Generic Transcoding Service for Cross-Protocol Client Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Client-server computing systems face challenges in interfacing between client devices with arbitrary operating systems and servers using proprietary protocols, such as Microsoft's Remote Desktop Gateway/Terminal Services Gateway, due to compatibility issues and reliance on specific operating systems and protocols.
Innovation Solution
A client-side solution that utilizes a specialized packet filter to bridge the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) requirements without an RPC software stack, allowing non-Microsoft clients to access Microsoft servers by hardcoding input and output packets with data structures, and employing a Microsoft RPC clone for tunneling data through firewalls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a proprietary protocol server (e.g., Microsoft Remote Desktop Gateway) is used, then protocol-specific functionality and reliability are improved, but client compatibility and adaptability deteriorate because only specific operating systems and protocols are supported
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a protocol translation service that acts as an intermediary between proprietary protocol servers and standard protocol clients. This service receives requests from clients using standard protocols (HTTP, HTTPS), translates them into the proprietary protocol format, forwards them to the target server, and translates the responses back. This mediator approach maintains the reliability of proprietary protocols while achieving broad client compatibility without requiring clients to implement proprietary protocol stacks.
2Adaptability or versatility
If an RPC software stack is implemented on non-Microsoft clients, then compatibility with Microsoft servers is improved, but device complexity and resource requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the protocol translation functionality from the client device and relocates it to a separate translation service. Instead of embedding a complete RPC software stack within each non-Microsoft client, the client only needs to implement a simple standard protocol stack (HTTP/HTTPS). The complex translation logic is extracted and implemented in the translation service, which handles the conversion between standard and proprietary protocols. This significantly reduces client device complexity while maintaining protocol compatibility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If protocol translation services are implemented, then client compatibility is improved, but system complexity and infrastructure requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the protocol translation service to be multi-functional, supporting translation between multiple standard protocols (HTTP, HTTPS) and multiple proprietary protocols (RDP, ICA, PCoIP, VNC). A single translation service instance can handle various protocol combinations, making the infrastructure more efficient. The service acts as a universal gateway that can accommodate different client-server protocol pairs without requiring separate dedicated services for each combination, thereby reducing overall infrastructure complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
In particular embodiments, a computing device may receive device data from a client device. The computing device may encode the data for transmission to a remote desktop client. The re-encoding may be performed according to a pre-defined import/export protocol.