Systems and methods for providing a single click access to enterprise, SAAS and cloud hosted application

• US 9,461,996 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2011
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Hayton, Richard, Soni, Ajay, Chauhan, Abhishek, Sinha, Rajiv, Gupta, Minoo
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHMIDT, KARI L
• Application Number:
  US13/102,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20110277027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,978 Days
• Field of Search: 726/8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0884 by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to methods and systems of providing a user-selectable list of disparately hosted applications. A device intermediary to a client and one or more servers may receive a user request to access a list of applications published to the user. The device may communicate to the client the list of published applications available to the user, the list comprising graphical icons corresponding to disparately hosted applications, at least one graphical icon corresponding to a third-party hosted application of the disparately hosted applications, the third party hosted application served by a remote third-party server. The device may receive a selection from the user of the at least one graphical icon. The device may communicate, from the remote third party server to the client of the user, execution of the third party hosted application responsive to the selection by the user.

Claims

1. A method of providing a selectable list of disparately hosted applications, the method comprising:

(a-1) receiving, by a device intermediary to a client and one or more servers of a host enterprise, a request from the client of a user of the host enterprise, to access a list of applications published to the user;

(a-2) including, by the device in the list of published applications, a first list of one or more applications hosted by a server of the host enterprise, identified to the device by the server of the host enterprise via a program neighborhood interface executing on the device in accordance with a configuration of the device, and a third party hosted application served by a remote third party server of a third party enterprise disparate from the host enterprise, identified in the configuration of the device, the program neighborhood interface configured to limit applications displayed via a program neighborhood application executing on the client, to those for which the user of the client has authorization to access;

(b) communicating, by the device to the client via a first network of the host enterprise, the list of published applications available to the user for display by the client via a single user interface of the program neighborhood application, the list of published applications comprising a plurality of graphical icons corresponding to a plurality of disparately hosted applications, at least one graphical icon corresponding to the third party hosted application among the plurality of disparately hosted applications, and a second graphical icon corresponding to the enterprise application hosted and served by the server of the host enterprise via the first network, the third party hosted application served via a second network by the remote third party server of the third party enterprise disparate from the host enterprise;

(c-1) authenticating, by the device, the user via a single set of authentication credentials for accessing the plurality of disparately hosted applications;

(c-2) receiving, by the device, a selection comprising a single click from the user of the at least one graphical icon corresponding to the third party hosted application, via the single user interface of the program neighborhood application; and

(d) communicating, via the device via the first network to the client of the user of the host enterprise responsive to the selection by the user, execution of the third party hosted application from the remote third party server via the second network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises identifying, by the device, applications for the list of published applications available for access to the user, the list of published applications comprising one or more graphical icons corresponding to one or more applications hosted by third party servers on third party networks and one or more graphical icons corresponding to one or more applications hosted on one or more local servers on a local network of the device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises enumerating, by the device, all disparately hosted applications available for access by the user into the list of published applications, a first application of the list of published applications comprising the enterprise application hosted by the host enterprise of the device, a second application of the list of published applications comprising an application of the host enterprise hosted via a cloud computing service and a third application of the list of published applications comprising the third-party application hosted by the third-party server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises providing, by the device, the list of published applications via a web interface page.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c-2) further comprises receiving, by the device, the selection from the user the at least one graphical icon corresponding to the third party hosted application comprising one of a Software as a Service (SAAS) application, a Platform as a Service (PAAS) application or an Infrastructure as a Service (IAAS) application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises automatically performing a login, by the device, to the third party hosted application on behalf of the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises authenticating, by the device, the user to the third party hosted application using authentication credentials managed by the device for the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises communicating, by the device, execution of the third party hosted application via one of streaming, a virtualized environment or a remote display protocol.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the device, a second selection of a second graphical icon corresponding to an application hosted by a local server of the host enterprise of the device;

and communicating, by the device, execution of the selected second application to the client of the user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein (b) comprises communicating the list of published applications comprising the at least one graphical icon corresponding to the third party hosted application, the third party hosted application accessible to the user via the single interface in the same way as the application hosted by the host enterprise.

11. A system for providing a selectable list of disparately hosted applications, the system comprising:

a device intermediary to a client and one or more servers of a host enterprise, the device receiving a request from the client of a user of the host enterprise, to access a list of applications published to the user and including, to the list of published applications, a first list of one or more applications hosted by a server of the host enterprise, identified to the device by the server of the host enterprise via a program neighborhood interface executing on the device in accordance with a configuration of the device, and a third party hosted application served by a remote third party server of a third party enterprise disparate from the host enterprise, identified in the configuration of the device, the program neighborhood interface configured to limit applications displayed via a program neighborhood application executing on the client, to those for which the user of the client has authorization to access;

wherein a packet engine of the device communicates via a first network of the host enterprise the list of published applications available to the user for display by the client via a single user interface of the program neighborhood application, the list of published applications comprising a plurality of graphical icons corresponding to a plurality of disparately hosted applications, at least one graphical icon corresponding to the third party hosted application among the plurality of disparately hosted applications, and a second graphical icon corresponding to the enterprise application hosted and served by the server of the host enterprise via the first network, the third party hosted application served via a second network by the remote third party server of the third party enterprise disparate from the host enterprise, authenticates the user via a single set of authentication credentials for accessing the plurality of disparately hosted applications, and receives a selection comprising a single click from the user of the at least one graphical icon corresponding to the third party hosted application, via the single user interface of the program neighborhood application; and

wherein execution of the third-party hosed application from the remote third party server via the second network is communicated via the device via the first network to the client of the user of the host enterprise responsive to the selection by the user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the device identifies applications for the list of applications available for access to the user, the list of published applications comprising one or more graphical icons corresponding to one or more applications hosted by third party servers on third party networks and one or more graphical icons corresponding to one or more applications hosted on one or more local servers on a local network of the device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the device enumerates all disparately hosted applications available for access by the user into the list of published applications, a first application of the list of published applications comprising the enterprise application hosted by the host enterprise of the device, a second application of the list of published applications comprising an application of the host enterprise hosted via a cloud computing service and a third application of the list of published applications comprising the third-party application hosted by the third-party server.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the device provides the list of published applications via a web interface page.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the device receives from the user the selection of at least one graphical icon corresponding to the third party hosted application comprising one of a Software as a Service (SAAS) application, a Platform as a Service (PAAS) application or an Infrastructure as a Service (IAAS) application.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the device automatically performs a login to the third party hosted application on behalf of the user.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the device authenticates the user to the third party hosted application using authentication credentials managed by the device for the user.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the device communicates execution of the third party hosted application via one of streaming, a virtualized environment or a remote display protocol.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the device receives a second selection of a second graphical icon corresponding to an application hosted by a local server of the host enterprise of the device and communicates execution of the selected second application to the client of the user.