Methods and systems for facilitating a remote desktop session for a web browser and a remote desktop server

• US 9,535,560 B1
• Filed: 07/24/2012
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Marketing Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wyse Technology L.L.C. (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Kominac, Stevan, Stanley, Jeremy Michael, Schwebke, Curtis
• Primary Examiner(s): Tiv, Backhean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chou, Alan S
• Application Number:
  US13/557,162
• Time in Patent Office: 1,624 Days
• Field of Search: 709/246
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

Examples of methods, systems, apparatus, and machine-readable storage media are provided to facilitate access and control of a remote desktop of a remote machine by a web browser of a client device through a web server without installing proprietary plug-ins or protocols on the client device. A web server may translate user input requests from a windows web browser into input calls compatible with a remote desktop display protocol. The web server may receive remote desktop drawing commands from the remote machine and translate the remote desktop drawing commands into web browser drawing updates compatible with the windows web browser. A web server may communicate with the windows web browser and a remote machine via HTTP and a remote desktop display protocol, accordingly.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating a remote desktop session between a web browser of a client device and a remote desktop server at a remote machine through a web server, utilizing a wrapper of the web server, the method comprising:

receiving, at the wrapper, an input request from a web browser utilizing a request response protocol, wherein the request-response protocol is a pull protocol;

translating, at the wrapper, the input request into an input command compatible with a remote desktop display protocol to be utilized by a remote desktop client at the web server for facilitating communication with the remote desktop server at the remote machine, wherein the remote desktop display protocol is a push protocol;

providing the input command to the remote desktop client at the web server, to facilitate providing the input command to the remote desktop server utilizing the remote desktop display protocol;

receiving, at the wrapper, a remote desktop drawing command from the remote desktop server in response to the input command, wherein the remote desktop drawing command is based on an image of a remote desktop of the remote machine;

translating, at the wrapper, the remote desktop drawing command into a graphics drawing command compatible with the web server;

receiving a long polling HTTP request from the web browser; and

providing a web browser drawing update to the web browser in response to receiving the long polling HTTP request, wherein the web browser comprises a windows web browser and the web browser drawing update is compatible with the windows web browser.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request-response protocol comprises hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), wherein the graphics drawing command is a windows graphics drawing command, wherein the web server is a windows web server, wherein the web browser is hypertext markup language 5 (HTML5) compatible.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the input request comprises receiving the input request from the web browser via an HTTP handler of a web application including an ASP.NET model-view-controller (MVC) at the web server,

wherein the receiving the remote desktop drawing command comprises receiving the remote desktop drawing command via the remote desktop client using the remote desktop display protocol,

wherein the remote desktop drawing command comprises remote desktop drawing command parameters and bitmap data from the remote desktop server, and

wherein the translating the remote desktop drawing command comprises one or more of:

calculating new drawing command parameters based on the remote desktop drawing command parameters;

adjusting the remote desktop drawing command parameters; and

making adjustments to the bitmap data.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

executing the graphics drawing command to generate and draw an image into a drawing commands module at the web server that is accessible by an HTTP handler at the web server for communicating with the web browser;

generating coordinates for the image based on the graphics drawing command;

storing the coordinates in the drawing commands queue;

after generating the coordinates, transmitting a notification to the HTTP handler that a drawing command is ready to be served to the web browser,

wherein each of the image and the graphics drawing command represents a portion of an image of the remote desktop;

updating at least a portion of an off-screen bitmap based on the graphics drawing command, wherein the at least a portion of the off-screen bitmap is associated with the coordinates, wherein the off-screen bitmap represents an image of the remote desktop.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving, via an HTTP handler of the web server, a connection request from the web browser; and

facilitating establishing, controlling or terminating the remote desktop session between the remote desktop client and the remote desktop server in response to the connection request, wherein the facilitating of the establishing, controlling or terminating comprises;

generating a session control command based on the connection request, wherein the session control command is compatible with the remote desktop display protocol; and

facilitating transmitting the session control command to the remote desktop server via the remote desktop client using the remote desktop display protocol, wherein the session control command comprises at least one of;

a command for starting the remote desktop session, a command for stopping the remote desktop session, a credential, a setting, a preference, and a command for passing at least one of a credential, a setting, and a preference.

