Method for providing a connection of a client to an unmanaged service in a client-server remote access system

• US 9,979,670 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2017
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Calgary Scientific Inc.
• Original Assignee: Calgary Scientific Inc.
• Inventors: Leitch, Sam Anthony, Stephure, Matthew James, Robinson, Kevin Glen
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilles, Jude Jean
• Application Number:
  US15/437,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20170264563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 709219, 709221, 709224, 709203, 709223, 709218
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/145 avoiding end of session, e.g. keep-alive, heartbeats, resumption message or wake-up for inactive or interrupted session
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing a connection of a client to an unmanaged service in a client-server remote access system. An unmanaged service may register at a remote access server and open a communication connection there between remote access server may be configured for providing remote access to the unmanaged service by a client. The remote access server receives keep-alive messages from the unmanaged service over the communication connection, which may serve to indicate that the unmanaged service is operational. The remote access server may a request for a client connection to the unmanaged service, after which, a terminate keep-alive message is communicated to the unmanaged service to terminate the sending of keep-alive messages from the unmanaged service in response to the request for the client connection to the unmanaged service.

Claims

1. A method for providing connection of a client to an unmanaged service in a client-server remote access system, comprising:

registering the unmanaged service at a remote access server and creating a communication connection there between, the remote access server being configured for providing remote access to the unmanaged service by the client;

implementing a keep-alive messaging mechanism between the remote access server and the unmanaged service over the communication connection; and

in response to a request by the client to connect to the unmanaged service, terminating the keep-alive messaging mechanism.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a connection between the client and the unmanaged service.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning the unmanaged service a unique identifier at the remote access server.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising establishing a plurality of respective connections between each of a plurality of clients and the unmanaged service using the unique identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein implementing a keep-alive messaging mechanism between the remote access server and the unmanaged service over the communication connection comprises simultaneously executing a plurality of threads by the remote access server and the unmanaged service.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the remote access server executes a monitor thread for monitoring keep-alive messages sent by the unmanaged service.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein terminating the keep-alive messaging mechanism comprises shutting down the monitor thread before establishing a connection between the client and the unmanaged service.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the unmanaged service executes on an application server.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the remote access server and the application server are the same computing device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the remote access server and the application server are different computing devices.

11. An apparatus for providing a connection of a client to an unmanaged service in a client-server remote access system, further comprising:

a remote access server executing a server layer that is a communications proxy for messages sent between the client and the unmanaged service; and

an application server executing a service layer associated with the unmanaged service,

wherein the remote access server and the unmanaged service implement a keep-alive messaging mechanism over a communication connection, and wherein, in response to a request by the client to connect to the unmanaged service, the remote access server and the unmanaged service terminate the keep-alive messaging mechanism.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the remote access server establishes a connection between the client and the unmanaged service.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the remote access server assigns the unmanaged service a unique identifier.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the remote access server establishes a plurality of respective connections between each of a plurality of clients and the unmanaged service using the unique identifier.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein implementing a keep-alive messaging mechanism between the remote access server and the unmanaged service over the communication connection comprises simultaneously executing a plurality of threads by the remote access server and the unmanaged service.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the remote access server executes a monitor thread for monitoring keep-alive messages sent by the unmanaged service.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein terminating the keep-alive messaging mechanism comprises shutting down the monitor thread before establishing a connection between the client and the unmanaged service.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the remote access server and the application server are the same computing device.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the remote access server and the application server are different computing devices.

20. A method for providing connection of a client to an unmanaged service in a client-server remote access system, comprising:

executing the unmanaged service at an application server;

opening a communication connection between the application server and a remote access server;

providing information to the remote access server to register the unmanaged service at the remote access server, the remote access server being configured for providing remote access to the unmanaged service by the client;

implementing a keep-alive messaging mechanism between the remote access server and the unmanaged service over the communication connection; and

in response to a request by the client to connect to the unmanaged service, terminating the keep-alive messaging mechanism.