METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR RECORDING AND REAL-TIME PLAYBACK OF PRESENTATION LAYER PROTOCOL DATA

• US 20070106810A1
• Filed: 11/01/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• 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: Ryman, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,996,549 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate

Abstract

A method for recording and real-time playback of presentation layer protocol data includes the step of intercepting, by a recorder, a presentation layer protocol data stream comprising a plurality of packets, during transmission of the presentation layer protocol data stream from a first device to a second device, the presentation layer protocol data stream representing display data. A distributor transmits a copy of at least one packet of the presentation layer protocol data stream. A protocol engine uses information associated with the at least one copied packet to regenerate the display data represented by the at least one copied packet. The steps of intercepting the presentation layer protocol data stream and of transmitting the copy of the at least one packet repeat until the first device completes transmission of the protocol data stream to the second device.

Claims

1. A method for recording and real-time playback of presentation layer protocol data, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) intercepting, by a recorder, a presentation layer protocol data stream comprising a plurality of packets, during transmission of the presentation layer protocol data stream from a first device to a second device, the presentation layer protocol data stream representing display data;

(b) transmitting, by a distributor, a copy of at least one packet of the presentation layer protocol data stream;

(c) using, by a protocol engine, information associated with the at least one copied packet to regenerate the display data represented by the at least one copied packet; and

(d) repeating steps (a) and (b) until the first device completes transmission of the protocol data stream to the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises intercepting, by the recorder, the presentation layer protocol data stream at substantially the same time as the first device transmits the presentation layer protocol data stream to the second device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises intercepting a virtual channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises storing, by the recorder, the copy of the at least one packet of the presentation layer protocol data stream.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises transmitting, by the recorder, the at least one copied packet to the distributor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises storing, by the recorder, the at least one copied packet in a buffer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein step (b) further comprises transmitting, by the recorder, a plurality of packets stored in the buffer to the distributor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises retrieving, by the distributor, the copy of the at least one packet of the presentation layer protocol data stream from a storage device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises determining to copy a packet of the presentation layer protocol data stream when the packet contains data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises determining to copy a packet of the presentation layer protocol data stream responsive to a policy.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of storing a recording of the presentation layer protocol data stream.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises associating a time stamp with the at least one copied packet.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein step (b) further comprises embedding the associated time stamp into a recording of the presentation layer protocol data stream.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises embedding a data length indicator into a recording of the presentation layer protocol data stream.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises using the at least one copied packet upon receipt of the at least one copied packet.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises using the at least one copied packet upon receiving a request to regenerate the display data represented by the at least one copied packet.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises creating, by the recorder, a recording of the presentation layer protocol data stream using a plurality of copied packets.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises repeating step (c) until the protocol engine has regenerated display data represented by the received copied packets.

19. A system for recording and real-time playback of presentation layer protocol data comprising:

a recorder intercepting a presentation layer protocol data stream during transmission of the presentation layer protocol data stream from a first device to a second device, said presentation layer protocol data stream representing display data and comprising a plurality of packets;

a distributor transmitting a copy of at least one packet of the presentation layer protocol data stream; and

a protocol engine in communication with the distributor, the protocol engine using information associated with the at least one copied packet to regenerate the display data represented by the at least one packet;

wherein the recorder continues intercepting the presentation layer protocol data and the distributor continues transmitting the copy of the at least one packet of the presentation layer protocol data stream until the first device completes the transmission of the protocol data stream to the second device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the recorder further comprises a means for copying at least one packet from the presentation layer protocol data stream.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the recorder further comprises a means for intercepting a virtual channel.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the recorder further comprises a means for intercepting, by the recorder, the presentation layer protocol data stream at substantially the same time as the first device transmits the presentation layer protocol data stream to the second device.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the recorder further comprises a buffer for storing the at least one packet.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the recorder further comprises a means for storing the at least one packet in a storage device.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the recorder further comprises a means for associating the at least one packet with a time reference.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the recorder further comprises a means for associating the at least one packet with a data length indicator.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the data length indicates a length of data in the packet.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein the recorder is located on the first device.

29. The system of claim 19, wherein the recorder is located on the second device.

30. The system of claim 19, wherein the recorder resides on a third device.

31. The system of claim 19, wherein the recorder is located on a proxy server.

32. The system of claim 19, wherein the recorder is located on a passthrough server.

33. The system of claim 19, wherein the recorder is located on a network packet sniffer.

34. The system of claim 19, wherein the recorder further comprises a recording generator for creating a recording of the presentation layer protocol data stream.

35. The system of claim 19, wherein the distributor further comprises a transceiver for retrieving the copy of the at least one packet.

36. The system of claim 19, wherein the distributor further comprises a transceiver for transmitting the copy of the at least one packet to the protocol engine.