Updating a user session in a mach-derived system environment

• US 8,549,093 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2009
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Strategic Technology Partners, LLC (Aqua Connect, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Strategic Technology Partners, LLC (Aqua Connect, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cohen, Joseph Chyam
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, HITESHKUMAR R
• Application Number:
  US12/586,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20100077055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709219-220, 709/223, 715/788, 715/203, 718/1
• US Class Current: 709/213
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and computer program product for updating a user session in a terminal server environment. Transfer of display data corresponding to an updated user interface can occur via a memory shared between an agent server and an agent client in a terminal server environment. Access to the shared memory can be synchronized via token passing or other operation to prevent simultaneous access to the shared memory. Token sharing and synchronized input/output can be performed using FIFOs, sockets, files, semaphores and the like, allowing communications between the agent server and agent client communications to adapt to different operating system architecture.

Claims

1. A method for updating a user instance, the method comprising:

creating at least one user context on a Mach-derived system comprising at least one processor, wherein each of the at least one user context incorporates an agent server;

associating the agent server with an agent client, wherein the agent client and the agent server are executed on the Mach-derived system, but in separate processes;

generating, by the agent server, data corresponding to an updated user instance,

wherein the data corresponding to the undated user instance comprises user data, wherein the user data comprises at least one of;

display data, audio data, biometric data, input data, image data, output data, video data, streaming data, touch screen data, keypad data, joystick data, touchpad data, keyboard data, mouse data, metadata, smart device data, input device data, data from another device appropriate for receiving input directly or indirectly from the user, computer monitor data, speaker data, projector data, data from another device appropriate for outputting data, or output device data;

determining, by the agent sever, that any portion of the user data has been updated;

transferring the data to the agent client via a system communication facility based on said determining,

wherein said transferring comprises;

transferring at least one of;

the user date, or

metadata corresponding to a shared memory comprising the any portion of the updated user data,

between the agent server and the agent client, wherein at least one of the user data or the metadata is transmitted via the system communication facility,

wherein the system communication facility comprises at least one of;

a socket,

a file,

a port, or

a pipe; and

transmitting the data over a network to a remote system for update of the user instance based on the data,

wherein said transmitting comprises;

transmitting at least of the user data, or the metadata, over the network to the remote system

for update of the user instance based on the updated user data or metadata.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the system communication facility is selected from the group consisting of:

a shared memory, a socket, a port, a first-in first-out buffer, and inter-process message passing.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the inter-process message passing is a Mach inter-process communication.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the agent client communicates with two or more agent servers.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting the data over a network is accomplished via a protocol translator.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the agent client communicates with two or more protocol translators.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the agent server communicates with two or more agent clients.

9. A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage media comprising stored instructions that, upon execution by at least one programmable processor, are operable to cause the at least one programmable processor to perform the method of claim 1.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said Mach-derived system comprises at least one of:

a laptop, a desktop, a palmtop, a client, a server, a mobile communications device, or an embedded computing device.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the remote system comprises at least one of:

a client, a thin client, a desktop, a server, a laptop, a palmtop, a mobile communications device, or an embedded computing device.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises at least one of:

receiving data from at least one input facility;

or

transferring data to at least one output facility.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said at least one input facility comprises at least one of:

a smartcard device, a biometric device, a direct input device, a storage media device, a keyboard, a memory, a storage device, a mouse, a touch pad device, a network device, a display touchscreen, a video input device, an audio input device, a keypad, or a joystick.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said at least one output facility comprises at least one of:

a smartcard device, a storage device, a direct output device, a storage media device, a memory, a display, a video output device, a monitor, a screen, a speaker, a projector, a network device, or a touchscreen display.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein said network comprises at least one of:

a public network, a private network, a local area network, a wide area network, an intranet, or an Internet public network.

16. The method according to claim 1 wherein the system communication facility comprises at least one of:

a shared memory, a socket, a port, a pipe, a first-in first-out buffer, or an inter-process message passing facility.

17. The method according to claim 1 wherein said system communication facility comprises inter-process message passing.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said inter-process message passing comprises Mach inter-process communication.

19. The method according to claim 2, wherein said shared memory comprises at least one of:

a Universal Pages Lists, POSIX, SYSV, pmap, or MachVM.

20. The method according to claim 5, wherein said protocol translator comprises at least one of:

a virtual network computer protocol;

a remote desktop protocol;

or an X11 protocol.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein said Mach-derived system comprises a Mach-derived terminal server.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein said Mach-derived terminal server comprises a Mac operating system (OS).

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein said agent server is a KVM agent server.

24. The method according to claim 1, wherein said agent client is a KVM agent client, further comprising configuring said KVM agent client to detect a change in the shared memory.

30. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises at least one of:

implementing a plurality of independent instances of at least one application to satisfy demands of a plurality of remote systems;

providing a secure and synchronously updated graphical display of system output to a plurality of remote systems;

updating graphical display information securely and in a timely fashion in a terminal server environment;

transporting data from a user session in a terminal server environment;

allowing improved communication with at least one remote device;

updating at least one user session in a terminal server environment;

allowing improved transfer of large amounts of display-associated data;

or

allowing faster and less-error-prone transfer of user data corresponding to an updated user interface via at least one memory shared between the agent server and the agent client in a terminal server environment.

31. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said Mach-derived system, or said remote system comprises a computer system executing a Mach-derived operating system.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein said Mach-derived operating system comprises a MAC operating system (OS).

