Patent ID: 8046473
Filing Date: 2011-10-25
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving a message, command, or an internal decision by a connection broker implemented at least in hardware in relation to a first state of a session encompassing a guest operating system (OS) hosted by a virtual machine (VM) environment and one or more application programs capable of running on the guest OS, the VM environment implemented at least in hardware; and, the connection broker in response transitioning the session from the first state to a second state, the first state and the second state selected from a plurality of states consisting of: an offline state, an online-down state, an online-up state, a suspended state, an active state, an idle state, a disconnected state, and a failed state, wherein during transition from the first state to the second state, the session is within an interim, pending state, wherein the offline state indicates that a session is unavailable for allocation, the online-down state and the online-up state directly transitionable to the offline state without having to pass through any intervening state, the offline state directly transitionable to the online-down state and the online-up state without having to pass through any intervening state, and when the session is initially added or created, the offline state is exited upon removal or destruction of the session, wherein the online-down state indicates that a session is virtually powered down but available for allocation, the offline state, the online-up state, and the failed state directly transitionable to the online-down state without having to pass through any intervening state, and the online-down state directly transitionable to the offline state and the online-up state without having to pass through any intervening state, and wherein the online-up state indicates that a session is virtually powered up and available for allocation, the offline state, the online-down state, and the suspended state directly transitionable to the online-up state without having to pass through any intervening state, and the online-up state directly transitionable to the offline state, the online-down state, the suspended state, and the failed state without having to pass through any intervening state.