Patent Application
20190253465
This application claims the benefit of the filing date of French Patent Application Serial No. FR1851113, filed Feb. 9, 2018, for “Method for Broadcasting User Sessions, Host Computer for Implementing Such a Method, and Method for Providing Services to a User,” and French Patent Application Serial No. FR 1858531 filed on Sep. 20, 2018, for “Method for Broadcasting User Sessions, Host Computer for Implementing Such a Method, and Method for Providing Services to a User.”
The present invention relates to a method for managing user sessions, the user sessions being executed on servers of a host computer. Each user session may be associated to a remote client, and display and control information being communicated between each user session and its associated client.
US2017228851 and FR3047576 disclose a computing system configuration wherein the user interface devices (display, keyboard, etc.) are separated from the application processing part. The user interface devices are located at the desktop of the user (also referred to as the “client”) while the processing and storage components of the computer are placed in a remote hosting location. The user interface devices have then access, at the host computer, to a dedicated virtual machine through a network (most usually Internet), the virtual machine emulating the required processing, storage, and other computing resources. The host computer hosts the operating system and software applications utilized by the clients, thus limiting processing resources on the clients' side. The user interface devices are therefore heavily dependent on the host computer that fulfills the computational roles for the clients.
The host computer usually consists of a plurality of physical computing systems (servers) each hosting a plurality of virtual machines. Each virtual machine is connected to a client, and provides a dedicated virtual environment to emulate the functions of a physical personal computer, including graphic data processing, and provide the display information of the user session to the client screen. The data to be displayed are transferred through the network to the client. The client possesses sufficient computing resources to receive the data flow and display them. The client is also provided with input/output devices (keyboard, mouse . . . ) to exchange control information or instruction to the virtual machine, via the network.
In this computing system configuration, the user sessions (i.e., the isolated virtual environments that emulate the user physical personal computers) are all located at the same host or distributed over a limited number of hosts. This configuration allows users to access services that are not available in a traditional physical computer network configuration.
An object of the invention is therefore to propose methods enabling such services. More particularly, the invention proposes a method for managing user sessions, such that a user or a group of users may broadcast their computing environment to remote subscribers. The broadcasted sessions may be processed for providing services to the user. The invention also proposes a method for allowing a plurality of remote subscribers to simultaneously interact with a user session.
To this effect, the invention relates to methods for simultaneously interacting with a user session from a plurality of remote subscribers, each remote subscriber providing subscriber information to the user session, the method comprising the step of:
According to further non-limitative features of the invention, either taken alone or in any technically feasible combination:
The invention also relates to a method for simultaneously interacting with a user session from a plurality of remote subscribers, each remote subscriber providing subscriber information to the user session, the method comprising the step of:
According to further non-limitative features of the invention, either taken alone or in any technically feasible combination:
According to another aspect, the invention relates to a host computer comprising:
The broadcast platform may comprise:
Many other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from reading the following detailed description, when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
In the following description, detailed descriptions of known functions and elements that may unnecessarily make the gist of the present invention obscure will be omitted.
In
Each of the virtual machines 3 in host computer 1 may be dedicated to one particular user. The user interacts with its dedicated virtual machine 3, from a remote client 4, 4′ connected to the host computer 1 through a network, such as, for example, the Internet. Since most, if not all, of the processing is performed at host computer 1, the remote clients 4, 4′ may be kept very simple and may comprise, for instance, a simple terminal, network connector and basic input/output devices (keyboard, mouse, etc.) such as represented by remote client 4 on
Each server 2 is preferably hosting fewer than ten virtual machines 3 to provide sufficient computing resources to each virtual machine 3 for executing high-end applications with a sufficient level of service. Each virtual machine 3 is created upon client connection and includes a virtual CPU, a virtual main memory, one virtual or physical graphic card, and other resources. Each virtual machine 3 provides a virtual high-end personal computer that is under control of a remote client 4, 4′. Each virtual machine 3 is therefore constituting or equivalent to a user session, and a large number of such user sessions on the virtual machines 3 may be executed on the servers 2 of the host computer 1. The computing architecture may comprise a plurality of host computers 1, located in geographically separated data centers.
