Methods for distributed program execution with file-type association in a client-server network

• US 7,117,243 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2001
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Peart, Franklyn
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Thong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V.
• Application Number:
  US09/970,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20030074393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,827 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/203, 345/594, 345/763, 345/813, 719/325, 719/763
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for enabling distributed execution of a program. In one aspect, the method includes the step of receiving a mapping specifying an association between a type of data file and an executable program for execution on a server. The method also includes the steps of presenting a graphical depiction of a data file stored on a client system and receiving a selection of the graphical depiction of the data file. The method further includes the steps of identifying an executable program associated with the type of the selected data file using the received mapping and sending a request to execute the identified executable program.

Claims

1. In a network including a client system and a plurality of server systems, a method for enabling distributed program execution, the method comprising the steps:

(a) receiving at a client system, from one of a plurality of server systems, a mapping specifying an association between a plurality of executable application programs and a corresponding plurality of types of data files accepted for processing by the executable application programs;

(b) presenting, by the client system, a graphical depiction of a data file stored on a client system;

(c) receiving, by the client system, a selection of the graphical depiction of the data file;

(d) identifying, by the client system, one of the plurality of executable application programs associated with the type of file identified by the selected graphical depiction using the received mapping; and

(e) sending, by the client system, to one of the plurality of server systems a request to execute the identified one of the plurality of executable application program.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises receiving a mapping specifying an association between a plurality of types of data files, a program for establishing a connection with a server system, corresponding plurality of executable programs for processing the data file, and parameters for use by the executable programs.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step:

modifying a file on the client system to include the received mapping.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step:

executing a second executable program for displaying application output data.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step:

receiving application output data from the executing program.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step:

updating the received mapping on at least one of a periodic basis and an as-needed basis.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step:

receiving a rule determining whether an identified executable program is to be executed on the client system or one of the plurality of server systems.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step:

receiving a rule for determining whether an identified executable program is to be executed on the client system or one of the plurality of server systems that specifies the determination between the client system and one of the plurality of server systems as a function of at least one of the load on the client system, the load on one of the plurality of server systems, the load on the plurality of server systems, and the speed of the connection between the client system and the plurality of server systems.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein step (e) comprises the steps:

(e-a) receiving a rule determining whether an identified executable program is to be executed on the client system or one of the plurality of server systems;

(e-b) evaluating the rule to determine whether the identified executable program is to be executed on the client system or one of the plurality of server systems; and

(e-c) sending a request to execute the identified executable program on one of the plurality of sewer systems based on the evaluation in step (e-b).

10. The method of claim 1 wherein step (e) comprises the steps:

(e-a) receiving a rule for determining whether an identified executable program is to be executed on the client system or one of the plurality of server systems tat specifies the determination between the client system and one of the plurality of server systems as a function of at least one of the load on the client system, the load on one of the plurality of server systems, the load on the plurality of server systems, and the speed of the connection between the client system and the plurality of server systems;

(e-b) evaluating the rule to determine whether the identified executable program is to be executed on the client system or one of the plurality of server systems; and

(e-c) sending a request to execute the identified executable program on one of the plurality of server systems based on the evaluation in step (e-a).

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step:

(f) transmitting data comprising the selected data file, at least some of the data for processing by the executing program.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein step (f) comprises the steps:

(f-a) providing a pointer to the selected data tile; and

(f-b) responding to requests for data associated with the selected data file utilizing the provided pointer.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of executing a second executable program for displaying application output data, the second executable program receiving the application output data via a presentation level protocol.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of executing a second executable program for displaying application output data, the second executable program receiving the application output data via an Independent Computing Architecture protocol.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of executing a second executable program for displaying application output data, the second executable program receiving the application output data via a Remote Desktop Protocol.

16. In a network including a client system and a plurality of server systems, a method for enabling distributed program execution, the method comprising the steps:

(a) transmitting to a client system a mapping specifying an association between a plurality of executable application programs and a corresponding plurality of types of data files accepted for processing by the executable application programs;

(b) receiving a request to execute one of the plurality of executable application programs; and

(c) executing the requested one of the plurality of executable application programs on one of a plurality of server systems.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein step (a) comprises providing a mapping specifying an association between a plurality of types of data files, a program for establishing a connection with a server system, a corresponding plurality of executable programs for processing the data file, and parameters for use by the executable programs.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step:

providing application output data from the server system executing the executable program to a client system.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step:

providing a second application for displaying application output data from the server system executing the executable program.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step:

updating the provided mapping on at least one of a periodic basis and an as-needed basis.

21. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step:

(d) receiving data associated with a data file for processing by the executing program.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein step (d) comprises the steps:

(d-a) receiving a pointer to the data file; and

(d-b) sending requests for data associated with the data file utilizing the received pointer.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step:

processing the received data using the executable program.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step:

providing the processed data.

25. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step:

providing a rule to determine whether an executable program is to be executed on a client system or one of a plurality of server systems.

26. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step:

providing a file for determining whether an executable program is to be executed on the client system or one of the plurality of server systems that specifies the determination between the client system and one of the plurality of server systems as a function of at least one of the load on the client system, the load on one of the plurality of server systems, the load on the plurality of server systems, and the speed of the connection between the client system and the plurality of server systems.

27. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of providing a second application for displaying application output data from the sewer system executing the executable program, the second application receiving the application output data via an Independent Computing Architecture protocol.

28. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of providing a second application for displaying application output data from the server system executing the executable program, the second application receiving the application output data via a Remote Desktop Protocol.

29. In a network including a client system and a plurality of server

systems, a method for enabling distributed program execution, the method comprising the steps:

(a) receiving, by the client system, a mapping specifying an association between a plurality of executable application programs and a corresponding plurality of types of data files accepted for processing by the executable application programs;

(b) presenting, by the client system, a graphical depiction of a data file stored on the client system;

(c) receiving, by the client system, a selection of the graphical depiction of the data file;

(d) identifying, by the client system, one of the plurality of executable application programs associated with the type of file identified by the selected graphical depiction using the received mapping; and

(e) sending, by the client system, to one of the plurality of server systems a request to execute the identified one of the plurality of executable application program to one of a plurality of server systems.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein step (a) comprises receiving a mapping specifying an association between a plurality of types of data files, a program for establishing a connection with a server system, a corresponding plurality of executable programs for processing the data file, and parameters for use by the executable programs.

31. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step:

modifying, by the client system, a file to include the received mapping.

32. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step:

providing, to the client system, a second executable program for displaying application output.

33. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step:

updating, by one of the plurality of server systems, the received mapping on at least one of a periodic basis and an as-needed basis.

34. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step

executing, by one of a plurality of server systems, the executable program.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising the step:

providing, by the server system executing the executable program, application output data.

36. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step:

(f) transmitting, by the client system, data comprising the selected data file, at least some of the data for processing by the executing program.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein step (f) comprises the steps:

(f-a) providing, by the client system, a pointer to the selected data file; and

(f-b) responding, by the client system, to requests for data associated with the selected data file utilizing the provided pointer.

38. The method of claim 36 further comprising the step:

processing, by one of the plurality of server systems, the provided data using the executable program.

39. The method of claim 38 further comprising the step:

providing, by one of the plurality of server systems, the processed data.

40. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step:

receiving, at the client system, a rule determining whether an identified executable program is to be executed on the client system or one of the plurality of server systems.

41. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step:

receiving, at the client system, a rule for determining whether an identified executable program is to be executed on the client system or one of the plurality of server systems that specifies the determination between the client system and one of the plurality of server systems as a function of at least one of the load on the client system, the load on one of the plurality of server systems, the load on the plurality of server systems, and the speed of the connection between the client system and the plurality of server systems.

42. The method of claim 29 wherein step (e) comprises the steps:

(c-a) receiving a file determining whether an identified executable program is to be executed on the client system or one of the plurality of server systems;

(c-b) evaluating a rule to determine whether the identified executable program is to be executed on the client system or one of the plurality of server systems; and

(e-c) sending a request to execute the identified executable program on one of the plurality of server systems based on the evaluation in step (e-a).

43. The method of claim 29 wherein step (e) comprises the steps:

(e-a) receiving, at the client system, a rule for determining whether an identified executable program is to be executed on the client system or one of the plurality of server systems that specifies the determination between the client system and one of the plurality a server systems as a function of at least one of the load on the client system, the load on one of the plurality of server systems, the load on the plurality of server systems, and the speed the connection between the client system and the plurality of server systems;

(e-b) evaluating the received rule to determine whether the identified executable program is to be executed on the client system or one of the plurality of server systems; and

(e-c) sending a request to execute the identified executable program on one of the plurality of server systems based on the evaluation in step (e-a).

44. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of executing a second executable program for displaying application output data, the second executable program receiving the application output data via a presentation level protocol.

45. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of executing a second executable program for displaying application output data the second executable program receiving the application output data via an Independent Computing Architecture protocol.

46. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of executing a second executable program for displaying application output data, the second executable program receiving the application output data via a Remote Desktop Protocol.