System and method for launching a resource in a network

• US 8,732,182 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Desktopsites Inc. (f/k/a CityCites.com Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Desktopsites Inc. (f/k/a CityCites.com Corp.)
• Inventors: Zhou, Paul Zhiyong, Serack, Garrett, BETHLEHEM, Alexander, Liu, (Tony) Dong Li, Liu, Glen, Chen, Yan, Armstrong, Laura, Li, Zhenwu
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEEMA, AZAM M
• Application Number:
  US13/046,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20110251992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2863 Arrangements for combining access network resources elements, e.g. channel bonding modem pooling H04L25/14; routing of packets H04L45/00; multichannel or multilink protocols H04L69/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2874 Processing of data for distribution to the subscribers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1031 Controlling of the operation of servers by a load balancer, e.g. adding or removing servers that serve requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/143 Termination or inactivation of sessions, e.g. event-controlled end of session
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

The disclosure provides a system and method for a client connected to a server to a resource in a network. For the system a virtual machine module is provided to access a library and to create virtual machine templates and to create virtual machines from the virtual machine templates. The virtual machine module provides to a host machine in the network access to machines, user profile settings and instances of an application in the network and to multiple operating systems. The client has: access to an instance of the resource; an access module to provide the client with communication to access to the server using load balancing algorithms to access the file using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) commands; and an authentication module providing access to a directory structure accessed by the server using Microsoft Group Policy Objects (GPOs) and Active Directory (AD) services to authenticate the client with the server.

Claims

1. An access system for a client connected to a server in a computer network to a resource stored in said network, said system comprising:

a microprocessor;

a memory component for storing instructions for execution on said microprocessor;

a file stored in said client and said server;

an operating system that accesses said file, said operating system being able to be executed on said client and said server;

an icon logic module providing instructions to said microprocessor

to generate a first icon on a display associated with said client, said first icon providing a graphic representation of a source of an instance of said resource reflecting whether said resource is located at said client or at said server; and

to monitor for activation of said first icon at said client;

a resource launching module providing instructions to said microprocessor

to launch said resource from either said client or said server for said client depending on whether said resource is to be launched from said client first or said server first and to cause an application to access said file through either said client or said server depending on whether said file is to be accessed on either said client first or said server first; and

to update a registry containing activation information on said resource, said registry being accessible by other processes operating on devices in said network;

an access module providing instructions to said microprocessor to access file through said server using load balancing algorithms using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) commands;

an authentication module providing instructions to said microprocessor to access a directory structure accessed by said server using Group Policy Objects (CFOs) and Active Directory (AD) objects to authenticate said client with said server;

a library accessible by said server to store virtual machine templates on said server in said network; and

a virtual machine module to access said library and create virtual machine templates for said library and to create virtual machines from said virtual machine templates, said virtual machine module providing to a host machine in said network access to a plurality of machines, user profile settings and instances of an application in said network and to multiple operating systems,

wherein

said resource is an application that can execute on said client or said server.

2. The access system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said host machine has a hypervisor installed thereon to implement supervisory roles and functions for said virtual machine module.

3. The access system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said host machine comprises:

a synchronization module in said server to synchronize data and objects from a plurality of hypervisors in said network.

4. The access system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said synchronization module:

synchronizes processes threads received from any of a virtual machine, operating system or function call generated in said network.

5. The access system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said synchronization module:

utilizes process delegates to asynchronously create said threads by accessing and synchronizing a prioritized list of functions and commands.

6. The access system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said authentication module manages user profiles and permissions using GPOs in said network.

7. The access system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a folder redirection module in said server to change a target location of folders in a user profile within said network.

8. The access system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a filter module to filter AD objects and their assigned network resources to specific users, groups and computers in said network.

9. The access system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an object management module to retrieve a user'"'"'s profile and to select, view, assign and manage objects and their links to network resources in said network.

10. The access system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said virtual machine module further comprises a synchronization module to synchronize operation of said plurality of machines, said instances of said application and said multiple operating systems and to provide control of said operation though a graphical user interface (GUI).

11. The access system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said synchronization module:

generates process threads to synchronize data based on the type of data to be synchronized;

determines a data source when existing data is being synchronized;

establishes a connection to a virtual machine manager (VMM) data source when the data source is a VMM, and then retrieves data from the SCVMM machine;

compares the data is compared against a central database; and

updates the central database if a difference is detected.

12. The access system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a load balancing module in said server to distribute components of a task to a plurality of servers in said network.

13. The access system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

when said file is stored on said server, said first icon is provided with visual attributes indicating that said file is located on said server; and

when said file resides on said client, said first icon indicates that said file resides on said client.

14. The access system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a resource execution module that provides further instructions to said microprocessor to initiate an access of said resource on said client after attempting to access said resource on said server, if said server is not accessible.

15. The access system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said server further comprises a configuration management interface accessing user profile data defining logical data interfaces relating to said file, said application and a relationship between said file and said application, said user data providing privilege and sharing rights for said file and said application.

16. The access system as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a virtual drive map of files relating to said file on said client, said drive map utilizing said user profile data and providing access to said file from said server to said client and from said client to said server.

17. The access system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a second module in said client providing instructions to said microprocessor to provide access to a directory structure stored on a second server in said network using Active Directory (AD) protocols to authenticate said client with said server; and

a third module in said client providing instructions to said microprocessor to provide said client with communication access to said server and to provide secure access using a secure gateway tunnel to said application that uses said file through Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) commands.

18. A method of providing access for a client connected to a server in a computer network to a resource stored in said network, said network having an instance of a file in at least one of said server and said client and said network having an instance of an application that uses file in at least one of said server and said client, said network providing said client with access to said server using Active Directory (AD) services, said network providing secure access to said application for said client using a Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), said method comprising:

accessing a library accessible containing virtual machine templates;

creating a virtual machine for a server in said network, said virtual machine having access said library and providing to a host machine in said network access to multiple machines in said network, user profile settings and multiple instances of an application in said network and multiple operating systems;

generating a first icon associated with said file and a second icon associated with said application in a graphical user interface (GUI) on said client said first icon providing a graphic representation of a source of an instance of said resource reflecting whether said resource is located at said client or at said server;

monitoring for activation of said first icon at said client;

launching said resource from either on said client or said server for said client depending on whether said resource is to be launched from said client first or said server first and to cause said application to access a file used by said resource through either said client or said server depending on whether said file is to be launched from either said client first or said server first;

updating a registry containing activation information on said resource, said registry being accessible by other processes operating on devices in said network;

accessing the file through said server using load balancing algorithms using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) commands; and

authenticating said client with said server using Group Policy Objects (GPOs) and Active Directory (AD) objects,

wherein

said resource is an application that can execute on said client or said server.

19. The method of providing access for a client connected to a server as claimed in claim 18, further comprising:

initiating an access of said resource on said client after attempting to access said resource on said server, if said server is not accessible.