METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROVIDING A CONSISTENT PROFILE TO OVERLAPPING USER SESSIONS

• US 20110004649A1
• Filed: 05/03/2010
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Nord, Joseph, Hayton, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,725,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/143 Termination or inactivation of sessions, e.g. event-controlled end of session
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Just in time delivery of a consistent user profile to overlapping user sessions, where a first user session issues a request for a first file of a user profile to a server agent. Upon receiving the request, the server agent retrieves the first file from a base user profile, and just in time delivers the retrieved first file to the first user session. The user, via a second user session executing simultaneously with the first user session, issues a request to the server agent for the first file and a second file of the user profile. Upon receiving the request, the server agent identifies a modified version of the first file in a provisional user profile, retrieves the modified first file from the provisional user profile and the second file from the base user profile, and just in time delivers both files to the second user session.

Claims

1. A method for just in time delivery of a consistent user profile to overlapping user sessions, the method comprising:

receiving, by a server agent executing on a computer, a request from a first user session for a first file of a user profile of a user;

retrieving, by the server agent responsive to receiving the first user session request, the first file from a base user profile of the user;

delivering, by the server agent just in time, the first file to the first user session;

receiving, by the server agent, a request from a second user session for the first file and a second file of the user profile, the second user session and the first user session executing simultaneously;

identifying, by the server agent responsive to receiving the second user session request, a modified version of the first file in a provisional user profile of the user;

retrieving, by the server agent responsive to identifying the modified first file in the provisional user profile, the modified first file from the provisional user profile and the second file from the base user profile; and

delivering, by the server agent just in time, the modified first file and the second file to the second user session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving from the base user profile further comprises retrieving from a base user profile comprising a version of the user profile of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying in the provisional user profile further comprises identifying in a provisional user profile comprising a version of the user profile of the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the first user session modified the first file; and

storing, by the server agent, the modified first file in the provisional user profile responsive to the first user session modification of the first file.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the server agent, the first user session and the second user session terminated;

merging, by the server agent, the provisional user profile with the base user profile; and

removing, by the server agent, substantially all profile information from the provisional user profile.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein merging further comprises:

identifying files residing in both the provisional user profile and the base user profile; and

replacing the files in the base user profile with the files in the provisional user profile.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein merging further comprises:

identifying files residing in the provisional user profile and not residing in the base user profile; and

copying the files into the base user profile.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein merging further comprises:

comparing a provisional file directory in the provisional user profile to a base file directory in the base user profile, the provisional file directory tracking changes made to file paths and file names; and

updating file paths and file names within the base file directory according to the provisional file directory.

9. A system for just in time delivery of a consistent user profile to overlapping user sessions, the system comprising:

a user profile of a user;

a base user profile of the user;

a provisional user profile of the user; and

a server agent executing on a computer to;

receive a request from a first user session for a first file of the user profile,

retrieve, responsive to receiving the first user session request, the first file from the base user profile,

just in time deliver the first file to the first user session,

receive a request from a second user session for the first file and a second file of the user profile, the second user session and the first user session executing simultaneously,

identify, responsive to receiving the second user session request, a modified version of the first file in the provisional user profile,

retrieve, responsive to identifying the modified first file in the provisional user profile, the modified first file from the provisional user profile and the second file from the base user profile, and

just in time deliver the modified first file and the second file to the second user session.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the base user profile comprises a version of the user profile of the user.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the provisional user profile comprises a version of the user profile of the user.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the server agent:

determines the first user session and the second user session terminated,

merges the provisional user profile with the base user profile, and

removes substantially all profile information from the provisional user profile.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the server agent merges by:

identifying files residing in both the provisional user profile and the base user profile, and

replacing the files in the base user profile with the files in the provisional user profile.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the server agent merges by:

identifying files residing in the provisional user profile and not residing in the base user profile, and

copying the files into the base user profile.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the server agent merges by:

comparing a provisional file directory in the provisional user profile to a base file directory in the base user profile, the provisional file directory tracking changes made to file paths and file names, and

updating file paths and file names within the base file directory according to the provisional file directory.

16. A method for just in time delivery of a consistent user profile to overlapping user sessions, the method comprising:

receiving, by a server agent executing on a computer, a request from a first user session for a first file of a user profile of a user;

delivering, by the server agent just in time, the first file from a base user profile to the first user session;

receiving, by the server agent, a request from a second user session for the first file, the second user session and the first user session executing simultaneously;

delivering, by the server agent just in time, the first file from the base user profile to the second user session;

storing, by the server agent upon detecting the first user session ended, a modified first file in a provisional user profile, the first file modified by the first user session;

determining, by the server agent, a third user session started, the third user session and the second user session executing simultaneously; and

delivering, by the server agent responsive to the determination, the modified first file from the provisional user profile to the third user session.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving the modified first file from the first user session prior to storing the first file in the provisional user profile.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a request from a third user session for a second file; and

delivering, by the server agent just in time, the second file from the base user profile to the third user session.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining the second user session and the third user session terminated;

merging the provisional user profile with the base user profile; and

removing substantially all profile information from the provisional user profile.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the first user session, the second user session and the third user session are of the user.