6. A method for facilitating accessing and controlling a remote desktop of a remote machine in real time from a web browser of a client device utilizing a web server, the method comprising:

receiving, at the web server, a connection request from the web browser utilizing HTTP;

translating, at the web server, the connection request into a session control command compatible with a remote desktop display protocol;

providing the session control command to a remote desktop client of the web server for providing the session control command to a remote desktop server of the remote machine and for establishing, controlling or terminating a remote desktop session with the remote desktop server;

receiving, at the web server, a user input request from the web browser utilizing HTTP,

translating, at the web server, the user input request into a remote desktop input command compatible with the remote desktop display protocol;

providing the remote desktop input command to the remote desktop client for providing the remote desktop input command to the remote desktop server;

receiving, at the web server, a remote desktop drawing command from the remote desktop server via the remote desktop client in response to the remote desktop input command, wherein the remote desktop drawing command is compatible with the remote desktop display protocol, and wherein the remote desktop drawing command represents a portion of an image of the remote desktop;

translating, at the web server, the remote desktop drawing command into a graphics drawing command compatible with the web server;

updating, at the web server, a portion of an image and coordinates based on the graphics drawing command;

generating, at the web server, an image file based on the updated portion of the image;

obtaining drawing coordinates based on the coordinates;

receiving a long polling HTTP request from the web browser; and

providing a web browser drawing update to the web browser in response to receiving the long polling HTTP request from the web browser, wherein the web browser drawing update comprises the image file and the drawing coordinates, and wherein the web browser drawing update is compatible with the web browser,

wherein the remote desktop drawing command represents a portion of the remote desktop, and the image represents the remote desktop,

wherein (i) the web server comprises a windows web server, (ii) the web browser is s windows web browser, (iii) the remote desktop display protocol is a push protocol, and (iv) HTTP is a pull protocol.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the user input request comprises at least one of a mouse event, a keyboard event, and a touch event, wherein the updating a portion of an image and coordinates comprises storing the portion of the image and the coordinates into a drawing commands queue, wherein the graphics drawing command is a windows graphics drawing command, and wherein the web browser is HTML5 compatible.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the updating a portion of an image and coordinates comprises storing the portion of the image and the coordinates into a drawing commands buffer,

wherein the method comprises an asynchronous request handling comprising:

receiving the drawing request from the web browser utilizing HTTP;

forwarding the drawing request to an HTTP handler module if coordinates for an image are pending in the drawing commands buffer;

placing the drawing request into a drawing requests queue if coordinates for an image are not pending in the drawing commands buffer, and

wherein the method comprises;

sending a notification to the drawing requests queue if the drawing commands buffer receives a new drawing command comprising an image and coordinates for an image.

9. The method of claim 6, comprising:

forwarding the drawing request to an HTTP handler in response to a notification from a drawing commands buffer that a drawing command is pending for the web browser;

placing the drawing coordinates into a section of an HTTP header, wherein the image file comprises a windows image file and the facilitating providing the web browser drawing update comprises facilitating providing the windows image file and the drawing coordinates together to the web browser in a single HTTP transmission response for drawing a display image at the web browser, wherein the display image represents the updated portion of the image representing the remote desktop;

facilitating providing script client code compatible with the web browser, to the web browser, if the connection request from the web browser comprises a request to connect to the remote machine.

10. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein, the instructions executable by one or more processors to perform one or more operations, the instructions comprising:

code for causing one or more processors to facilitate receiving an input request from a web browser utilizing a request-response protocol, wherein the request-response protocol is a pull protocol;

code for causing one or more processors to translate the input request into an input command compatible with a remote desktop display protocol to be utilized by a remote desktop client for facilitating communication with a remote desktop server, wherein the remote desktop display protocol is a push protocol;

code for causing one or more processors to facilitate providing the input command to the remote desktop client, to facilitate providing the input command to the remote desktop server utilizing the remote desktop display protocol;

code for causing one or more processors to facilitate receiving a remote desktop drawing command from the remote desktop server in response to the input command, wherein the remote desktop drawing command is based on an image of a remote desktop of the remote machine;

code for causing one or more processors to translate the remote desktop drawing command into a graphics drawing command;

code for causing one or more processors to receive a long polling HTTP request from the web browser; and

