Remote session recording apparatus and method
View Patent ↗An Intelligent Network Peripheral (INP) is equipped with a recording control processor that is connected to at least one internal or external recording device (e.g., hard drive, disk array, CD-recorder, DVD recorder, and/or tape device). Using the INP, a user may be prompted to perform an activity, such as (1) start a new recording session, (2) playback a recorded session, (3) delete a recorded session, (4) edit recording parameters (e.g., the number of stored frames, the length of a session to record, the resolution of the image to record), and (5) re-run a recorded session. An INP may be incorporated into a Keyboard/Video/Mouse (KVM) switch, a Rack Connection Manager (RCM) and/or a Pod Extension Module (PEM) for recording at least one of video from and user input to a computer for diagnostic and other purposes.
1. A peripheral device enclosed in a housing for intercepting and recording interactions between a user interface device and first and second servers, the peripheral device comprising:
a first computer-side interface for receiving signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server and for selectively (1) transmitting signals corresponding to changes in state of the user interface device to the first server when the first server is the active server and (2) not transmitting signals corresponding to changes in the state of the user interface device to the first server when the first server is not the active server;
a second computer-side interface for receiving signals corresponding to computer video signals of the second server and for selectively (1) transmitting signals corresponding to changes in state of the user interface device to the second server when the second server is the active server and (2) not transmitting signals corresponding to changes in the state of the user interface device to the second server when the second server is not the active server;
at least one user-side interface for receiving signals corresponding to changes in state of the user interface device and for selectively (1) transmitting signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server when the first server is the active server and (2) transmitting signals corresponding to computer video signals of the second server when the second server is the active server;
a controller for receiving a switching command for selecting which of the first and second servers is the active server; and
a recording control processor for recording (1) signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server when the first server is the active server, (2) signals corresponding to changes in state of the user interface device, (3) a timing correlation between the signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server and the signals corresponding to changes in state of the user interface device when the first server is the active server, and (4) a timing correlation between the signals corresponding to computer video signals of the second server and the signals corresponding to changes in state of the user interface device sent to the second server when the second server is the active server, and for beginning recording signals corresponding to computer video signals of the second server when the second server is not the active server but a configurable condition occurs on the second server.
2. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one computer-side interface comprises a user interface connector.
3. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one computer-side interface comprises a communications port.
4. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one user-side interface comprises a KVM interface connector.
5. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one user-side interface comprises a remote computer connection.
6. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a peripheral interface, wherein the recording control processor records, to a recording device connected to the peripheral device across the peripheral interface, the signals recorded by the recording control processor.
7. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a non-volatile, rewriteable storage device internal to the peripheral device for storing the signals recorded by the recording control processor.
8. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising means for providing a user interface to the user for controlling recording by the recording control processor.
9. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the recording control processor records switches between the first and second servers connected to the peripheral device.
10. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the configurable condition comprises that the signals corresponding to computer video signals of the second server represent a predetermined image.
11. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the predetermined image is an image having greater than a predetermined percentage of a single color.
12. A peripheral device enclosed in a housing for playing back recorded interactions between a user interface device and a computer monitor of a user and a first server, the peripheral device comprising:
a first computer-side interface for receiving first signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server and for selectively (1) transmitting signals corresponding to changes in state of the user interface device to the first server when the first server is the active server and (2) not transmitting signals corresponding to changes in the state of the user interface device to the first server when the first server is not the active server;
a second computer-side interface for receiving signals corresponding to computer video signals of a second server and for selectively (1) transmitting signals corresponding to changes in state of the user interface device to the second server when the second server is the active server and (2) not transmitting signals corresponding to changes in the state of the user interface device to the second server when the second server is not the active server;
at least one user-side interface for receiving second signals corresponding to changes in state of the user interface device and for transmitting signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server when the first server is the active server and (2) transmitting signals corresponding to computer video signals of the second server when the second server is the active server;
a controller for receiving a switching command for selecting which of the first and second servers is the active server; and
a recording control processor for playing back third recorded signals corresponding to computer video signals of the second server that was not the active server when the third recorded signals were recorded, wherein at least a portion of the first and third signals are played back for display at the same time.
13. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the at least one computer-side interface comprises a user interface connector.
14. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the at least one computer-side connector interface comprises a communications port.
15. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the at least one user-side interface comprises a KVM interface connector.
16. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the at least one user-side interface comprises a remote computer connection.
17. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising a peripheral interface, wherein the recording control processor plays back, from a recording device connected to the peripheral device across the peripheral interface, the third recorded signals.
18. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising a non-volatile, rewriteable storage device internal to the peripheral device for playing back the third recorded signals.
19. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising means for providing a user interface to the user for controlling playback by the recording control processor.
20. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the at least a portion of the first and third signals played back for display at the same time are displayed on the computer monitor.
21. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the at least a portion of the first and third signals played back for display at the same time are displayed on the computer monitor and a second monitor of the user.