Methods and systems for generating playback instructions for rendering of a recorded computer session

• US 8,340,130 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• 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: Mazzaferri, Richard James
• Primary Examiner(s): Chung, Hoon J
• Application Number:
  US11/036,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20060159080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,902 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/392, 370/394, 370/474, 370/521, 725/90, 725/95, 725/96, 345/631, 345/635, 345/637, 345/638, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/231, 709/236
• US Class Current: 370/474
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

A type of input stored by a packet in a recorded session is identified, this recorded session comprises a plurality of packets that represent display data that is generated by an application program. At least one of the packets can be marked responsive to determining the type of input stored in that packet. A destination for rendering the contents of the packet can also be stored in a playback data structure in response to marking at least one of the packets.

Claims

1. A method for generating playback instructions for rendering a recorded session and rendering the recorded session, the method comprising:

receiving, by a protocol engine executing on a client computing device over a network connection, the recorded session comprising a plurality of packets representing display data generated by an application program executed on a server device;

processing, by the protocol engine, the plurality of packets to determine a type of user input stored in the plurality of packets;

generating, by the protocol engine, metadata playback instructions for regenerating the display data generated by the application program in the recorded session; and

storing, by the protocol engine, the generated metadata playback instructions in a playback data structure;

receiving, by a background portion of the protocol engine, a first request for playback the recorded session;

rendering, by a foreground portion of the protocol engine, the recorded session responsive to the first request; and

generating, by the background portion of the protocol engine, a state-snapshot of the recorded session and storing the state snapshot to a buffer while the foreground portion of the protocol engine renders the recorded session, wherein the state-snapshot comprises data representing a state of the background protocol engine rendering the recorded session.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising marking, by the protocol engine, a packet of the plurality of packets responsive to the type of user input stored in the packet of the plurality of packets.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising marking, by the protocol engine, the packet of the plurality of packets responsive to a policy.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing, by the protocol engine, a destination for rendering plurality of packets in the playback data structure responsive to the marking.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the protocol engine, the type of user input is one of meaningful and insignificant responsive to a policy.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising removing, by the protocol engine, a packet of the plurality of packets containing the type of user input identified as insignificant.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising storing, by the protocol engine, metadata playback instructions for not regenerating a packet of the plurality of packets containing the type of user input identified as insignificant.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising regenerating, by the protocol engine, the display data generated by the application program in the recorded session to the buffer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of user input comprises one of keyboard, mouse, microphone, and camera.

10. A system for generating playback instructions for rendering a recorded session and rendering the recorded session, the system comprising:

a client computing device;

a protocol engine executing on a computer processor at the client computing device, the protocol engine

receiving the recorded session over a network connection comprising a plurality of packets representing display data generated by an application program executed on a server device;

processing the plurality of packets to determine a type of user input stored in the plurality of packets;

generating metadata playback instructions for regenerating the display data generated by the application program in the recorded session; and

storing the generated metadata playback instructions in a playback data structure; and

a background portion of the protocol engine executing on the computer processor, the background portion of the protocol engine

receiving a first request for playback of the recorded session;

generating a state-snapshot of the recorded session and storing the state snapshot to a buffer while a foreground portion of the protocol engine renders the recorded session, wherein the state-snapshot comprises data representing a state of the background protocol engine rendering the recorded session.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the protocol engine marks a packet of the plurality of packets responsive to the type of user input stored in the packet of the plurality of packets.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the protocol engine marks the packet of the plurality of packets responsive to a policy.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the protocol engine stores a destination for rendering plurality of packets in the playback data structure responsive to the marking.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the protocol engine determines the type of user input is one of meaningful and insignificant responsive to a policy.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the protocol engine removes a packet of the plurality of packets containing the type of user input identified as insignificant.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the protocol engine stores metadata playback instructions for not regenerating a packet of the plurality of packets containing the type of user input identified as insignificant.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the protocol engine regenerates the display data generated by the application program in the recorded session to the buffer.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the type of user input comprises one of keyboard, mouse, microphone, and camera.