Methods and apparatus for providing access to persistent application sessions

• US 20050080906A1
• Filed: 10/10/2003
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Pedersen, Bradley J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,594,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1038 Load balancing arrangements to avoid a single path through a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing remote access to two or more application sessions in which authentication information associated with a user is received, a plurality of application sessions already associated with the user are identified in response to the information, and a client computer operated by the user is connected to the plurality of application sessions.

Claims

1. A method for providing remote access to a plurality of application sessions, the method comprising:

receiving authentication information associated with a user;

identifying a plurality of application sessions already associated with the user in response to the information; and

establishing a connection between a client computer operated by the user and the plurality of application sessions in response to the received information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a first one of the application sessions is running on a first server and a second one of the application sessions is running on a second server.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of establishing a connection between the client and the plurality of application sessions is subject to a rule permitting the client computer operated by the user to connect to the plurality of application sessions.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the rule is created by the user.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the rule is created by an administrator.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the connection between the user and the plurality of application sessions is triggered by the selection of a single user interface element.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a disconnect request to disconnect the first application session associated with the user and the second application session associated with the user; and

disconnecting the first and second application sessions.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising updating at least one data record associated with the first and second application sessions to indicate that the first and second application sessions are disconnected.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of continuing execution of at least one of the disconnected application sessions.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising authenticating the user in response to the received authentication information.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of identifying the plurality of application sessions comprises consulting stored data associated with a plurality of servers executing application sessions.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of application sessions was connected to a first client computer prior to connection and, after connection, the plurality of application sessions is reconnected to the first client computer.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of application sessions was associated with a first client computer prior to establishing the connection and, after establishing the connection, the plurality of application sessions is connected to a second client computer.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of application sessions is disconnected.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of application sessions is active.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifying a plurality of applications sessions is automatic upon receipt of authentication information.

17. A method for providing remote access to a plurality of application sessions, the method comprising:

transmitting authentication information associated with a user; and

receiving application output from a plurality of previously disconnected application sessions associated with the user in response to the transmitted information.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the receiving application output is automatic upon the transmission of authentication information.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

disconnecting at least one active application session associated with the user in response to the transmitted information.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the disconnecting is automatic upon the transmission of authentication information.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the plurality of active application sessions is initially connected to a first client computer and, upon transmitting the information, the user is operating a second client computer.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the receipt of application output from the plurality of active application sessions is subject to a rule permitting the user to have a client computer operated by the user connect to the plurality of active application sessions.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the rule is created by the user.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the rule is created by an administrator.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein the receipt of application output from the plurality of active application sessions and the receipt of application output from the plurality of disconnected application sessions are triggered by the selection of a single user interface element.

26. The method of claim 17 further comprising transmitting a disconnect request to disconnect at least one active application session associated with the user.

27. The method of claim 17 wherein the plurality of disconnected application sessions was connected to a first client computer prior to disconnection and, at connection, the plurality of disconnected application session is reconnected to the first client computer.

28. The method of claim 17 wherein the plurality of disconnected application sessions was connected to a first client computer prior to disconnection and, at connection, the plurality of disconnected application session is connected to a second client computer.

29. A server for providing remote access to an application session, the server comprising:

a network module for receiving authentication information associated with a user operating a client computer;

a data store for enumerating a plurality of application sessions associated with the user;

a server process for connecting the client computer to the plurality of application sessions enumerated in the data store in response to the received information.

30. The server of claim 29 wherein a first one of the application sessions is running on a first server and a second one of the application sessions is running on a second server.

31. The server of claim 29 wherein the server process connects the client to the plurality of application sessions subject to a rule permitting the client computer operated by the user to connect to the plurality of application sessions.

32. The server of claim 31 wherein the rule is created by the user.

33. The server of claim 31 wherein the rule is created by an administrator.

34. The server of claim 29 wherein the connection of the user to the plurality of application sessions is triggered by the selection of a single user interface element.

35. The server of claim 29 wherein the server process is also configured to receive a disconnect request to disconnect the first application session associated with the user and the second application session associated with the user and disconnect the first and second application sessions in response to the request.

36. The server of claim 35 wherein the server process is further configured to update at least one data record associated with each of the first and second application sessions to indicate that the first and second application sessions are disconnected.

37. The server of claim 35 wherein the server process is further configured to continuing execution of at least one of the disconnected application sessions.

38. The server of claim 29 further comprising an authentication module for authenticating the user in response to the received authentication information.

39. The server of claim 29 wherein the data store comprises stored data associated with a plurality of servers executing application sessions.

40. The server of claim 29 wherein the plurality of application sessions was connected to a first client computer prior to connection and, after connection, the plurality of application sessions is reconnected to the first client computer.

41. The server of claim 29 wherein the plurality of application sessions was associated with a first client computer prior to connection and, after connection, the plurality of application sessions is connected to a second client computer.

42. The server of claim 29 wherein at least one of the plurality of application sessions is disconnected.

43. The server of claim 29 wherein at least one of the plurality of application sessions is active.