Providing a native desktop using cloud-synchronized data

• US 9,641,599 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2014
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Wesley, Ian Russell, Cao, Lin, Momchilov, Georgy, Valicherla, Chakravarthi
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Chirag R
• Application Number:
  US14/247,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20140304326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45595 Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2358/00 Arrangements for display data security
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/121 using a cache memory
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/022 Centralised management of display operation, e.g. in a server instead of locally
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/025 LAN communication management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• 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 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5683 Storage of data provided by user terminals, i.e. reverse caching

Abstract

Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for providing a native desktop using cloud-synchronized data are presented. In some embodiments, a desktop management service provided by at least one computing device may selectively store data from a remote desktop. Subsequently, the desktop management service may synchronize the stored data with a cloud-based data storage platform. Thereafter, the desktop management service may cause a native desktop to be presented on a client device using the synchronized data. In some arrangements, the extracted, analyzed, and/or selectively stored data may include one or more application shortcuts, one or more documents, one or more registry keys, one or more personalization settings, or one or more layout settings. Additionally or alternatively, the remote desktop may be associated with a first operating system, and the native desktop may be associated with a second operating system different from the first operating system.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a computing device, whether a connection to a cloud-based storage platform is available;

responsive to determining that the connection to the cloud-based storage platform is available, synchronizing, by the computing device, local cache data with the cloud-based storage platform, wherein synchronizing the local cache data with the cloud-based storage platform comprises;

receiving remote desktop data from the cloud-based storage platform, the remote desktop data comprising one or more files maintained on a remote virtual desktop, wherein the one or more files maintained on the remote virtual desktop are stored on the cloud-based storage platform by a desktop management service executed by a virtualization server comprising a hypervisor configured to create and manage one or more virtual machines associated with the remote virtual desktop; and

storing the remote desktop data received from the cloud-based storage platform in a local cache on the computing device to update the local cache data; and

presenting, by the computing device, a native desktop based on the local cache data, wherein presenting the native desktop based on the local cache data comprises;

receiving a request to access a cached file corresponding to a remote file maintained on the remote virtual desktop and stored in the local cache on the computing device during the synchronizing of the local cache data with the cloud-based storage platform;

determining whether a native editor is available on the computing device to open the cached file corresponding to the remote file maintained on the remote virtual desktop and stored in the local cache on the computing device during the synchronizing of the local cache data with the cloud-based storage platform; and

responsive to determining that the native editor is available on the computing device, opening, with the native editor on the computing device, the cached file corresponding to the remote file maintained on the remote virtual desktop and stored in the local cache on the computing device during the synchronizing of the local cache data with the cloud-based storage platform.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing the local cache data with the cloud-based storage platform comprises updating the local cache data based on one or more changes made to at least one file maintained on the remote virtual desktop.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing the local cache data comprises updating information stored in the cloud-based storage platform associated with at least one file maintained on the remote virtual desktop based on changes made to at least one corresponding file stored in the local cache on the computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the native desktop based on the local cache data comprises presenting an arrangement of one or more elements representing the remote virtual desktop comprising one or more of a background associated with the remote virtual desktop, a layout of menus associated with the remote virtual desktop, or an arrangement of icons associated with the remote virtual desktop.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the native desktop is presented when the connection to the cloud-based storage platform is not available.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

responsive to determining that the connection to the cloud-based storage platform is not available, resetting, by the computing device, a synchronization timer configured to cause the computing device to attempt to synchronize data with the cloud-based storage platform at a later time.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

responsive to determining that the native editor is not available on the computing device, presenting, by the computing device, a remoted application to open the cached file corresponding to the remote file maintained on the remote virtual desktop and stored in the local cache on the computing device during the synchronizing of the local cache data with the cloud-based storage platform, the remoted application being provided by a virtualization server and presented on the computing device via a receiver application.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the native desktop based on the local cache data comprises presenting the native desktop using a receiver application that is configured to enable a user of the computing device to view the native desktop when a network connection cannot be established to a virtualization server associated with the remote virtual desktop.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote desktop data comprises one or more application shortcuts, one or more documents, one or more registry keys, one or more personalization settings, or one or more layout settings.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising:

enforcing, by the computing device, based on state information associated with the computing device, one or more policies on the native desktop to control behavior of the native desktop.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one policy of the one or more policies enforced on the native desktop is configured to selectively prohibit one or more specific applications from accessing the remote desktop data stored in the local cache on the computing device based on the state information associated with the computing device.

