Patent ID: 8015331

Claim:
A workstation configured for concurrently supporting a plurality of users, comprising: a host machine selectively operable to support a single console mode allowing a single user to access all resources of the host machine, and operable to support a multi-console mode allowing the plurality of users to simultaneously access one or more applications stored on the host machine; a plurality of consoles directly connected to the host machine, each of the plurality of consoles configured as a separate physical console to be used by one of the plurality of users, each of the plurality of consoles having respective physical input and output devices connected to the host machine directly without a communications network therebetween, and each of the plurality of consoles having a console ID that is unique, the console ID logically defining the physical input and output devices into a console; a configuration tool to process configuration commands and to record data representing the consoles and the input and output devices assigned to each console, and to store the unique console ID for each console, the configuration tool also able to switch from the single console mode to the multi-console mode; a terminal manager configured to receive the unique console ID and to send a request to create a session, the session having a session ID pointing to processes included in the session, including an input device manager and an output device manager; a session manager configured to receive the request to create the new session, to create the new session, to create the session ID, and to associate the new session with one of the plurality of consoles; and a registry having an entry for each of the plurality of consoles, the entry storing configuration data for the respective console, the registry being accessible by the terminal manager, indexed by the console ID, and configured to return data regarding the input and output devices of each console.