Scheduled virtual desktops

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9954933-B2
Application number	US-201414502041-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2014
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A schedule may be determined. The schedule may include a shutdown time and a startup time. At the shutdown time, user data for a first virtual desktop instance for a virtual desktop may be saved and the first virtual desktop instance may be shut down. At the startup time, a second virtual desktop instance for the virtual desktop may be started up with the saved user data. The shutdown and startup of a virtual desktop instance may be based on rules or logic for an individual or an organization.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for scheduling a virtual desktop, comprising:
determining a schedule, the schedule comprising a shutdown time and a startup time;
at the shutdown time:
saving user data for a first virtual desktop instance for the virtual desktop;
shutting down the first virtual desktop instance; and

at the startup time:
starting up a second virtual desktop instance for the virtual desktop with the saved user data, wherein the shutdown and startup times for the virtual desktop are determined by a usage pattern of the virtual desktop, wherein the usage pattern is an application usage pattern;

determining a schedule comprising a first predetermined time and a second predetermined time;
at the first predetermined time, reducing computing resources for the second virtual desktop instance;
at the second predetermined time, increasing computing resources for the second virtual desktop instance; and
crediting a user for the reduced computing resources used by the second virtual desktop instance at the first predetermined time, wherein the credit reflects a difference between the reduced computing resources utilization and a resource threshold for the user, and wherein the credit is used to increase computing resources at the second predetermined time;
wherein the first and second predetermined times are determined by the application usage pattern, wherein the application usage pattern is for a specific type of application running within the second virtual desktop instance.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user data is a user volume, and wherein starting a second virtual desktop instance comprises:
obtaining a currently running desktop instance from a desktop pool; and
attaching the user volume to the currently running desktop instance.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein starting a second virtual desktop instance comprises:
loading an operating system and applications at the second virtual desktop instance; and
loading the saved user data at the second virtual desktop instance.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shutdown and startup times are determined by an organizational policy.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shutdown and startup times are determined by calendar activities for a user associated with the virtual desktop.

6. A computer-readable storage medium including instructions thereon for executing a method for scheduling a virtual desktop, the method comprising:
determining a schedule, the schedule comprising a shutdown time and a startup time;
at the shutdown time:
saving computer state data of a first virtual desktop instance for the virtual desktop;
shutting down the first virtual desktop instance; and

at the startup time:
starting up a second virtual desktop instance; and
loading the computer state data of the first virtual desktop instance at the second virtual desktop instance for the virtual desktop, wherein the shutdown and startup times for the virtual desktop are determined by a usage pattern of the virtual desktop, wherein the usage pattern is an application usage pattern;

determining a second schedule comprising a first predetermined time and a second predetermined time;
at the first predetermined time, reducing computing resources for the second virtual desktop instance;
at the second predetermined time, increasing computing resources for the second virtual desktop instance; and
crediting a user for the reduced computing resources used by the second virtual desktop instance at the first predetermined time, wherein the credit reflects a difference between the reduced computing resources utilization and a resource threshold for the user, and wherein the credit is used to increase computing resources at the second predetermined time;
wherein the first and second predetermined times are determined by the application usage pattern, wherein the application usage pattern is for a specific type of application running within the second virtual desktop instance.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the shutdown and startup times are specified by one of a user and an administrator associated with the virtual desktop.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the shutdown and startup times are determined by an organizational policy.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the usage pattern is for a single user associated with the virtual desktop.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the usage pattern is for an aggregate of a group of users.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the shutdown time is determined by an inactivity timer.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the computer state data comprises memory, central processing unit (CPU), and disk state of the first virtual desktop instance.

13. A system comprising:
one or more computers including processors and memory, the memory including instructions that, upon execution, cause the one or more computers to:
set a startup time to start up a virtual desktop instance of a virtual desktop by a time a user reaches a user computing device, the startup time based at least in part on the user associated with the virtual desktop approaching a geographical location;
start up the virtual desktop instance at the startup time;
determine a schedule, the schedule comprising a first predetermined time and a second predetermined time;
at the first predetermined time:
determine to reduce computing resources for the virtual desktop instance at the first predetermined time;

at the second predetermined time:
determine to increase computing resources for the virtual desktop instance; and

credit the user for the reduced computing resources used by the virtual desktop instance at the first predetermined time, wherein the credit reflects a difference between the reduced computing resources utilization and a resource threshold for the user, and wherein the credit is used to increase computing resources at the second predetermined time;
wherein the first and second predetermined times are determined by an application usage pattern of the user associated with the virtual desktop, wherein the application usage pattern is for a specific type of application running within the virtual desktop instance.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein a virtual desktop instance continues to run during the reducing and increasing of computing resources.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the computing resources comprises at least one of network bandwidth, memory, central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), or storage.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first and second predetermined times are determined by an organizational policy.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein computing resources for the virtual desktop instance are decreased at the first predetermined time and increased at the second predetermined time based at least in part on the application usage pattern.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first predetermined time is determined by an inactivity timer.

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Thomas Nathan Bartholomew
• Farrell Eugene Michael
• Tellvik Erik Jonathon
• Suryanarayanan Deepak

Classifications

• H04L67/10 Primary

  in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) · CPC title

• H04L41/22

  comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title

• G06F9/5077

  Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources (specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455) · CPC title

• G06F9/485 Primary

  Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution (G06F9/4881 takes precedence) · CPC title