12. A computing device, comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to;

determine whether a connection to a cloud-based storage platform is available;

responsive to determining that the connection to the cloud-based storage platform is available, synchronize local cache data with the cloud-based storage platform, wherein synchronizing the local cache data with the cloud-based storage platform comprises;

receiving remote desktop data from the cloud-based storage platform, the remote desktop data comprising one or more files maintained on a remote virtual desktop, wherein the one or more files maintained on the remote virtual desktop are stored on the cloud-based storage platform by a desktop management service executed by a virtualization server comprising a hypervisor configured to create and manage one or more virtual machines associated with the remote virtual desktop; and

storing the remote desktop data received from the cloud-based storage platform in a local cache on the computing device to update the local cache data; and

present a native desktop based on the local cache data, wherein presenting the native desktop based on the local cache data comprises;

receiving a request to access a cached file corresponding to a remote file maintained on the remote virtual desktop and stored in the local cache on the computing device during the synchronizing of the local cache data with the cloud-based storage platform;

determining whether a native editor is available on the computing device to open the cached file corresponding to the remote file maintained on the remote virtual desktop and stored in the local cache on the computing device during the synchronizing of the local cache data with the cloud-based storage platform; and

responsive to determining that the native editor is available on the computing device, opening, with the native editor on the computing device, the cached file corresponding to the remote file maintained on the remote virtual desktop and stored in the local cache on the computing device during the synchronizing of the local cache data with the cloud-based storage platform.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein synchronizing the local cache data with the cloud-based storage platform comprises updating the local cache data based on one or more changes made to at least one file maintained on the remote virtual desktop.

14. The computing device of claim 12, wherein synchronizing the local cache data comprises updating information stored in the cloud-based storage platform associated with at least one file maintained on the remote virtual desktop based on changes made to at least one corresponding file stored in the local cache on the computing device.

15. The computing device of claim 12, wherein presenting the native desktop based on the local cache data comprises presenting an arrangement of one or more elements representing the remote virtual desktop comprising one or more of a background associated with the remote virtual desktop, a layout of menus associated with the remote virtual desktop, or an arrangement of icons associated with the remote virtual desktop.

16. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the native desktop is presented when the connection to the cloud-based storage platform is not available.

17. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the memory stores additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to:

responsive to determining that the connection to the cloud-based storage platform is not available, reset a synchronization timer configured to cause the computing device to attempt to synchronize data with the cloud-based storage platform at a later time.

18. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the memory stores additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to:

responsive to determining that the native editor is not available on the computing device, present a remoted application to open the cached file corresponding to the remote file maintained on the remote virtual desktop and stored in the local cache on the computing device during the synchronizing of the local cache data with the cloud-based storage platform, the remoted application being provided by a virtualization server and presented on the computing device via a receiver application.

19. The computing device of claim 12, wherein presenting the native desktop based on the local cache data comprises presenting the native desktop using a receiver application that is configured to enable a user of the computing device to view the native desktop when a network connection cannot be established to a virtualization server associated with the remote virtual desktop.

20. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

determine whether a connection to a cloud-based storage platform is available;

responsive to determining that the connection to the cloud-based storage platform is available, synchronize local cache data with the cloud-based storage platform, wherein synchronizing the local cache data with the cloud-based storage platform comprises;

receiving remote desktop data from the cloud-based storage platform, the remote desktop data comprising one or more files maintained on a remote virtual desktop, wherein the one or more files maintained on the remote virtual desktop are stored on the cloud-based storage platform by a desktop management service executed by a virtualization server comprising a hypervisor configured to create and manage one or more virtual machines associated with the remote virtual desktop; and

storing the remote desktop data received from the cloud-based storage platform in a local cache on the computing device to update the local cache data; and

present a native desktop based on the local cache data, wherein presenting the native desktop based on the local cache data comprises;

receiving a request to access a cached file corresponding to a remote file maintained on the remote virtual desktop and stored in the local cache on the computing device during the synchronizing of the local cache data with the cloud-based storage platform;

determining whether a native editor is available on the computing device to open the cached file corresponding to the remote file maintained on the remote virtual desktop and stored in the local cache on the computing device during the synchronizing of the local cache data with the cloud-based storage platform; and

responsive to determining that the native editor is available on the computing device, opening, with the native editor on the computing device, the cached file corresponding to the remote file maintained on the remote virtual desktop and stored in the local cache on the computing device during the synchronizing of the local cache data with the cloud-based storage platform.