Methods and systems for generating playback instructions for playback of a recorded computer session

• US 20060161555A1
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Mazzaferri, Richard James
• Granted Patent: US 8,230,096 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A protocol engine executing on a first device receives a recorded stream comprising a plurality of packets representing display data generated by an application program executed on a second device. The protocol engine determines for a packet in the recorded stream, to render the contents of the packet in a human-perceptible manner. The protocol engine stores the determination in a playback data structure.

Claims

1. A method for generating playback instructions for playback of a recorded computer session, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving, by a protocol engine executing on a first device, a recorded stream comprising a plurality of packets representing display data generated by an application program executed on a second device;

(b) determining, by the protocol engine, for a packet in the recorded stream, to render the contents of the packet in a human-perceptible manner; and

(c) storing, by the protocol engine, the determination in a playback data structure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises determining to render the at least one packet responsive to an indication of an application program having input focus.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises determining to render the at least one packet responsive to an evaluation of a type of user input stored in the at least one packet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises determining to render the at least one packet responsive to an evaluation of a type of graphics update stored by the at least one packet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises determining to render the at least one packet responsive to an evaluation of a type of interaction sequence stored by the at least one packet.

6. A method for playback of a recorded computer session, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving, by a background protocol engine executing on a first device, a recorded stream comprising a plurality of packets representing display data generated by an application program executing on a second device;

(b) determining, by the background protocol engine, for at least one packet in the recorded stream, to render the packet in a human-perceptible manner;

(c) storing, by the background protocol engine, the determination in a playback data structure;

(d) retrieving, by a foreground protocol engine, at least one packet from the recorded stream;

(e) accessing, by the foreground protocol engine, the playback data structure; and

(f) rendering, by the foreground protocol engine, the at least one packet responsive to the playback data structure.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein step (b) further comprises determining to render the at least one packet responsive to an indication of an application program having input focus.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein step (b) further comprises determining to render the at least one packet responsive to an evaluation of a type of user input stored in the at least one packet.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein step (b) further comprises determining to render the at least one packet responsive to an evaluation of a type of graphics update stored by the at least one packet.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein step (b) further comprises determining to render the at least one packet responsive to an evaluation of a type of interaction sequence stored by the at least one packet.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein step (c) further comprises storing, by the background protocol engine, in the playback data structure, instructions to render the packet to a buffer.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein step (f) further comprises rendering, by the foreground protocol engine, the contents of the at least one packet to a buffer.

13. A system for rendering a recorded session comprising:

a background protocol engine, executing on a first device and generating a playback data structure in response to receiving a recorded stream, said recorded stream representing display data generated by an application program executed on a second device; and

a foreground protocol engine, receiving the recorded stream and rendering the recorded stream responsive to the playback data structure generated by the background protocol engine.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the background protocol engine generates the playback data structure substantially simultaneously with the foreground protocol engine rendering the recorded stream.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the foreground protocol engine resides on the first device.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the background protocol engine further comprises storing in the playback data structure at least one instruction for rendering at least one packet in the recorded stream.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the background protocol engine further comprises storing metadata in the playback data structure.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the background protocol engine further comprises storing in the playback data structure a record indicating a time to render at least one packet in the recorded session.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the foreground protocol engine renders at least one packet in the recorded session in a human-perceptible manner and to a buffer.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the foreground protocol engine renders at least one packet in the recorded session to a buffer.