Enterprise application store for an orchestration framework for connected devices

• US 9,854,063 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2015
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Borzycki, Andrew, Deva, Mallikharjuna Reddy, Gajendar, Uday Nandigam, Roychoudhry, Anil
• Primary Examiner(s): Keehn, Richard G
• Application Number:
  US14/733,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20150271296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 709226, 709229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 using a plurality of keys or algorithms

Abstract

Aspects described herein allow multiple devices to function as a coherent whole, allowing each device to take on distinct functions that are complementary to one another. Aspects described herein also allow the devices function as a coherent whole when interconnected devices and their respective applications are configured to operate in various operation modes, when management policies are employed to control the operation of the interconnected devices and their respective applications, when transferring content between the interconnected devices and storing the content at those devices, when obtaining access credentials for the interconnected devices that enable the devices to access enterprise resources, when a policy agent applies management policies to control operation of and interaction between the interconnected devices, and when the interconnected devices are used to access an enterprise application store.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

interconnecting, by an orchestration framework operating at a computing device, a plurality of computing devices comprising a first computing device and a second computing device;

receiving, at the orchestration framework from the first computing device, a message indicating that the second computing device has been selected at the first computing device to perform a computing activity;

determining, by the orchestration framework, which application of a plurality of applications stored at an application store is configured to provide instructions that, when executed by the second computing device, cause the second computing device to perform the computing activity;

selecting, by the orchestration framework, the application determined from among the plurality of applications;

instructing, by the orchestration framework, the application store to transmit to the second computing device the application selected; and

instructing, by the orchestration framework, the second computing device to perform the computing activity using the application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the application store, before transmitting the application to the second computing device, configures the application to be subject to a management policy, the management policy being enforced at the second computing device when the second computing device performs the computing activity with the application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the orchestration framework selects the application to transmit to the second computing device based on one or more of i) a type of input associated with the computing activity, or ii) a type of output associated with the computing activity.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the type of output associated with the computing activity comprises at least one of audio output and video output; and

the instructions provided by the application comprise instructions for outputting at least one of audio and video.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the type of input associated with the computing activity comprises user input received at an input device of the second computing device; and

the instructions provided by the application comprise instructions for receiving the user input from the input device when the application is executing at the second computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying, by the orchestration framework, the application store for identification of one or more applications of the plurality of applications that are configured to provide the instructions for performing the computing activity;

wherein the orchestration framework selects the application to transmit to the second computing device from among the one or more applications identified.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the application transmitted to the second computing device is a client agent configured to provide, at the second computing device, access to a virtual application executing at a remote computing device and configured to provide instructions that, when executed by the remote computing device, cause the remote computing device to perform the computing activity.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the orchestration framework from the first computing device, an indication of the application to transmit to the second computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

instructing, by the orchestration framework, the second computing device to, upon completing the computing activity, delete the application.

10. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

a data store identifying a plurality of computing devices that are interconnected with one another, the plurality of computing devices comprising a first computing device and a second computing device; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by one of the processors, cause the apparatus to;

provide an orchestration framework that interconnects the plurality of computing devices,

receive, at the orchestration framework from the first computing device, a message indicating that the second computing device has been selected at the first computing device to perform a computing activity,

determining, by the orchestration framework, which application of a plurality of applications stored at an application store is configured to provide instructions that, when executed by the second computing device, cause the second computing device to perform the computing activity,

selecting, by the orchestration framework, the application determined from among the plurality of applications,

instruct, using the orchestration framework, the application store to transmit to the second computing device the application selected, and

instruct, using the orchestration framework, the second computing device to perform the computing activity using the application.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the application store, before transmitting the application to the second computing device, configures the application to be subject to a management policy, the management policy being enforced at the second computing device when the second computing device performs the computing activity with the application.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the application transmitted to the second computing device is selected based on one or more of i) a type of input associated with the computing activity, or ii) a type of output associated with the computing activity.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the instructions, when executed by one of the processors, further cause the apparatus to query, using the orchestration framework, the application store for identification of one or more applications of the plurality of applications that are configured to provide the instructions for performing the computing activity;

wherein the application transmitted to the second computing device is selected from among the one or more applications identified.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the application transmitted to the second computing device is a client agent configured to provide, at the second computing device, access to a virtual application executing at a remote computing device and configured to provide instructions that, when executed by the remote computing device, cause the remote computing device to perform the computing activity.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the instructions, when executed by one of the processors, further cause the apparatus to receive, at the orchestration framework from the first computing device, an indication of the application to transmit to the second computing device.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the instructions, when executed by one of the processors, further cause the apparatus to instruct, using the orchestration framework, the second computing device to, upon completion of the computing activity, delete the application.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

provide an orchestration framework that interconnects a plurality of computing devices comprising a first computing device and a second computing device;

receive, at the orchestration framework from the first computing device, a message indicating that the second computing device has been selected at the first computing device to perform a computing activity;

determining, by the orchestration framework, which application of a plurality of applications stored at an application store is configured to provide instructions that, when executed by the second computing device, cause the second computing device to perform the computing activity;

selecting, by the orchestration framework, the application determined from among the plurality of applications;

instruct, using the orchestration framework, the application store to transmit to the second computing device the application selected; and

instruct, using the orchestration framework, the second computing device to perform the computing activity using the application.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to:

instruct, using the orchestration framework, the second computing device to, upon completion of the computing activity, delete the application; and

wherein the application store, before transmitting the application to the second computing device, configures the application to be subject to a management policy that is enforced when the second computing device performs the computing activity.