): CONNOLLY, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US14/644,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20150186164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to dispositioning state changes for applications. An application can be executed with different behaviors depending on the resources available to the application. The application can be executed with one behavior based on the availability of a specified resource and can be executed with another different behavior when a change in availability of the specified resource is detected. A configuration can be applied to an application based on a fist defined state for the application. Applying the configuration causes the application to execute with a first behavior. A change in available resources defines a second state for the application. The change in available resources is dispositioned (e.g., stored or discarded) in accordance with a policy based on a determine context for the second state.

Claims

1. A computer system, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to;

execute an application to exhibit a first behavior, the application configured to integrate with a plurality of resources, including integrating with a specified resource when the specified resource is available to the application, the first behavior based on a first state defined by an availability of the specified resource;

detect a change to the availability of the specified resource, the change to the availability of the specified resource defining a second state for the application;

determine a second different behavior for the application based on the second state; and

execute the application to exhibit a second different behavior in response to the detected change in availability of the specified resource.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to execute an application to exhibit a first behavior comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed the one or more processors, control the computer system to execute an application that presents a selectable user interface component for the specified resource at a display device, the selectable used interface component presented based on the first state indicating that the specified resource is available to the application.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, controlling the computer system to detect a change to the availability of the specified resource defining a second state comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to, subsequent to presenting the user interface component, detecting that the specified resource is not available to the application.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to determine a second different behavior for the application based on the second state comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to determine that the selectable user interface component is to be removed from the display device based on the second state indicating that the specified resource is not available to the application.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to determine a second different behavior comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to execute the application to present a further selectable user interface component at the display device to replace the selectable user interface component, the further selectable user interface component for another resource from among the plurality of resources, the other resource providing at least a portion of the functionality of the specified resource.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to execute the application to exhibit a first behavior comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to execute an application that presents a selectable user interface component for another resource at a display device based on the first state indicating that the specified resource is not available to the application, the other resource providing at least a portion of the functionality of the specified service.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to detect a change in the availability of the specified resource defining a second state comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to, subsequent to presenting the user interface component, detect that the specified resource is available to the application.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to determine a second different behavior for the application based on the second state comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to determine that the selectable user interface component is to be removed from the display device based on the second state indicating that the specified resource is available to the application.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to determine a second different behavior comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to execute the application to present a further selectable user interface component at the display device to replace the selectable user interface component, the further selectable user interface component for the specified resource.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to execute an application to exhibit a first behavior comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to execute at a virtual machine and wherein the specified resource is a virtual resource.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to execute an application to exhibit a first behavior based on the availability of a specified resource comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to execute an application to exhibit a first behavior based on the availability of a network service.

12. A computer system, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to;

access an application configuration based on a defined first state for an application, the application configuration accessed from among a plurality of configurations stored in a computer hardware memory device; and

apply the accessed application configuration to an application to execute the application with a specified behavior based on the defined first state; and

wherein a change monitoring system is configured to;

detect a change in hardware resources available to the executing application at the device subsequent to applying the configuration, the change defining a second state for the application based on the change to the available hardware resources;

determine a context for the second state; and

disposition the detected change in available hardware resources based on the context as defined in a policy for the context.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to access an application configuration based on a defined first state for an application comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to access an application configuration to execute the application for solo operation.

14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to access an application configuration based on a defined first state for an application comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to access an application configuration to execute the application in a symbiotic relationship with another software component.

15. The computer system of claim 12, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to access an application configuration based on a defined first state for an application comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to access the application configuration from among the plurality of configurations based on a priority of the application configuration.

16. The computer system of claim 12, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to apply the accessed configuration to the application to execute the application with a specified behavior comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to apply the accessed application configuration to cause the application to exhibit specified user interface behavior on a display device.

17. The computer system of claim 12, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to apply the accessed application configuration to the application to execute the application comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to apply the accessed application configuration to the application to execute the application on a virtual machine.

18. The computer system of claim 12, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to detect a change in hardware resources available to the executing application comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to detect a change in the availability of a network service, the application configured to integrate with the network service when the network service is available.

19. The computer system of claim 12, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to disposition the detected change in available hardware resources comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, control the computer system to store the detected change in available hardware resources to a computer storage device.

20. A method comprising:

executing an application at a device, the application configured to integrate with a plurality of resources, including integrating with a specified resource when the specified resource is available to the application, the application having a first state defined by a current availability of the specified resource, the application exhibiting first behavior based on the first state;

detecting a change to the availability of the specified resource, the change to the availability of the specified resource defining a second state for the application;

determining a second different behavior for the application based on the second state; and

executing the application to exhibit the second different behavior in response to the detected change in availability of the specified resource.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein executing the application at a device, the application exhibiting first behavior based on the first state comprises the application presenting a selectable user interface component for the specified resource at a display device based on the first state indicating that the specified resource is available to the application;

and

wherein detecting a change in the availability of the specified resource defining a second state comprises, subsequent to presenting the user interface component, detecting that the specified resource is not available to the application.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein determining a second different behavior for the application based on the second state comprises:

