System and method to send predicted application streamlets to a client device

• US 7,197,570 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2000
• Issued: 03/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Appstream Incorporated (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Raz, Uri, Melamed, Shmuel, Volk, Yehuda, Eylon, Dan, Ramon, Amit
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, HARESH N
• Application Number:
  US09/751,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20010037399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,280 Days
• Field of Search: 709/318, 709/203, 709/231, 709200-202, 709/204, 709217-227, 709/230, 709232-247, 719/328, 719310-318, 718100-104
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/24 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. monitoring of server load, available bandwidth, upstream requests monitoring of server performance or load G06F11/34; arrangements for observation, testing or troubleshooting for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A method and system for streaming software applications to a client uses an application server having a library with the application files stored therein. A streaming manager is configured to send the application files to a client as a plurality of streamlets, each streamlet corresponding to a particular data block in a respective application file. A streaming prediction engine is provided to identify at least one streamlet which is predicted to be most appropriate to send to a given client at a particular time in accordance with a prediction model reflecting the manner in which the application files are loaded and used by the application. In the preferred implementation, the application files are preprocessed and stored as a set of compressed streamlets, each of which corresponds to a file data block having a size equal to a code page size, such as 4k, used during file reads by an operating system expected to be present on a client system. In addition, the server is configured to send a startup block to a new streaming client containing a file structure specification of the application files and a set of streamlets comprising at least those streamlets containing the portions of the application required to enable execution of the application to be initiated.

Claims

1. A system for streaming a software application to a client, the system comprising:

an application library having stored therein a prediction model and application files of the software application, the application files including executable code;

a streaming manager configured to send the application files to a client as a plurality of streamlets including executable code, each streamlet corresponding to a particular data block in a respective application file, and configured to send to the client, upon a first initiation of streaming the application, a file structure specification of the application files and a set of streamlets comprising at least those streamlets containing the portions of the application required to enable execution of the application to be initiated; and

a streaming prediction engine configured to identify at least one streamlet as most appropriate to send to the client at a particular time, based on an order in which code is predicted to be used when the software application is executed on the client, in accordance with the prediction model.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each streamlet corresponds to a file data block having a size equal to a code page size used during file reads by an operating system expected to be present on a client system.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the data block size is four kilobytes.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the application files are stored in the application library as preprocessed streamlets, each streamlet corresponding to a data block in a particular application file at a particular offset and having a predefined length.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the predefined length comprises a code page size used during file reads by an operating system expected to be present on a client system.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein each preprocessed streamlet is compressed.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the application library has a startup block comprising the file structure specification and set of streamlets stored therein.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the streaming manager is further configured to install streaming environment support software on the client prior to initiating an application streaming processes.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a differential prediction model associated with the client, the prediction engine configured to make streamlet predictions for the client in accordance with the default prediction model and the respective differential prediction model.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the streaming manager is configured to, upon receipt of application usage tracking information from the client, update at least one of the differential prediction model for the client and the prediction model.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising an application status repository comprising a data map for each active client, the data map generally indicating the streamlets which are present at the respective client.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the streaming manager is configured to update the data map for the client upon a successful transmission of a streamlet to the client.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the streaming manager is configured to, upon receipt of a request for a particular streamlet from the client:

determine if the data map indicates that the client already has the requested streamlet;

if the data map indicates that the requested streamlet is on the client system, request an updated data map from the client and replace the data map with a returned updated map;

retrieve the requested streamlet from the application library; and

update the data map upon a successful transmission of the requested streamlet to the client.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the streaming manager is further configured to, upon receipt of the streamlet request from the client, reposition the prediction engine in the default prediction model in accordance with the requested streamlet.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the streaming manager is configured to, upon receipt of an unsolicited data map from the client, replace the data map in the application status repository for the client with the data map received from the client.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the streaming manager is further configured to, upon receipt of the unsolicited data map, compare the data map in the application status repository for the client with the data map received from the client and log mismatches.

