System and method for event detection and re-direction over a network using a presentation level protocol

• US 8,190,676 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2010
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Momchilov, Georgy, Best, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Hua
• Application Number:
  US12/763,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20100205249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A mechanism for detecting events generated from a device in communication with a client system and the re-direction of those events to a server system over a network using a presentation-level protocol is disclosed. Plug and play events are detected at the client system, bound to a virtual connection for a user session, and re-directed for handling to a server-based system using the presentation-level protocol. The server-based system maps the device to the user session. Applications which have registered a callback with the session are informed and generate an appropriate message which is transmitted to the device in communication with the client system via a specified virtual communication connection in the user session.

Claims

1. A method for handling plug-and-play events comprising:

detecting a first event notification of a plug-and-play event regarding a device in communication with a client communicating with a server using a presentation-level protocol, the first event notification comprising a globally unique ID for the device, a vendor ID, a product ID, a device name, and an event type identifier;

intercepting said first event notification at an operating system abstraction layer;

redirecting said first event notification to the server;

creating an association between (i) a virtual device and (ii) the device in communication with the client;

generating a second event notification of a plug-and-play event in a user session for the virtual device, the second event notification comprising the created association;

receiving a command directed to the virtual device from an application executing in the user session on the server in response to the second event notification;

determining the command is directed to the device in communication with the client;

opening a virtual communication channel between the device in communication with the client and the application executing in the user session on the server; and

transmitting, via the virtual communication channel, in response to the redirection of the first event notification, a command from the server, the command directed to said device in communication with the client.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein redirecting said first event notification further comprises:

generating a context identifier, said context identifier representing a virtual COM port;

binding the context identifier to the first event notification; and

transmitting the bound context identifier and the first event notification to the server.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein redirecting said first event notification includes redirecting said first event notification via a virtual channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting a command from the server further comprises:

transmitting from a server a command including a generated context identifier;

identifying a device using the context identifier; and

issuing a command to the identified device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said first event notification is generated as a result of a device arrival.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the command directed to the virtual device from an application is an open command.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said first event notification is generated as a result of a device removal.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the device in communication with the client uses one of the USB (Universal Serial Bus) protocol, IEEE 1394 protocol, Bluetooth protocol, wi-fi protocol, wireless protocol, and infrared (IR) protocol to communicate with the client.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a server-unique name to identify the device in communication with the client.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein redirecting further comprises:

transmitting the first event notification to applications communicating with the server.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein redirecting further comprises:

transmitting the first event notification only to applications communicating with the server which have previously registered a callback for a type of event causing the first event notification.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

emulating a plug-and-play event notification regarding a device in communication with the client.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the second event notification is received over a virtual channel.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting a first event notification comprises:

detecting a first event notification of a plug-and-play event regarding a device communicating with the client via a USB connection on the client.

15. A system for handling plug-and-play events, said system comprising:

at least one memory;

at least one processor configured to execute computer program stored in the at least one memory to;

detect a first event notification of a plug-and-play event regarding a device in communication with a client communicating with a server using a presentation-level protocol, the first event notification comprising a globally unique ID for the device, a vendor ID, a product ID, a device name, and an event type identifier;

intercept said first event notification at an operating system abstraction layer;

redirect said first event notification to the server;

create an association between (i) a virtual device and (ii) the device in communication with the client;

generate a second event notification of a plug-and-play event in a user session for the virtual device on the server, the second event notification including the created association;

receive a command directed to the virtual device from an application executing in the user session on the server;

determine the command is directed to the device in communication with the client;

open a virtual communication channel between the device in communication with the client and the application executing in the user session on the server; and

transmit, to the client via the virtual communication channel, in response to the redirection of the first event notification, a command from the server, the command directed to said device in communication with the client.