Each user session on the virtual machines 3 is associated to a remote client. To display images of the user session on the remote client terminal, the host computer 1 provides over the network the system of remote clients 4, 4′ with display, sound and control information for input/output devices located at the remote site.
Conversely, the remote clients 4, 4′ are providing to the host computer 1 control information from input/output devices located at the remote site (keyboard, mouse), and possibly other forms of data such as display and sound information provided by a USB or built in camera and microphone of the remote client 4, 4′, or network devices at the remote client locations, such as printers, etc.
Information exchanged between the user session of host computer 1 and the remote client 4, 4′ will be generally referred to as “session information” in the present disclosure.
Session information is encoded in order to limit bandwidth usage of the network. Remote clients 4, 4′ are provided with appropriate hardware and/or software resources to decode/encode the communicated information before they are displayed, or more generally used on the client side, or transmitted to the host computer 1. Information exchanges between a user session on the virtual machines 3 and a remote system of remote clients 4, 4′ (and remote subscribers, as this will be detailed later) may be performed using any protocol, such as TCP or UDP. It generally includes, on the emission side, preparing packets of payload data for each type of information (video, audio, control, etc.) and header information, providing the packet onto the communication medium usually by interleaving packets of different sources, and decoding data packet on the reception side using the header to reconstitute the original information. Header usually comprises sufficient information, such as identification of user session and/or remote client, such that data packets may be appropriately routed from the emitter to the receiver.
Pursuing description of
A remote subscriber to a particular user session may correspond to a remote client 4, 4′ (associated to another user session) or to a computing device of remote client 4″, that has connected to the host computer 1 and subscribed for receiving session information of the particular user session. Said differently, a remote subscriber of a user session is distinct from the remote client associated with that user session.
The session information received at the remote subscriber of remote client 4, 4′, 4″ may be processed by the remote subscriber, for instance, to be displayed on a screen at the remote location or treated to provide further services to the user session on the virtual machines 3, to the user himself, or more generally to communicate service information to any computing device 4″ on the network or to any user session on the virtual machines 3 of host computer 1.
The transmission of session information from a user session on the virtual machines 3 to the broadcast platform 5 may be performed by a broadcast program executed by the user session on the virtual machines 3. Each user of the computing architecture may control whether their session may be broadcast or not, and configure the broadcast parameters by accessing to the broadcast program. For instance, a user located at a remote site and operating remote client 4, 4′ may configure the broadcast program to authorize the broadcast of its user session on the virtual machines 3, i.e., authorizing the broadcast program to transmit session information (display and/or control information of the session) to the broadcast platform 5. The broadcast program running in each user session on the virtual machines 3 allows each user to enter, edit, modify and save the broadcast parameters. By doing so, a user indicates whether at least part of its computing session may be shared with remote subscribers of remote clients 4, 4′, 4″, and under which condition. The configuration of the broadcast program may be more complex than just authorizing or blocking broadcast. For instance, a user session may include multiple desktops or screens, and the configuration may indicate which desktop or screen are to be broadcast. The configuration may also authorize or block the transmission of sounds and/or controls information, independently of the authorization or blocking of pure display data. The configuration may also list authorized or blocked remote subscribers, i.e., remote subscribers that are individually authorized or blocked from subscribing to the user session display information.
Broadcast program may also keep track of the broadcast status of the user session on the virtual machines 3 in host computer 1, such that it is possible to consult at host computer 1 the list of available broadcasted user sessions. Such tracking may contain, for instance, a user identification, user session reference, the reception port of the broadcast platform into which the corresponding session information is collected, a list of remote subscribers that are authorized to subscribe to the user session, etc.
As it has been generally exposed in a previous passage of this description, a remote subscriber is a computing resource of remote clients 4, 4′, 4″ that subscribes to the host computer 1 to receive session information from at least one user session.
