Dual VDA Registration for Seamless Offline Cache Transition

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing desktop virtualization systems face challenges in providing seamless user experience and minimizing downtime when the cloud infrastructure is unavailable, often resulting in noticeable delays and outages due to the lack of seamless transition between cloud and local resources.

Innovation Solution

A computing system with a Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) configured for concurrent registration with both cloud infrastructure and offline cache, allowing it to broker local resources and transition seamlessly to the offline cache when the cloud infrastructure is unavailable, using WebSockets communication protocol and connection leasing for high availability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the system uses centralized cloud infrastructure for virtual desktop delivery, then centralized management and security are improved, but system availability and user access continuity deteriorate when cloud infrastructure is unavailable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem availabilityVSAvoiddual registration mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The VDA performs preliminary registration with both the cloud infrastructure and the offline cache before cloud unavailability occurs. This pre-establishment of dual registration paths ensures that when the cloud becomes unavailable, the VDA can immediately switch to the offline cache without delay, maintaining system availability while avoiding the complexity of dynamic discovery mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The offline cache acts as an intermediary component between the VDA and the cloud infrastructure. It receives and stores virtual desktop images and configuration information from the cloud, then serves as a local broker when the cloud is unavailable. This intermediary approach maintains reliability by providing an alternative access path while keeping the overall system architecture manageable through a clear hierarchical structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the system transitions to offline cache when cloud is unavailable, then user access continuity is improved, but transition delay worsens without pre-established registration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser access continuityVSAvoidtransition delay

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The VDA pre-establishes registration with the offline cache before cloud unavailability occurs. This preliminary action ensures that when the cloud becomes unavailable, the VDA can immediately begin using the offline cache without any transition delay, as the registration relationship is already in place and active.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The dual registration mechanism allows the VDA to maintain continuous access to virtual desktop resources by having both cloud and offline cache registration active simultaneously. When the cloud becomes unavailable, the useful action of accessing virtual desktops continues uninterrupted through the offline cache, eliminating downtime and maintaining user productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Speed

If the offline cache brokers local resources, then system responsiveness is improved during cloud outages, but resource capacity is reduced compared to cloud resources

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem responsivenessVSAvoidresource capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The offline cache provides locally-hosted virtual desktop images and configuration information, delivering fast local access for approved applications and settings. The system accepts that local resources are more limited than cloud resources, but this local quality provides sufficient responsiveness for core business functions during cloud outages, maintaining operational continuity despite reduced capacity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The offline cache stores a subset of virtual desktop images and configuration information that are most commonly needed for approved applications. Rather than attempting to mirror the entire cloud infrastructure locally, the system takes a partial approach, caching only the essential resources needed to maintain critical business functions during cloud unavailability, achieving acceptable responsiveness with limited local capacity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS11188372B2Computing system with dual VDA registration and related methods

Publication Date: 2021.11.30 CITRIX SYSTEMS INC

AI summary

A computing system may be in communication with client computing devices. The computing system may include a cloud infrastructure, an offline cache, and a VDA configured to concurrently have a first registration with the cloud infrastructure, and a second registration with the offline cache, and provide corresponding virtual desktop instances for the client computing devices based upon either the first registration or the second registration. The offline cache may be configured to broker local resources for the virtual desktop instances when the cloud infrastructure is unavailable. The VDA may be configured to transition to the offline cache using the second registration when the cloud infrastructure is unavailable.