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

• US 10,728,168 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2018
• Issued: 07/28/2020
• 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:
  US15/984,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20180375785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 709219, 709203, 709223, 709224, 709225, 709217, 709248, 709209, 709226
• 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 server for providing remote access to an unmanaged service to client connected to the server over a network connection, comprising:

a memory that stores instructions;

a processor that executes the instructions causing the processor to execute a plurality of threads that register the unmanaged service and communicate keep-alive messages between the plurality of threads to maintain a socket connection between the unmanaged service and the server prior to the client requesting a remote connection thereto,

wherein upon receiving a request from the client to create the remote connection to the unmanaged service, the keep-alive messages are terminated, and

wherein subsequent client requests are received at the socket by one of the plurality of threads until the client terminates the remote connection with the unmanaged service.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the unmanaged service is assigned a unique identifier.

3. The sever of claim 2, wherein the unique identifier is at least one of an application ID, process name or process ID, and wherein the unmanaged service communicates the unique identifier to the server to register the unmanaged service.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of threads establishes a plurality of respective connections between each of a plurality of clients and the unmanaged service using the unique identifier.

5. The server of claim 1, wherein terminating the keep-alive messages shuts down the monitor thread before establishing a connection between the client and the unmanaged service.

6. The server of claim 1, wherein each keep-alive message is communicated after a configurable wait time has elapsed since a previous keep-alive message was communicated.

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

a remote access server executing a server layer that executes (1) an output thread that registers the unmanaged service and creates a connection to communicate keep-alive messages, (2) a monitor thread that receives the keep-alive messages from the output thread to start a timer that is used to maintain the unmanaged service in a responsive state prior to the client requesting a remote connection thereto, and (3) an input thread that receives a request from the client to create the remote connection to the unmanaged service; and

an application server executing a service layer that executes the unmanaged service,

wherein, upon receiving the request, the input thread notifies the output thread to terminate the keep-alive messages to the monitor thread, and

wherein the output thread receives subsequent client requests until the client terminates the remote connection with the unmanaged service.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the remote access server establishes a connection between the client and the unmanaged service.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the remote access server assigns the unmanaged service a unique identifier.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the unique identifier is at least one of an application ID, process name or process ID, and wherein the unmanaged service communicates the unique identifier to the server to register the unmanaged service.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, 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.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each keep-alive message is communicated after a configurable wait time has elapsed since a previous keep-alive message was communicated.

13. 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;

executing a first thread that registers the unmanaged service and communicates keep-alive messages to maintain a socket associated with the unmanaged service at the service in a responsive state;

executing a second thread that receives a request from the client to create the remote connection to the unmanaged service;

terminating the keep-alive messages upon receiving the request, and

receiving subsequent client requests at the socket by the first thread the until the client terminates the remote connection with the unmanaged service.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising establishing, by the remote access server, a connection between a connection between the client and the unmanaged service.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising assigning, by the remote access server, a unique identifier to the unmanaged service.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising communicating, by the unmanaged service, at least one of an application ID, process name or process ID to the server to register the unmanaged service.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising establishing, by the remote access server, a plurality of respective connections between each of a plurality of clients and the unmanaged service using the unique identifier.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising communicating each keep-alive message after a configurable wait time has elapsed since a previous keep-alive message was communicated.