code for causing one or more processors to provide a web browser drawing update to the web browser in response to receiving the long polling HTTP request, wherein the web browser comprises a windows web browser and the web browser drawing update is compatible with the windows web browser.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the request-response protocol comprises hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), wherein the graphics drawing command is a windows graphics drawing command, wherein a web server for the remote desktop client is a windows web server, wherein the web browser is HTML5 compatible.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the code for causing one or more processors to facilitate receiving the input request comprises code for causing one or more processors to facilitate receiving the input request from the web browser via an HTTP handler of a web application to a web server,

wherein the code for causing one or more processors to facilitate receiving the remote desktop drawing command comprises code for causing one or more processors to facilitate receiving the remote desktop drawing command via the remote desktop client using the remote desktop display protocol,

wherein the remote desktop drawing command comprises remote desktop drawing command parameters and bitmap data from the remote desktop server, and

wherein the code for causing one or more processors to translate the remote desktop drawing command comprises one or more of:

code for causing one or more processors to calculate new drawing command parameters based on the remote desktop drawing command parameters;

code for causing one or more processors to adjust the remote desktop drawing command parameters; and

code for causing one or more processors to make adjustments to the bitmap data.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions comprise:

code for causing one or more processors to execute the graphics drawing command to generate and draw an image into a drawing commands module at a web server that is accessible by HTTP handler at the web server for communicating with the web browser;

code for causing one or more processors to generate coordinates for the image based on the graphics drawing command;

code for causing one or more processors to store the coordinates in the drawing commands queue;

after generating the coordinates, code for causing one or more processors to transmit a notification to the HTTP handler that a drawing command is ready to be served to the web browser,

wherein each of the image and the graphics drawing command represents a portion of an image of the remote desktop;

code for causing one or more processors to update at least a portion of an off-screen bitmap based on the graphics drawing command, wherein the at least a portion of the off-screen bitmap is associated with the coordinates, wherein the off-screen bitmap represents an image of the remote desktop.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions comprise:

code for causing one or more processors to facilitate receiving, via an HTTP handler of a web server, a connection request from a web browser; and

code for causing one or more processors to facilitate establishing, controlling or terminating the remote desktop session between the remote desktop client and the remote desktop server in response to the connection request, wherein the code for causing one or more processors to facilitate of the establishing, controlling or terminating comprises;

code for causing one or more processors to generate a session control command based on the connection request, wherein the session control command is compatible with the remote desktop display protocol; and

code for causing one or more processors to facilitate transmitting the session control command to the remote desktop server via the remote desktop client using the remote desktop display protocol, wherein the session control command comprises at least one of;

a command for starting the remote desktop session, a command for stopping the remote desktop session, a credential, a setting, a preference, and a command for passing at least one of a credential, a setting, and a preference.

15. A computing machine comprising the non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the computing machine is a web server.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein, the instructions executable by one or more processors to facilitate accessing and controlling a remote desktop of a remote machine in real time from a web browser of a client device via a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) handler and a remote desktop client wrapper for a web server, the machine readable storage medium comprising:

the HTTP handler; and

the remote desktop client wrapper,

wherein the HTTP handler is configured to facilitate receiving a connection request and a user input request from the web browser utilizing HTTP, and to facilitate providing the connection request and the user input request to the remote desktop client wrapper,

wherein the HTTP handler is configured to receive a long polling HTTP request from the web browser,

wherein the HTTP handler is configured to provide a web browser drawing update to the web browser in response to receiving the long polling HTTP request from the web browser, wherein the web browser drawing update is compatible with the web browser,

wherein the remote desktop client wrapper is configured to facilitate receiving the connection request and the user input request, to translate the connection request into a session control command compatible with a remote desktop display protocol, and to translate the user input request into a remote desktop input command compatible with the remote desktop display protocol,

wherein the remote desktop client wrapper is configured to facilitate providing the session control command to a remote desktop client for providing the session control command to a remote desktop server of the remote machine and for establishing, controlling or terminating a remote desktop session with the remote desktop server,

wherein the remote desktop client wrapper is configured to facilitate providing the remote desktop input command to the remote desktop client for providing the remote desktop input command to the remote desktop server,

wherein the remote desktop client wrapper is configured to facilitate receiving a remote desktop drawing command from the remote desktop server via the remote desktop client in response to the remote desktop input command, wherein the remote desktop drawing command is compatible with the remote desktop display protocol,

