Network server for local and remote resources

Claim 2

Method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the subsequent steps of: sending from said one client to said network server a request to connect to or access a third resource; determining by said network server that another one of said remote computers manages said third resource; and sending by said network server to said other remote computer a request to establish a session, said session establishment request including said stored account name and password, and a request to connect to or access said third resource.

Claim 3

Method as set forth in claim 1 or 2 further comprising the steps of: validating by said one remote computer said account name and password included in said session establishment request, and establishing by said one remote computer said session requested by said network server.

Claim 4

Method as set forth in claim 3 further comprising the steps of: sending from said one client to said network server a request to terminate said session; determining by said network server that said one remote computer is involved in said session; sending by said network server to said one remote computer a request to terminate said session requested by said network server; and terminating by said network server the session between said network server and said one client.

Claim 5

Method as set forth in claim 1 or one of the claims 2 to 4, further comprising the steps of: after said subsequent request, making a request by another application program executing within said one remote computer to access said second resource; and pursuant to said application program request by said other application program, providing access by said one remote computer to said other application program to said second resource.

Claim 6

Method as set forth in claim 1 or one of the claims 2 to 5, wherein the subsequent connect or access request sent by said one client to said network server specifies said second resource by name, but does not specify said one remote computer or location of said second resource.

Claim 8

Method as set forth in claim 7 further comprising the step of establishing said session with said one remote computer by said one remote computer validating said account name and password, in response to said session establishment request from said network server.

Claim 9

A network server for managing access by clients in a network to one or more local resources managed by the network server and one or more remote resources managed by one or more respective remote computers logically and/or physically coupled to the network server, said network server comprising: means for receiving from one of said clients on said network a request to establish a session and a request to connect to or access a first resource, wherein said requests are preferably provided by a single request, the session establishment request including an account name and password for said one client; means, responsive to the session establishment request, for establishing a session between said network server and said one client, and storing said account name and password; means, responsive to the request to connect to or access said first resource, for determining that said first resource is managed by said network server, and determining if said connection is available to said first resource; and means, responsive to a subsequent request from said one client to connect to or access a second resource, for determining that one of said remote computers manages said second resource, sending a request to said one remote computer to establish a session with said one remote computer, said request including said stored account name and password, and sending a request to said one remote computer to connect to or access said second resource.

Claim 10

Network server as set forth in claim 9 wherein: the determining means is responsive to another request from said one client to connect to or access a third resource to determine that another one of said remote computers manages said third resource; and the sending means sends to said other remote computer a request to establish a session, said session establishment request including said stored account name and password, and a request to connect to or access said third resource.

Claim 11

Network server as set forth in claim 9 or 10 further comprising: means, responsive to a request from said one client to terminate said session, for determining that said one remote computer is involved in said session; means for sending to said one remote computer a request to terminate said session requested by said network server; and means for terminating the session between said network server and said one client.

Claim 12

Network server as set forth in claim 9, 10 or 11 wherein the subsequent connect or access request sent by said one client to said network server specifies said second resource by name, but does not specify said one remote computer or a location of the resource managed said one remote computer.

Claim 13

A network server for managing access by clients in a network to a local resource managed by the network server and one or more remote resources managed by one or more respective remote computers coupled to the network server, said network server comprising: means for receiving from one of said clients on said network a request to establish a session and a request to connect to or access a first resource, the session establishment request including an account name and a password for said one client; means, responsive to the session establishment request, for establishing a session with said network server, and storing said account name and password; means, responsive to the connect or access request, for determining that one of said remote computers manages said first resource, sending a request to said one remote computer to establish a session with said one remote computer, said request including said stored account name and password, and sending a request to said remote computer to connect to or access said first resource; and means, responsive to a subsequent request to connect to or access a second resource, for determining that said network server manages said second resource, and determining whether said second resource is available.

Claim 14

A computer program product for managing access by clients in a network to one or more local resources managed by the network server and one or more remote resources managed by one or more respective remote computers logically and/or physically coupled to the network server, said computer program product comprising: a computer readable medium; first program instruction means, recorded on said medium, for instructing a computer processor to receive from one of said client or said network a request to establish a session and a request to connect to or access a first resource, the session establishment request including an account name and password for said one client; second program instruction means, recorded on said medium, for instructing a computer processor to respond to the session establishment request by establishing a session between said network server and said client, and storing said account name and password; third program instruction means, recorded on said medium, for instructing a computer processor to respond to the request to connect to or access said first resource, by determining that said first resource is managed by said network server, and determining if said connection is available to said first resource; and fourth program instruction means, recorded on said medium, for instructing a computer processor to respond to a subsequent request from said one client to connect to or access a second resource, by determining that one of said remote computers manages said second resource, sending a request to said one remote computer to establish a session with said one remote computer, said request including said stored account name and password, and sending a request to said one remote computer to connect to or access said second resource; and wherein each of said program instruction means is executable by the associated computer processor.

Claim 15

Computer program product as set forth in claim 14 wherein to the third program instruction means is responsive to another request from said one client to connect to or access a third resource by instructing a computer processor to determine that another one of said remote computers manages said third resource; and the fourth program instruction means instructs a computer processor to send to said other remote computer a request to establish a session, said session establishment request including said stored account name and password, and a request to connect to or access said third resource.

Claim 16

Computer program product as set forth in claim 14 or 15 further comprising: fifth program instruction means, recorded on said medium, for instructing a computer processor to respond to a request from said one client to terminate said session, to determine that said one remote computer is involved in said session; sixth program instruction means, recorded on said medium, for instructing a computer processor to send to said one remote computer a request to terminate said session requested by said network server; and seventh program instruction means, recorded on said medium, for instructing a computer processor to terminate the session between said network server and said one client; and wherein said fifth, sixth and seventh program instruction means are executable by the associated computer processor.

Claim 17

Computer program product as set forth in claim 14, 15 or 16 wherein the subsequent connect or access request sent by said one client specifies said second resource by name, but does not specify said one remote computer or an address of the resource managed said one remote computer.

Claim 18

A computer program product for managing access by clients in a network to a local resource managed by the network server and one or more remote resources managed by one or more respective remote computers coupled to the network server, said computer program product comprising: first program instruction means, recorded on said medium, for instructing a computer processor to receive from one of said clients on said network a request to establish a session and a request to connect to or access a first resource, the session establishment request including an account name and password for said one client; second program instruction means, recorded on said medium, for instructing a computer processor to respond to the session establishment request by establishing a session with said network server, and storing said account name and password; third program instruction means, recorded on said medium, for instructing a computer processor to respond to the connect or access request by determining that one of said remote computers manages said first resource, sending a request to said one remote computer to establish a session with said one remote computer, said request including said stored account name and password, and sending a request to said remote computer to connect to or access said first resource; and fourth program instruction means, recorded on said medium, for instructing a computer processor to respond to a subsequent request to connect to or access a second resource by determining that said network server manages said second resource, and determining whether said second resource is available; and wherein each of said program instruction means is executable by the associated computer processor.