Multi-user managed desktop environment

• US 9,201,494 B1
• Filed: 05/06/2009
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Unidesk Corp. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Midgley, Christopher W., Webb, John, Gonsalves, Manuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Daftuar, Saket K
• Application Number:
  US12/436,354
• Time in Patent Office: 2,400 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/223, 717167-174, 382/232, 707203-205, 711/162, 711/165, 711/170, 711/103, 713/1, 713/2, 713/100, 714/37
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors

Abstract

A method and system of operating an actual or virtual desktop or server and managing such desktops and servers involves one or more cache appliances serving desktop, operating system, and application objects to a managed machine. The objects are composited together to present a normal file structure to the user, with all user configuration and data stored in the desktop object. Management requirements are minimized to maintain operating system and application objects, while users maintain distinct and customizable desktops.

Claims

1. A multi-user computing environment, comprising:

one or more computers for operating Managed Desktops, wherein managed desktops are a virtual desktops running on a computer using composite virtualization;

one or more Cache Appliances providing access for said one or more computers to a set of Binary Packages; and

compositing software capable of operating on each of said one or more computers and capable of accessing said set of Binary Packages and presenting, without installing, said set of Binary Packages for operational access as a Managed Desktop wherein all file access requests of the operating Managed Desktop are intercepted by the compositing software;

wherein each Binary Package comprises a set of files and a metadata listing of said files, said metadata including identifiers of files required for operating system execution on a Managed Desktop prior to operation of compositing software to access the Binary Package.

2. A method of using a computing system, comprising:

storing Binary Packages through a Cache Appliance;

launching, on the computing system, a boot image having a compositing software for compositing Binary Packages;

accessing a set of Binary Packages through said Cache Appliance; and

operating said compositing software to composite said set of Binary Packages as a Managed Desktop, wherein the managed desktop is a virtual desktop running on a computer using composite virtualization, wherein operating said compositing software includes intercepting all file access requests of the operating Managed Desktop and multiplexing said file access requests to each Binary Package in said set of Binary Packages to present, without installing, said set of Binary Packages as if installed within a unified namespace.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising allowing more than one user to access the same Binary Package at the same time.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising provisioning a virtual disk containing data of a Binary Package in said set upon access request.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising compositing said boot disk upon a request.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein compositing said boot disk is requested when Binary Packages are modified.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein compositing said boot disk is requested when launching said Managed Desktop in a new hypervisor.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein compositing said boot disk is requested when upgrades to said compositing software are distributed to said Cache Appliance.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing Binary Packages on one or more external storage devices.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the one or more external storage devices is a networked attached storage device.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing one or more Binary Packages through a cloud computing service.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising accessing said one or more Binary Packages stored through said cloud computing service.

13. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing Binary Packages on a computer system operating said Cache Appliance.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said Managed Desktop is operated on said computer system operating said Cache Appliance.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said computer system operates disconnected from a network.

16. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing a set of more than one Cache Appliances.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising accessing said set of Binary Packages through a secondary Cache Appliance when said Cache Appliance is unavailable.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising accessing said set of Binary Packages through an alternate Cache Appliance at an alternate geographic location.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising distributing new Binary Packages from one or more master Cache Appliances to other Cache Appliances in said set.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising distributing patched Binary Packages from one or more master Cache Appliances to other Cache Appliances in said set.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising distributing a user specific Binary Package from one Cache Appliance to at least one other Cache Appliance to enable user mobility.

22. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

accessing a specific Managed Desktop by an authorized administrator;

creating a blank Binary Package on said Cache Appliance;

associating said blank Binary Package as a writable Binary Package on said specific Managed Desktop; and

installing a new application on said Managed Desktop to said blank Binary Package, wherein installation creates an accessible Binary Package.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said Cache Appliance operates on the same machine as said specific Managed Desktop, further comprising distributing said accessible Binary Package to one or more Cache Appliances in a set of Cache Appliances when networked to said set.

24. The method of claim 2, further comprising creating Binary Packages as application Binary Packages, operating system Binary Packages, and desktop Binary Packages.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

enabling write access to said desktop Binary Packages for Managed Desktops; and

disabling write access to said application Binary Packages and said operating system Binary Packages.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising backing up user specific data by backing up said desktop Binary Packages.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein backing up further comprises copying said desktop Binary Packages to an alternate storage location.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising rolling back said Managed Desktop by selecting an alternate version of a user specific desktop Binary Package.

29. The method of claim 2, further comprising repairing said Managed Desktop by replacing one or more selected Binary Packages in said set of Binary Packages with alternative versions of said one or more selected Binary Packages.

30. The method of claim 2, further comprising creating versions of a Binary Package by creating an image of said Binary Package at a designated time.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising allowing user access to different versions of said Binary Package.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising storing said Binary Package as multiple trackable divisions.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising allowing user access to different versions of said divisions of said Binary Package.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising rolling back said Managed Desktop and retaining user data by accessing an alternate version of a division of a Binary Package storing user installed executable files, said alternate version older than a second division of said Binary Package storing user created data.

35. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing changes to Binary Packages as a set of changes.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising rolling back a Binary Package by selecting a specific point and undoing all changes stored after said specific point.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising dividing said Binary Package into divisions and rolling back a specific division by selecting a specific point and undoing all changes stored in said specific division after said specific point.

38. The method of claim 2, wherein storing Binary Packaged further comprises storing a group set of Binary Packages through said Cache Appliance, said group set selected specific to a group of users having access to said Cache Appliance.