wherein the remote desktop client wrapper is configured to translate the remote desktop drawing command into a graphics drawing command compatible with the web server, and to update a portion of an image representing the remote desktop and coordinates based on the graphics drawing command, and

wherein the HTTP handler is configured to generate an image file based on the updated portion of the image and to obtain drawing coordinates based on the coordinates in response to the drawing request, wherein the web browser drawing update comprises the image file and the drawing coordinates,

wherein the remote desktop drawing command represents a portion of the remote desktop, and the image represents the remote desktop,

wherein (i) the web server comprises a windows web server, (ii) the web browser is s windows web browser, (iii) the remote desktop display protocol is a push protocol, and (iv) HTTP is a pull protocol.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the user input request comprises at least one of a mouse event, a keyboard event, and a touch event, wherein the remote desktop client wrapper is configured to update a portion of an image and coordinates by storing the portion of the image and the coordinates into a drawing commands buffer, wherein the graphics drawing command is a windows graphics drawing command, and wherein the web browser is HTML5 compatible.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, comprising an asynchronous handler configured to handle requests asynchronously by:

facilitate receiving the drawing request from the web browser utilizing HTTP;

forwarding the drawing request to an HTTP handler module if coordinates for an image are pending in the drawing commands buffer;

placing the drawing request into a drawing requests queue if coordinates for an image are not pending in the drawing commands buffer, and

wherein the HTTP handler is configured to send a notification to the drawing requests queue if the drawing commands buffer receives a new drawing command comprising an image and coordinates for an image.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the web server is configured to forward the drawing request to the HTTP handler in response to a notification from a drawing commands buffer that a drawing command is pending for the web browser,

wherein the HTTP handler is configured to place the drawing coordinates into a section of an HTTP header, wherein the image file comprises a windows image file and to facilitate providing the windows image file and the drawing coordinates together to the web browser in a single HTTP transmission response for drawing a display image at the web browser, wherein the display image represents the updated portion of the image representing the remote desktop, and

wherein the HTTP handler is configured to facilitate providing script client code compatible with the web browser, to the web browser, if the connection request from the web browser comprises a request to connect to the remote machine.

20. An apparatus for facilitating a remote desktop session between a web browser of a client device and a remote desktop server of a remote machine through a web server, utilizing a wrapper at the web server, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

instructions stored in the memory that, when executed, cause the processor to;

receive an input request from a web browser utilizing a request-response protocol, wherein the request-response protocol is a pull protocol;

translate the input request into an input command compatible with a remote desktop display protocol to be utilized by a remote desktop client at the web server for facilitating communication with the remote desktop server at the remote machine, wherein the remote desktop display protocol is a push protocol;

provide the input command to a remote desktop client at the web server, to facilitate providing the input command to the remote desktop server utilizing the remote desktop display protocol;

receive a remote desktop drawing command from the remote desktop server response to the input command, wherein the remote desktop drawing command is based on an image of a remote desktop of the remote machine;

translate the remote desktop drawing command into a graphics drawing command compatible with the web server;

receive a long polling HTTP request from the web browser; and

provide a web browser drawing update to the web browser in response to receiving the long polling HTTP request, wherein the web browser comprises a windows web browser and the web browser drawing update is compatible with the windows web browser.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the request-response protocol comprises hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), wherein the graphics drawing command is a windows graphics drawing command, wherein the web server is a windows web server, wherein the web browser is HTML5 compatible.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein receiving the input request comprises receiving the input request from the web browser via an HTTP handler of a web application at the web server,

wherein receiving the remote desktop drawing command comprises receiving the remote desktop drawing command via the remote desktop client using the remote desktop display protocol,

wherein the remote desktop drawing command comprises remote desktop drawing command parameters and bitmap data from the remote desktop server, and

wherein translating the remote desktop drawing command comprises one or more of:

calculating new drawing command parameters based on the remote desktop drawing command parameters;

adjusting the remote desktop drawing command parameters; and

making adjustments to the bitmap data.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, the instructions, when executed, further causing the processor to:

execute the graphics drawing command to generate and draw an image into a drawing commands module at the web server that is accessible by an HTTP handler at the web server for communicating with the web browser;

generate coordinates for the image based on the graphics drawing command;

store the coordinates in the drawing commands queue;

transmit a notification to the HTTP handler that a drawing command is ready to be served to the web browser, after generating the coordinates,