determining that the selectable user interface component is to be removed from the display device based on the second state indicating that the specified resource is not available to the application;

determining that a further selectable user interface component is to be presented at the display device to replace the selectable user interface component, the further selectable user interface component for another resource from among the plurality of resources, the other resource providing at least a portion of the functionality of the specified resource.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein executing the application at a device the application exhibiting first behavior based on the first state comprises the application presenting a selectable user interface component for another resource at a display device based on the first state indicating that the specified resource is not available to the application, the other resource providing at least a portion of the functionality of the specified service;

and

wherein detecting a change in the availability of the specified resource defining a second state comprises, subsequent to presenting the user interface component, detecting that the specified resource is available to the application.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein determining a second different behavior for the application based on the second state comprises:

determining that the selectable user interface component is to be removed from the display device based on the second state indicating that the specified resource is available to the application; and

determining that a further selectable user interface component at the display device to replace the selectable user interface component, the further selectable user interface component for the specified service.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein executing an application at a device comprises executing the device at a virtual machine and wherein the network resource is a virtual resource.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the executing an application to exhibit a first behavior based on the availability of a specified resource comprises executing an application to exhibit a first behavior based on the availability of a network service.

27. A computer program product for use at a computer system, the computer program product for implementing a method, the computer program product comprising computer memory having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed at a processor, cause the computer system to perform the method, including the following:

execute an application at a device, the application configured to integrate with a plurality of resources, including integrating with a specified resource when the specified resource is available to the application, the application having a first state defined by a current availability of the specified resource, the application exhibiting first behavior based on the first state;

detect a change to the availability of the specified resource, the change to the availability of the specified resource defining a second state for the application;

determine a second different behavior for the application based on the second state; and

execute the application to exhibit the second different behavior in response to the detected change in availability of the specified resource.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to execute the application at a device, the application exhibiting first behavior based on the first state comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to present a selectable user interface component for the specified resource at a display device based on the first state indicating that the specified resource is available to the application;

wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to detect a change in the availability of the specified resource defining a second state comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to, subsequent to presenting the user interface component, detect that the specified resource is not available to the application;

wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to determine a second different behavior for the application based on the second state comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system, based on the second state indicating that the network resource is not available to the application, to;

determine that the selectable user interface component is to be removed from the display device; and

determine that a further selectable user interface component is to be presented at the display device to replace the selectable user interface component, the further selectable user interface component for another resource from among the plurality of resources, the other resource providing at least a portion of the functionality of the specified service; and

wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to execute the application to exhibit the second different behavior comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to present the further selectable user interface component at the display device.

29. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to execute the application at a device, the application exhibiting first behavior based on the first state comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to present a selectable user interface component for a local resource of the device at a display device based on the first state indicating that the specified resource is not available to the application, the local resource providing at least a portion of the functionality of the specified resource;

wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to detect a change in the availability of the specified resource defining a second state comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to subsequent to presenting the user interface component, detect that the specified resource is available to the application;

wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to determine a second different behavior for the application based on the second state comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system, based on the second state indicating that the specified resource is available to the application, to;

determine that the selectable user interface component is to be removed from the display device based on the second state indicating that the specified resource is available to the application; and

determine that a further selectable user interface component is to be presented at the display device to replace the selectable user interface component, the further selectable user interface component for the specified service; and

wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to execute the application to exhibit the second different behavior comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to present the further selectable user interface component at the display device.

30. A method comprising:

accessing an application configuration based on a defined first state for an application, the application configuration accessed from among a plurality of configurations stored in a computer hardware memory device;

applying the accessed application configuration to an application to execute the application with a specified behavior based on the defined first state;

detecting a change in hardware resources available to the executing application at the device subsequent to applying the configuration, the change defining a second state for the application based on the change to the available hardware resources;

determining a context for the second state; and

dispositioning the detected change in available hardware resources based on the context as defined in a policy for the context.

31. The method claim 30, wherein accessing an application configuration based on a defined first state for an application comprises accessing an application configuration to execute the application for solo operation.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein accessing an application configuration based on a defined first state for an application comprises accessing an application configuration to execute the application in a symbiotic relationship with another software component.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein applying the accessed configuration to the application to execute the application with a specified behavior comprises applying the accessed application configuration to cause the application to exhibit specified user interface behavior on a display device.

34. A computer program product for use at a computer system, the computer program product for implementing a method, the computer program product comprising computer memory having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed at a processor, cause the computer system to perform the method, including the following:

access an application configuration based on a defined first state for an application, the application configuration accessed from among a plurality of configurations stored in a computer hardware memory device;

apply the accessed application configuration to an application to execute the application with a specified behavior based on the defined first state;

detect a change in hardware resources available to the executing application at the device subsequent to applying the configuration, the change defining a second state for the application based on the change to the available hardware resources;

determine a context for the second state; and

disposition the detected change in available hardware resources based on the context as defined in a policy for the context.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to detect a change in hardware resources available to the executing application comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to detect a change in the availability of a network service, the application configured to integrate with the network service when the network service is available.

36. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to disposition the detected change in available hardware resources comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to store the detected change in available hardware resources to a computer storage device.