17. A method for streaming a software application, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at a server an application library having stored therein application files of the software application, the application files including executable code;

forwarding the application files to a client as a particular sequence of streamlets including executable code, each streamlet corresponding to a particular data block in a respective application file, including sending to the client, upon a first initiation of streaming the application, a file structure specification of the application files and a set of streamlets comprising at least those streamlets containing the portions of the application required to enable execution of the application to be initiated; and

determining the particular sequence of streamlets in accordance with a prediction model indicating which streamlets are most appropriate to send to the client at a particular time, based on an order in which code is predicted to be used when the software application is executed on the client.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein each streamlet corresponds to a file data block having a size equal to a code page size used during file reads by an operating system expected to be present on a client system.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the data block size is four kilobytes.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of dividing the application files into streamlets prior to initiation of a streaming session.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of storing the application files in the application library as preprocessed streamlets, each streamlet corresponding to a data block in a particular application file at a particular offset and having a predefined length.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the predefined length comprises a code page size used during file reads by an operating system expected to be present on a client system.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of compressing each streamlet prior to storage in the application library.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of storing in the application library a startup block comprising the file structure specification and set of streamlets stored therein.

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of initiating a process to install streaming environment support software on the client prior to initiating an application streaming processes.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of determining comprising determining the particular sequence of streamlets in accordance with the prediction model and a differential prediction model associated with the client.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of, upon receipt of application usage tracking information from the client, updating at least one of the differential prediction model for the client and the prediction model.

28. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of, upon receipt of a request for a particular streamlet from the client:

retrieving the requested streamlet from the application library; and

transmitting the streamlet to the client.

29. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

providing a data map for each active client generally indicating the streamlets which are present at the respective client; and

updating the data map associated with a particular client upon a successful transmission of a streamlet to the particular client.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising the steps of, upon receipt of a request for a particular streamlet from the client:

determining if the data map associated with the client indicates that the already has the requested streamlet; and

in response to a positive determination, requesting an updated data map from the client and replacing the data map with a returned updated map.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of adjusting a position in the prediction model for the client in accordance with the requested streamlet.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of, upon receipt of an unsolicited data map from the client, replacing the data map in the application status repository for the client with the data map received from the client.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising the steps of:

comparing the data map in the application status repository for the client with the unsolicited data map received from the client; and

logging mismatches identified during the comparing step.

42. The computer program product of claim 32, the computer program further comprising code to:

provide a data map for each active client generally indicating the streamlets which are present at the respective client; and

update the data map associated with a particular client upon a successful transmission of a streamlet to the particular client.

43. The computer program product of claim 42, the computer program further comprising code to, upon receipt at the server of a request for a particular streamlet from the client:

determine if the data map associated with the client indicates that the already has the requested streamlet; and

in response to a positive determination, request an updated data map from the client and replacing the data map with a returned updated map.

44. The computer program product of claim 43, the computer program further comprising code to adjust a position in the prediction model for the client in accordance with the requested streamlet.

45. The computer program product of claim 42, the computer program further comprising code to, upon receipt at the server of an unsolicited data map from the client, replace the data map in the application status repository for the client with the data map received from the client.

46. The computer program product of claim 45, the computer program further comprising code to:

compare the data map in the application status repository for the client with the unsolicited data map received from the client; and

log mismatches identified during the comparing step.

34. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium, the product comprising a computer program for configuring a server with an application library having application files including executable code stored therein to stream a software application to a client, the computer program comprising code to configure the server to:

forward the application files to the client as a particular sequence of streamlets including executable code, each streamlet corresponding to a particular data block in a respective application file, including sending to the client, upon a first initiation of streaming the software application, a file structure specification of the application files and a set of streamlets comprising at least those streamlets containing the portions of the software application required to enable execution of the software application to be initiated; and

determine the particular sequence of streamlets in accordance with a prediction model indicating which streamlets are most appropriate to send to the client at a particular time, based on an order in which code is predicted to be used when the software application is executed on the client.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, the computer program further comprising code to further configure the server to divide the application files into streamlets prior to initiation of a streaming session.

36. The computer program product of claim 35, the computer program further comprising code to configure the server to divide the application files into streamlets corresponding to a data block in a particular application file at a particular offset and having a predefined length.

37. The computer program product of claim 34, the computer program further comprising code to store in the application library a startup block comprising the file structure specification and set of streamlets stored therein.

38. The computer program product of claim 34, the computer program further comprising code to install streaming environment support software on the client prior to initiating an application streaming processes.

39. The computer program product of claim 34, the computer program further comprising code to determine the particular sequence of streamlets in accordance with the prediction model and a differential prediction model associated with the client.

40. The computer program product of claim 39, the computer program further comprising code to, upon receipt at the server of application usage tracking information from the client, update at least one of the differential prediction model for the client and the prediction model.

41. The computer program product of claim 34, the computer program further comprising code to, upon receipt at the server of a request for a particular streamlet from the client:

retrieve the requested streamlet from the application library; and

transmit the streamlet to the client.