wherein each of the image and the graphics drawing command represents a portion of an image of the remote desktop;

update at least a portion of an off-screen bitmap based on the graphics drawing command, wherein the at least a portion of the off-screen bitmap is associated with the coordinates, wherein the off-screen bitmap represents an image of the remote desktop.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, the instructions, when executed, further causing the processor to:

receive, via an HTTP handler of the web server, a connection request from the web browser; and

facilitate establishing, controlling or terminating the remote desktop session between the remote desktop client and the remote desktop server in response to the connection request, wherein facilitating of the establishing, controlling or terminating comprises;

generating a session control command based on the connection request, wherein the session control command is compatible with the remote desktop display protocol; and

facilitating transmitting the session control command to the remote desktop server via the remote desktop client using the remote desktop display protocol, wherein the session control command comprises at least one of;

a command for starting the remote desktop session, a command for stopping the remote desktop session, a credential, a setting, a preference, and a command for passing at least one of a credential, a setting, and a preference.

25. An apparatus for facilitating accessing and controlling a remote desktop of a remote machine in real time from a web browser of a client device utilizing a web server, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

instructions stored in the memory that, when executed, cause the processor to;

receive a connection request from the web browser utilizing HTTP;

translate the connection request into a session control command compatible with a remote desktop display protocol;

provide the session control command to a remote desktop client of the web server for providing the session control command to a remote desktop server of the remote machine and for establishing, controlling or terminating a remote desktop session with the remote desktop server;

receive a user input request from the web browser utilizing HTTP,

translate the user input request into a remote desktop input command compatible with the remote desktop display protocol;

provide the remote desktop input command to the remote desktop client for providing the remote desktop input command to the remote desktop server;

receive a remote desktop drawing command from the remote desktop server via the remote desktop client in response to the remote desktop input command, wherein the remote desktop drawing command is compatible with the remote desktop display protocol, and wherein the remote desktop drawing command represents a portion of an image of the remote desktop;

translate the remote desktop drawing command into a graphics drawing command compatible with the web server;

update a portion of an image and coordinates based on the graphics drawing command;

generate an image file based on the updated portion of the image;

obtain drawing coordinates based on the coordinates;

receiving a long polling HTTP request from the web browser, the long polling request comprising a drawing request; and

provide a web browser drawing update to the web browser in response to receiving the long polling HTTP request from the web browser, wherein the web browser drawing update comprises the image file and the drawing coordinates, and wherein the web browser drawing update is compatible with the web browser,

wherein the remote desktop drawing command represents a portion of the remote desktop, and the image represents the remote desktop,

wherein (i) the web server comprises a windows web server, (ii) the web browser is s windows web browser, (iii) the remote desktop display protocol is a push protocol, and (iv) HTTP is a pull protocol.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the user input request comprises at least one of a mouse event, a keyboard event, and a touch event, wherein the means for updating a portion of an image and coordinates comprises means for storing the portion of the image and the coordinates into a drawing commands queue, wherein the graphics drawing command is a windows graphics drawing command, and wherein the web browser is HTML5 compatible.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein updating a portion of an image and coordinates comprises storing the portion of the image and the coordinates into a drawing commands buffer,

wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to perform asynchronous request handling comprising:

receiving the drawing request from the web browser utilizing HTTP;

forwarding the drawing request to an HTTP handler module if coordinates for an image are pending in the drawing commands buffer;

placing the drawing request into a drawing requests queue if coordinates for an image are not pending in the drawing commands buffer, and

sending a notification to the drawing requests queue if the drawing commands buffer receives a new drawing command comprising an image and coordinates for an image.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, the instructions, when executed, further causing the processor to:

forward the drawing request to an HTTP handler in response to a notification from a drawing commands buffer that a drawing command is pending for the web browser;

place the drawing coordinates into a section of an HTTP header, wherein the image file comprises a windows image file and the means for facilitating providing the web browser drawing update comprises means for facilitating providing the windows image file and the drawing coordinates together to the web browser in a single HTTP transmission response for drawing a display image at the web browser, wherein the display image represents the updated portion of the image representing the remote desktop;

facilitate providing script client code compatible with the web browser, to the web browser, if the connection request from the web browser comprises a request to connect to the remote machine.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the apparatus is the web server.