Methods and servers for establishing a connection between a client system and a virtual machine hosting a requested computing environment

Abstract

A method for providing access to a computing environment includes the step of receiving a request from a client system for an enumeration of available computing environments. Collected data regarding available computing environments are accessed. Accessed data are transmitted to a client system, the accessed data indicating to the client system each computing environment available to a user of the client system. A request is received from the client system to access one of the computing environments. A connection is established between the client system and a virtual machine hosting the requested computing environment.

1 . A method for providing access to a computing environment, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) receiving a request from a client system for an enumeration of available computing environments;   b) accessing collected data regarding available computing environments;   c) transmitting, to a client system, accessed data that indicates to the client system each computing environment available to a user of the client system;   d) receiving, from the client system, a request to access one of the computing environments; and   e) establishing a connection between the client system and a virtual machine hosting the requested computing environment.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising determining, for each stored computing environment, whether that computing environment is available to a user of the client system. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein step (c) comprises transmitting the accessed data to a client system, the transmitted data displayable at the client system as icons in a graphical user interface window representing computing environments available to a user of the client system. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein step (c) comprises transmitting the accessed data to a client system, the transmitted data displayable at the client system as icons in a graphical user interface window representing computing environments unavailable to a user of the client system. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step (d) comprises receiving, from the client system, a request to execute an application, the requested application requiring one of the available computing environments. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step (e) comprises establishing a connection between the client system and the virtual machine using a presentation layer protocol. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step (e) comprises establishing a connection between the client system and the virtual machine using the X11 protocol. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step (e) comprises establishing a connection between the client system and the virtual machine using the Remote Desktop Presentation (RDP) protocol. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step (e) comprises establishing a connection between the client system and the virtual machine using the Independent Computing Architecture (ICA) protocol. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising receiving user credentials from the client system. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein step (c) comprises transmitting the accessed data to a client system responsive to receiving the user credentials, the transmitted data displayable at the client system as icons in a graphical user interface window representing computing environments available to the client system. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein step (c) comprises transmitting the accessed data to a client system responsive to receiving the user credentials, the transmitted data displayable at the client system as icons in a graphical user interface window representing computing environments unavailable to the client system. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising authenticating the user of the client system based on the received user credentials and providing access to a selected one of the available computing environment images without requiring further input of user credentials by a user of the client system. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising gathering information about the client system and generating a data set from the gathered information. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein step (c) comprises transmitting the accessed data to a client system indicating to the client system, responsive to the generated data set, each computing environment available to the client system. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein step (c) comprises transmitting the accessed data to a client system indicating to the client system, responsive to an application of a policy to the generated data set, each computing environment available to the client system. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step (a) comprises receiving, by a web server, a request from a client system for an enumeration of available computing environments. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein step (b) further comprises (i) retrieving from a persistent storage a page template, (ii) creating, at the web server, a page describing a display of computing environment images available to the client system responsive to the accessed data and the retrieved page template, and (iii) transmitting the created page to a client system indicating to the client system each computing environment available to the client system. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising creating an output display indicating each computing environment available to the client system and transmitting the created output display to the client system. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising creating an output display comprising a page constructed in a markup language, the output display indicating each computing environment available to the client system and transmitting the created output display to the client system. 
   
   
       21 . In a network including a client system and a plurality of servers storing computing environments, a server comprising:
 a broker module accessing collected data regarding computing environments and determining, for each computing environment, whether that computing environment image is available to a client system;   a transmitter transmitting accessed data to the client system indicating to the client system each computing environment determined to be available to the client system;   a receiver receiving a request to access one of the available computing environments; and   a transceiver providing a connection between the client system and a virtual machine providing the requested computing environment.   
   
   
       22 . The server of  claim 21  wherein the receiver receives user credentials from the client system. 
   
   
       23 . The server of  claim 22  further comprising a database storing the collected data, wherein the broker module determines for each computing environment whether that computing environment image is available to a client system based on the user credentials and the collected data. 
   
   
       24 . The server of  claim 21  further comprising a database storing the collected data. 
   
   
       25 . The server of  claim 21  further comprising an output display creation engine creating output displays indicating each computing environment available to the client system. 
   
   
       26 . The sever of  claim 25  wherein the output display creation engine creates a web page describing a display of the computing environments available to a client system, the web page created responsive to the collected information and a web page template. 
   
   
       27 . The server of  claim 21  wherein the transceiver provides a connection between the client system and a virtual machine providing the requested computing environment, the transceiver establishing a presentation-layer protocol connection. 
   
   
       28 . The server of  claim 21  wherein the transceiver provides a connection between the client system and a virtual machine providing the requested computing environment, the transceiver establishing an X11 connection. 
   
   
       29 . The server of  claim 21  wherein the transceiver provides a connection between the client system and a virtual machine providing the requested computing environment, the transceiver establishing an ICA connection. 
   
   
       30 . The server of  claim 21  wherein the transceiver provides a connection between the client system and a virtual machine providing the requested computing environment, the transceiver establishing an RDP connection.