Patent ID: 8751247

Claim:
A collaboration server, in communication with a plurality of network-based appliances, the collaboration server comprising: a storage device for storing a table; and a processor to perform operations, the operations including: communicating with the storage device to store information in the table regarding each of the plurality of network-based appliances engaged in an on-going collaboration session, the information including an internet protocol address, a participant identification and a participant password associated with each of the plurality of network-based appliances engaged in the on-going collaboration session and an indication of a control command access privilege associated with each of the plurality of network-based appliances engaged in the on-going collaboration session, the control command access privilege indicative of an override control, wherein if the table indicates that a particular network-based appliance of the plurality of appliances is provided with the override control, the particular network-based appliance is allowed to block control commands submitted by other network-based appliances, wherein the control commands control operations of a distributed video presentation; receiving a first control command, to control a first operation of the distributed video presentation, from a first network-based appliance of the plurality of network-based appliances engaged in the on-going collaboration session, wherein the first network-based appliance is associated with access privilege to control access of the distributed video presentation provided to each of the plurality of network-based appliances and wherein the table stores information indicating that the first network-based appliance is provided with the override control to block control commands submitted by each other of the plurality of network-based appliances, determining to forward the first control command in response to recognizing the first control command as being submitted by the first network-based appliance; transmitting the first control command to each of the other of the plurality of network-based appliances engaged in the on-going collaboration session, wherein the first control command simultaneously controls an operation of the distributed video presentation which is executing at each of the other of the plurality of network-based appliances according to the control command access privilege; receiving a second control command, from a second network-based appliance of the plurality of network-based appliances, to control a second operation of the distributed video presentation; and allowing the first network-based appliance to block the second control command.