Coordinating a computing activity across applications and devices having multiple operation modes in an orchestration framework for connected devices

• US 9,392,077 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2013
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Borzycki, Andrew, Deva, Mallikharjuna Reddy, Gajendar, Uday Nandigam, Roychoudhry, Anil
• Primary Examiner(s): Hussain, Imad
• Application Number:
  US13/963,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20140108538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 709/204
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 using a plurality of keys or algorithms

Abstract

Aspects described herein allow multiple devices to function as a coherent whole, allowing each device to take on distinct functions that are complementary to one another. Aspects described herein also allow the devices function as a coherent whole when interconnected devices and their respective applications are configured to operate in various operation modes, when management policies are employed to control the operation of the interconnected devices and their respective applications, when transferring content between the interconnected devices and storing the content at those devices, when obtaining access credentials for the interconnected devices that enable the devices to access enterprise resources, when a policy agent applies management policies to control operation of and interaction between the interconnected devices, and when the interconnected devices are used to access an enterprise application store.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

interconnecting a plurality of computing devices through an orchestration framework configured to distribute functionality of an application residing at a first computing device of the plurality of computing devices across one or more computing devices of the plurality of computing devices;

receiving, at the orchestration framework from the first computing device, a request to perform, at a second computing device of the plurality of computing devices, at least a portion of a computing activity initiated at the application residing at the first computing device;

determining, by the orchestration framework, whether the second computing device is permitted to perform the portion of the computing activity based, at least in part, on a comparison of a first operation mode of the first computing device to a second operation mode of the second computing device;

instructing, by the orchestration framework, the second computing device to perform the portion of the computing activity responsive to a determination that the second computing device is permitted to perform the portion of the computing activity; and

wherein the first operation mode and the second operation mode are one of a plurality of operation modes that include a managed operation mode wherein interaction with operation system services, other applications, and remote computing resources are subject to a management policy and an unmanaged operation mode wherein interaction with operation system services, other applications, and remote computing resources are not subject to the management policy.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, by the orchestration framework, that the first operation mode is the unmanaged operation mode and that the second operation mode is the managed operation mode; and

instructing, by the orchestration framework, the second computing device to perform the portion of the computing activity initiated at the application residing at the first computing device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, by the orchestration framework, that the first operation mode is the managed operation mode and that the second operation mode is the unmanaged operation mode;

instructing, by the orchestration framework, the second computing device to change the second operation mode to the managed operation mode; and

instructing, by the orchestration framework, the second computing device to perform the portion of the computing activity after the second operation mode is changed to the managed operation mode.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

identifying a second application residing at the second computing device that is capable of performing the portion of the computing activity;

determining that the second application is in the unmanaged operation mode;

instructing, by the orchestration framework, the second computing device to change the second application to the managed operation mode; and

instructing, by the orchestration framework, the second computing device to perform the portion of the computing activity using the second application after the second application is changed to the managed operation mode.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the portion of the computing activity performed at the second computing device includes presentation of content associated with the computing activity.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the portion of the computing activity performed at the second computing device includes receipt of input associated with the computing activity.

7. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one of the processors, cause the apparatus to

interconnect a plurality of computing devices through an orchestration framework configured to distribute functionality of an application residing at a first computing device of the plurality of computing devices across one or more computing devices of the plurality of computing devices,

receive, at the orchestration framework from the first computing device, a request to perform, at a second computing device of the plurality of computing devices, at least a portion of a computing activity initiated at the application residing at the first computing device,

determine, by the orchestration framework, whether the second computing device is permitted to perform the portion of the computing activity based, at least in part, on a comparison of a first operation mode of the first computing device to a second operation mode of the second computing device, and

instruct, by the orchestration framework, the second computing device to perform the portion of the computing activity responsive to a determination that the second computing device is permitted to perform the portion of the computing activity; and

wherein the first operation mode and the second operation mode are one of a plurality of operation modes that include a managed operation mode wherein interaction with operation system services, other applications, and remote computing resources are subject to a management policy and an unmanaged operation mode wherein interaction with operation system services, other applications, and remote computing resources are not subject to a management policy.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to:

determine, by the orchestration framework, that the first operation mode of the first computing device is the managed operation mode;

determine, by the orchestration framework, that the second operation mode of the second computing device is the unmanaged operation mode; and

instruct, by the orchestration framework, the second computing device to change the second operation mode to the managed operation mode before performing the portion of the computing activity.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein:

determining whether the second computing device is permitted to perform the portion of the computing activity comprises applying a management policy that indicates when performance is permitted based on the plurality of operation modes.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein:

the management policy is configured such that

the second computing device is permitted to perform the portion of the computing activity when the first operation mode of the first computing device is the same as the second operation mode of the second computing device,

the second computing device is permitted to perform the portion of the computing activity when the first operation mode of the first computing device is the unmanaged operation mode and the second operation mode of the second computing device is the managed operation mode and

the second computing device is not permitted to perform the portion of the computing activity when the first operation mode of the first computing device is the managed operation mode and the second operation mode of the second computing device is the unmanaged operation mode.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the portion of the computing activity performed at the second computing device includes at least one of a presentation of content associated with the computing activity, a receipt of input associated with the computing activity, and combinations thereof.

12. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to:

connect to one or more computing devices through an orchestration framework configured to distribute functionality of an application residing at the computing device across one or more of the one or more computing devices;

initiate a computing activity at the application;

receive an indication of a selected computing device to perform at least a portion of the computing activity;

display a list of computing devices available for selection as the selected computing device wherein the list of computing devices is based on an operation mode of the computing device and the operation mode is one of a plurality of operation modes that include a managed operation mode wherein interaction with operation system services, other applications, and remote computing resources are subject to a management policy and an unmanaged operation mode wherein interaction with operation system services, other applications, and remote computing resources are not subject to a management policy; and

transmit, to the orchestration framework, a request to instruct the selected computing device to perform the portion of the computing activity.

13. The computer-readable media of claim 12 wherein:

the list of computing devices includes at least one selectable computing device having an operation mode that is the same as the operation mode of the computing device; and

the list of computing devices excludes any computing device having an operation mode that is not the same as the operation mode of the computing device.

14. The computer-readable media of claim 12 wherein:

the operation mode of the computing device is the managed operation mode; and

the list of computing devices includes at least one selectable computing device having an operation mode that is the managed operation mode.

15. The computer-readable media of claim 12 wherein:

the operation mode of the computing device is the unmanaged operation mode; and

the list of computing devices includes at least one selectable computing device having an operation mode that is the managed operation mode or the unmanaged operation mode.

16. The computer-readable media of claim 12 wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to:

launch a second application responsive to receipt, from the orchestration framework, of an instruction that indicates a desired operation mode for the second application;

set an operation mode of the second application to the desired operation mode; and

transmit, to the orchestration framework, a notification that indicates the second application has been launched with the desired operation mode.

17. The computer-readable media of claim 16 wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to:

perform at least a portion of another computing activity initiated at another computing device of the one or more computing devices using the second application; and

wherein the portion of the other computing activity performed by the second application includes at least one of a presentation of content associated with the computing activity, a receipt of input associated with the computing activity, and combinations thereof.

18. The computer-readable media of claim 12 wherein the orchestration framework is configured to interconnect the computing device and the one or more computing devices via at least one of a client-server communication session, a peer-to-peer communication session, and combinations thereof.