The remote subscriber of remote clients 4, 4′, 4″ to a determined user session on the virtual machines 3 may correspond to a remote client 4, 4′ associated to another user session of computing architecture represented on
For obtaining session information from a determined user session on the virtual machines 3, a remote subscriber of remote clients 4, 4′, 4″ is first connecting to the host computer 1 and subscribes for receiving session information of the determined user session. This step may comprise accessing to and possibly updating the session tracking status stored at host computer 1, to select among the available user sessions one or more user session available for broadcast. The selection may for instance be based on the user identification. It may include checking whether the remote subscriber of remote clients 4, 4′, 4″ is authorized to subscribe to the selected user session. This step may also comprise receiving an emission port identification of the broadcast platform 5, such that remote subscriber may connect and receive, in a subsequent step, the determined session information.
The remote subscriber then connects to the broadcast platform 5 and receives the session information from the determined user session.
As also mentioned generally earlier, a remote subscriber of remote clients 4, 4′, 4″ may then process the session information. In its simplest form, the processing corresponds to the decompression and/or decoding of the session data so that they can be displayed on a screen at the remote subscriber site.
Instead of being displayed, the raw information may be communicated to further computing device, as it is the case when remote subscriber is an HTTP server.
Advantageously, the remote subscriber of remote clients 4, 4′, 4″ (and, more precisely, a service program executing on the remote subscriber) is performing advanced treatment of the user information to provide service information. Image processing routine of such a service program may process the session information to provide additional (service) information to the user session, to a plurality of user sessions, or to the user himself.
For instance, image processing routine of a service program may be executed on a remote subscriber to rate the image corresponding to the displayed information for parental guidance. The detected rate (defining the service information provided by the remote subscriber) may then be communicated back to the user session, for instance to interrupt the session, if the rating is exceeding a predefined threshold. Alternatively, if the detected rate is exceeding a predefined threshold, a short message or an email may be send to a predetermined phone number or email associated with the user session.
In another instance, image processing routine running on the remote subscriber may analyze the session information for identifying errors message opening on the desktop of the user session.
Upon appearance of such a message, the remote subscriber may generate an alert to a support team that may provide assistance to the user, for instance by contacting the user by email or by phone.
A wide range of services may be provided to a user or to a user session by processing the session information by one or a plurality of remote subscribers. A particular user of the computing architecture may select the services he wishes to use by configuring the broadcast program, and authorizing the remote subscribers providing the selected services (i.e., executing the service program) to access to the user session display information.
Broadcast platform 5 also comprises a stream emitter 53 provided with a plurality of emission ports 54 for providing the respective session information to remote subscribers of remote clients 4, 4′, 4″. When connecting to the broadcast platform, a remote subscriber is actually connecting to an emission port 54 of the stream emitter 53.
Broadcast platform 5 also comprises a streams router 55 to selectively transfer session information from the reception ports 52 to the emission ports 54. Each reception channel port 52 is dedicated for receiving session information from a particular user session. Each emission channel port 54 is dedicated to emitting session information to a particular remote subscriber.
Upon reception of a data packet in one reception port 52 of streams receiver 51, streams router 55 transfers the data packet to emission ports 54 of streams emitter 53, such that the data packet may be further communicated to the adequate remote subscriber(s).
It is to be noted that the session information received in one reception port 52 may be copied to multiple emission ports 54 for transmission to multiple remote subscribers. This is the case when multiple remote subscribers have subscribed to receive the session information of the same user session. Also, the session information of multiple user sessions are received in respective reception ports 52 and may be routed to a single emission port 54 for transmitting to a single remote subscriber. This is notably the case when the remote subscriber is a HTTP server, redistributing the session information of a plurality of user sessions to further computing device connected on the network.