35. The method according to claim 1, wherein said remote system is local to said Mach-derived system.

8. A computer network system comprising:

a Mach-derived network system comprising one or more processor elements and one or more memory elements, wherein the Mach-derived network system is in communication with two or more computing devices, and wherein the one or more processor elements are programmed or adapted to;

create a user context associated with each user instance, wherein each user context incorporates an agent server;

associate the agent server with an agent client, wherein the agent client and agent server are run on the Mach-derived network system, but in separate processes;

generate, by the agent server, data corresponding to an updated user instance,

wherein the data corresponding to the undated user instance comprises user data, wherein the user data comprises at least one of;

display data, audio data, biometric data, input data, image data, output data, video data, streaming data, touch screen data, keypad data, joystick data, touchpad data, keyboard data, mouse data, metadata, smart device data, input device data, data from another device appropriate for receiving input directly or indirectly from the user, computer monitor data, speaker data, projector data, data from another device appropriate for outputting data, or output device data;

determine that any portion of the user data has been updated;

transfer the data to the agent client via a system communication facility based on said determining,

wherein said transfer comprises;

transfer of at least one of;

the user data or

metadata corresponding to a shared memory comprising the any portion of the updated user data,

between the agent server and the agent client, wherein the one or more processor elements are programmed or adapted to transmit at least one of the user data or the metadata via the system communication facility,

wherein the system communication facility comprises at least one of;

a socket,

a file,

a port, or

a pipe; and

transmit the data over a network to at least one of said two or more computing devices for update of the user instance based on the data,

wherein said transmit comprises;

transmit of at least one of the user data, or the metadata, over the network to the at least one of said two or more computing devices for update of the user instance based on the updated user data or metadata.

33. The computer network system according to claim 8, wherein at least one of said Mach-derived network system, or at least one of said two or more computing devices comprises a computer system executing a Mach-derived operating system.

34. The computer network system according to claim 33, wherein said Mach-derived operating system comprises a MAC operating system (OS).

25. A method for execution on a computing device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, and wherein the computing device is adapted to be coupled to a network for communication with a Mach-derived system comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the method comprising:

receiving, by the at least one processor of the computing device, an update to a user instance, wherein the update is received from the Mach-derived system; and

wherein the update was previously transmitted by the Mach-derived system over the network, and wherein data was previously transferred over a system communication facility of the Mach-derived system, wherein the data transferred comprises at least one of;

user data, or metadata corresponding to a shared memory comprising an T portion of the updated user data, wherein the at least one of the user data or the metadata was transmitted via the system communication facility wherein the system communication facility comprises at least one of;

a socket. a file, a port, or a pipe, wherein the data was created on the Mach-derived system, wherein the Mach-derived system comprises a user context comprising an agent server, the agent server associated with an agent client, wherein the agent client and the agent server execute on the Mach-derived system the agent client executing in a process separate from the agent server, wherein the data was generated by the agent server corresponding to the updated user instance, wherein the data corresponding to the updated user instance comprises the user data. wherein the user data comprises at least one of;

display data, audio data, biometric data, input data, image data, output data, video data, streaming data, touch screen data, keypad data, joystick data, touch pad data. keyboard data, mouse data the metadata smart device data, input device data, data from another device appropriate for receiving input directly or indirectly from the user, computer monitor data, speaker data, projector data, data from another device appropriate for outputting data, or output device data;

transmitting, by the at least one processor of the computing device, input data received from at least one input device of the computing device, over the network to the Mach-derived system; and

outputting, by the at least one processor of the computing;

device, data included in the update of the user instance based on the data received from the Mach-derived system.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein said network comprises at least one of:

a wireless network;

or

a wired network.

27. A computing device system for communicating, over a network, with a Mach-derived system comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, comprising:

a computing, device comprising;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory,

wherein said computing device is adapted to be coupled to the network for access to the Mach-derived system,

wherein said at least one processor of said computing device is adapted to;

receive an update to a user client instance, wherein the update is received from the Mach-derived system and wherein the update was previously transmitted by the Mach-derived system over the network, and wherein data was previously transferred over a system communication facility of the Mach-derived system, wherein the data transferred comprises at least one of;

user data, or metadata corresponding to a shared memory comprising any portion of the updated user data wherein the at least one of the user data or the metadata was transmitted via the system communication facility, wherein the system communication facility comprises at least one of;

a socket, a file, a port, or a pipe, wherein the data was created on the Mach-derived system, wherein the Mach-derived system comprises a user context comprising an agent server, the agent server associated with an agent client, wherein the agent client and the agent server execute on the Mach-derived system, the agent client executing in a process separate from the agent server, wherein the data was generated by the agent server corresponding to the updated user instance, wherein the data corresponding to the updated user instance comprises the user data, wherein the user data comprises at least one of;

display data, audio data, biometric data, input data, image data, output data, video data, streaming data, touch screen data, keypad data. joystick data, touch pad data, keyboard data, mouse data, the metadata, smart device data, input device data. data from another device appropriate for receiving input directly or indirectly from the user, computer monitor data, speaker data, projector data, data from another device appropriate for outputting data, or output device data;

transmit input data received from at least one input device of said computing device, over the network to the Mach-derived system; and

output data included in the update of the user instance based on the data received from the Mach-derived system.

28. The computing device system according to claim 27, wherein the computing device system communicates via the network with the Mach-derived system via at least one protocol comprising at least one of:

a virtual network computer protocol (VNC);

a remote desktop protocol (RDP);

or

an X11 protocol.

29. The computing device system according to claim 27, wherein said at least one processor of said computing device adapted to output comprises:

wherein said at least one processor of said computing device is adapted to;

render the updated user instance based on the output data included in the update of the user instance based on the data received from the Mach-derived system.