Virtual Desktop Management via Automated Workspace Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face decreased productivity due to the need to repeatedly recreate their desired virtual desktop environments upon logging in and the limitations of existing desktop sharing and backup solutions, which are not designed for efficient sharing or collaboration across multiple users.
Innovation Solution
A virtual desktop management method and system that captures and saves the state of a user's desktop environment, allowing for automated retrieval and sharing of virtual workspaces between users, including attributes like open applications, layout, and system state, using a remote virtual workspace software application that can be cloud-based for seamless access and collaboration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If users manually recreate their virtual desktop environments upon logging in, then the desktop environment can be customized to user needs, but user productivity decreases due to repetitive tasks
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by automatically capturing and saving the user's desktop environment state (including open applications, window positions, and layout) when the user logs out or switches applications. This pre-captured state is then automatically restored when the user logs back in, eliminating the need for manual recreation of the desktop environment and thereby maintaining both customization and productivity
2Ease of operation
If desktop sharing is implemented through remote log-on, then remote access to the computer is enabled, but security risks increase due to credential sharing and excessive access permissions
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the necessary desktop environment state (application list, window positions, layout) from the full computer system for sharing purposes. Instead of providing full remote log-on access to the entire computer, the system shares only the specific workspace information needed for collaboration, thereby enabling remote access while minimizing security risks and credential sharing requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary layer that captures and manages desktop state information separately from the actual computer system. This intermediary mechanism allows users to view and interact with shared workspace information without requiring direct remote log-on credentials or full system access, thereby facilitating collaboration while maintaining system security
3Reliability
If backup software is used for desktop saving, then desktop state can be preserved, but the solution is limited to single-user backup and restoration only
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies universality by designing a desktop state capture and storage mechanism that serves multiple functions: it can save and restore individual user desktops, share workspaces among multiple users, and enable collaborative access. The captured desktop state is stored in a accessible format that allows both personal restoration and multi-user retrieval, thereby extending beyond single-user backup capabilities
4Ease of operation
If virtual desktops are created for different work tasks, then workflow organization is improved, but the complexity of managing multiple virtual desktops increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the management of multiple virtual desktops into a unified automated process. Instead of requiring users to manually manage each virtual desktop's state, the system automatically captures the collective state of all open applications and windows across different virtual desktops, stores them together, and restores them in their original configurations. This consolidation reduces management complexity while preserving workflow organization benefits
Data Source
AI summary
A virtual desktop management which includes establishing a log-on session and loading a first user's desktop on a computer of the first user, capturing a virtual workspace by taking a snapshot of the state of the first user's desktop, saving the captured virtual workspace of the first user for automated retrieval of the captured virtual workspace by any one of the first user and a second user during the log-on session or during a subsequent log-on session.