As mentioned above and represented on
Remote Subscribers Interaction with a User Session
In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the present disclosure, a remote subscriber of remote clients 4, 4′, 4″ may also communicate subscriber information to the user session on the virtual machines 3 to which it is connected through the broadcast platform 5. Subscriber information may comprise any kind of data or control information, for instance control information provided by at least one input devices located at each remote subscriber location. The input devices may be of any nature, for instance a keyboard, a mouse, a trackpad, a touch screen, a joystick, a virtual reality mask. Subscriber information may also comprise or correspond to the service information provided by the remote subscriber of remote clients 4, 4′, 4″. Subscriber information may be provided by a virtual input device, i.e., a data processing device providing information that may be treated by the user session. Subscriber information, similarly to session information, are provided as a stream of data packet, including a header identifying the remote subscriber and/or the subscribed user session, and including the payload information (i.e., input device data, service information, etc.).
If a plurality of remote subscribers of remote clients 4, 4′, 4″ are receiving session information from one of the selected user session 3, the plurality of remote subscribers of remote clients 4, 4′, 4″ may provide their respective subscriber information to that particular user sessions on the virtual machines 3. This allows a plurality of remote subscribers to simultaneously interact with the selected user session on the virtual machines 3. For instance, a first remote subscriber may be a standard computer and interact with the user session using its keyboard and mouse input devices, while a second remote subscriber may be a smart phone and interact with the user session on the virtual machines 3 using a touch screen or a VR mask. Having heterogeneous remote subscribers able to simultaneously interact with the same user session is an advantageous feature of the present disclosure.
Subscriber information may be received by the broadcast program of the user session on the virtual machines 3, or by other processes being executed in the user session on the virtual machines 3. Broadcast program may also be used to authorize or block the reception of subscriber information, generally, for particular remote subscribers or for particular type of input devices. For instance, a user may configure the broadcast program such that subscribers may only interact with the user session on the virtual machines 3 by using their keyboard, all other type of input devices being made inoperative. More generally, broadcast program may configure all parameters relating to information provided by remote subscribers.
Preferably, the broadcast platform 5 is configured to allow the bi-directional transfer of information between the streams receiver 51 and the stream emitter 53. To this effect, ports 52, 54 are configured to be bidirectional ports, i.e., emission-reception ports. The streams router 55 is selectively transferring session information from the emission-reception port 52 of the streams receiver 51 to the emission-reception port 54 of the streams emitter 53, and is also selectively transferring subscriber information from emission-reception ports 54 of streams emitter 53 to emission-reception ports 52 of streams receiver 51.
For simultaneously interacting with a user session on the virtual machines 3 from a plurality of remote subscribers of remote clients 4, 4′, 4″, the subscriber information of each remote subscriber are received at a plurality of emission-reception ports 54 of streams emitter 53 and aggregated to form a control stream. The control stream is transferred at emission-reception port 52 of the streams receiver 51 and provided to the user session on the virtual machine 3. As represented on
Second FIFO memory structure 55a′ actually agglomerates the subscriber information into a control stream, that is then pushed, packet by packet, to emission-reception port 52 of streams receiver 51 by the second distribution thread 55b′.
As it has been shown in the present description, the broadcast platform 5 is in communication with the servers that are hosting the user sessions. The broadcast platform 5 is configured to:
The control information may be decoded upon their reception and processed by the user session according to their nature. A plurality of subscribers to a user session may in this way interact simultaneously with the user session.
Many variations to the disclosed embodiment can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.
In particular, it possible to take profit of the existence of the broadcast platform 5, in particular when configured according to the advantageous embodiment that has just been exposed, for communicating display and control information from each user session on the virtual machines 3 of host computer 1 to its corresponding remote client 4, 4′. In that case, each remote client 4, 4′ connects to an emission-reception port 52 of the broadcast platform 5 just as a remote subscriber would connect. In that configuration, it is not necessary to provide directly (i.e., without going through broadcast platform 5) session information from each user session on the virtual machines 3 to its associated remote client.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1851113 | Feb 2018 | FR | national |
| 1858531 | Sep 2018 | FR | national |
