Elastic Layering for Personalized Terminal Services
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing terminal services environments limit the ability to provide personalized desktops and applications to users, as all users share the same instance of the Windows operating system, making it difficult to deliver unique experiences and manage applications effectively.
Innovation Solution
Elastic layering allows for the creation of user-specific composited layered images by tracking user and session IDs to mount unique application layers, enabling each user to access a customized set of applications and data on a shared computer, with non-disruptive updates and changes possible without rebooting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If multiple users share a single Windows server instance, then hardware utilization is improved, but the ability to provide personalized applications and desktops deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the application delivery by creating separate application layers for different users. Each user receives a customized set of applications through layering technology, while the underlying operating system remains shared. This segmentation enables personalized application environments without requiring separate OS instances, thus maintaining hardware consolidation benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple application layers from different sources (local server, remote server, cloud) into a unified virtual file system for each user. This combining approach allows the system to deliver personalized applications while maintaining a single shared OS instance, resolving the contradiction between hardware efficiency and personalization.
2Adaptability or versatility
If application layering is implemented to provide personalized desktops, then user customization is improved, but system complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a layer manager as an intermediary component that handles the complexity of application layering. This layer manager sits between the user and the application layers, managing the composition and delivery of personalized applications. By centralizing this management function, the system reduces overall complexity while enabling extensive user customization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal layering framework that can deliver personalized applications across multiple users and sessions. This multi-functional system handles application delivery, layer composition, and user-specific customization through a single infrastructure, reducing the need for separate customization mechanisms for each user and thereby reducing overall system complexity.
3Productivity
If existing application layering solutions are applied to terminal services, then application delivery is improved, but interoperability with existing terminal services deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic layer composition that adapts to different user sessions and terminal service environments. The system dynamically determines which application layers to compose and deliver based on user identity, session context, and available resources. This dynamic approach maintains compatibility with existing terminal services while enabling improved application delivery through personalized layering.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes key parameters of the layering system to work with terminal services, including modifying how layers are composed and delivered based on session information. By adjusting these parameters, the system achieves both improved application delivery and maintained interoperability with existing terminal service infrastructures.
Data Source
AI summary
A server includes a processor to execute a single generic composited layered image that includes an operating system layer and an application layer. A layering engine hooks into the user log-in process to capture a user identification of the user initiating the log-in process, and compares the user identification to a list of additional application layers that are to be available to different users based on their respective user identifications. The layering engine determines if at least one additional application layer is to be available to the user based on the compare, and creates a single user-specific composited layered image by mounting the at least one additional application layer to the single generic composited layered image if the at least one additional application layer is to be available to the user.