Virtual serial cable
Techniques and systems for providing a virtual serial cable are provided. A network server, a method, and a computer-program product may be provided. A network server may receive a serial communication from a first serially-connected device in a first location, wherein the first serially-connected device is assigned a first universally unique identifier (UUID), and wherein the serial communication includes a second (UUID) assigned to a second serially-connected device in a second location. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may contain instructions, when executed, cause one or more processors to obtain the (UUID), determine that the second (UUID) is assigned to the second serially-connected device, and create a virtual serial connection between the first and second serially-connected devices. The network server may transmit the serial communication to the second serially-connected device located in the second location. The serial communication causes the second serially-connected device to perform an operation.
1. A network server for binding communication sessions of remote serially-connected devices, comprising:
one or more data processors;
a receiver for receiving one or more serial communications associated with a first serially-connected device located in a first location and a second serially-connected device located in a second location, wherein the first serially-connected device and the second serially-connected device are not configured to directly communicate with the network server, wherein the first serially-connected device is assigned a first universally unique identifier and is serially connected to a first device that enables communication with the network server, wherein the second serially-connected device is assigned a second universally unique identifier is serially connected to a second device that enables communication with the network server, and wherein a received serial communication includes the second universally unique identifier;
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions which when executed on the one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to perform operations including:
obtaining the second universally unique identifier;
determining that the second universally unique identifier is assigned to the second serially-connected device; and
creating a virtual serial connection between the first serially-connected device and the second serially-connected device, wherein the virtual serial connection is established with the second serially-connected device based on the second universally unique identifier being assigned to the second serially-connected device, wherein the virtual serial connection is created by binding a communication session of the first serially-connected device and the second serially-connected device such that serial communications from the first serially-connected device are configured to be transmitted to the second serially-connected device and serial communications from the second serially-connected device are configured to be transmitted to the first serially-connected device, and wherein the virtual serial connection is maintained until the first serially-connected device or the second serially-connected device is taken offline; and
a transmitter for transmitting the serial communication to the second serially-connected device located in the second location, wherein the serial communication causes the second serially-connected device to perform an operation.
2. The network server of claim 1 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium contains instructions which when executed on the one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to perform operations including:
converting the received serial communication to a communication in a native protocol of the network server;
processing the communication using an application programming interface; and
converting the communication back to a serial format before transmitting the communication to the second serially-connected device.
3. The network server of claim 1 , wherein when the virtual serial connection is created between the first serially-connected device and the second serially-connected device, communications communicated from the first serially-connected device are automatically transmitted to the second serially-connected device without user input.
4. The network server of claim 1 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium contains instructions which when executed on the one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to perform operations including:
creating virtual serial connections between the first serially-connected device and multiple other serially-connected devices.
5. The network server of claim 1 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium contains instructions which when executed on the one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to perform operations including:
creating virtual serial connections between a first plurality of serially-connected devices and a second plurality of serially-connected devices.
6. A computer-implemented method of binding communication sessions of remote serially-connected devices, comprising:
receiving, by a computing device, one or more serial communications associated with a first serially-connected device located in a first location and a second serially-connected device located in a second location, wherein the first serially-connected device and the second serially-connected device are not configured to directly communicate with a network server, wherein the first serially-connected device is assigned a first universally unique identifier and is serially connected to a first device that enables communication with the network server, wherein the second serially-connected device is assigned a second universally unique identifier is serially connected to a second device that enables communication with the network server, and wherein a received serial communication includes the second universally unique identifier;
obtaining the second universally unique identifier;
determining that the second universally unique identifier is assigned to the second serially-connected device;
creating a virtual serial connection between the first serially-connected device and the second serially-connected device, wherein the virtual serial connection is established with the second serially-connected device based on the second universally unique identifier being assigned to the second serially-connected device, wherein the virtual serial connection is created by binding a communication session of the first serially-connected device and the second serially-connected device such that serial communications from the first serially-connected device are configured to be transmitted to the second serially-connected device and serial communications from the second serially-connected device are configured to be transmitted to the first serially-connected device, and wherein the virtual serial connection is maintained until the first serially-connected device or the second serially-connected device is taken offline; and
transmitting the serial communication to the second serially-connected device located in the second location, wherein the serial communication causes the second serially-connected device to perform an operation.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
converting the received serial communication to a communication in a native protocol of the network server;
processing the communication using an application programming interface; and
converting the communication back to a serial format before transmitting the communication to the second serially-connected device.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein when the virtual serial connection is created between the first serially-connected device and the second serially-connected device, communications communicated from the first serially-connected device are automatically transmitted to the second serially-connected device without user input.
9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
creating virtual serial connections between the first serially-connected device and multiple other serially-connected devices.
10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
creating virtual serial connections between a first plurality of serially-connected devices and a second plurality of serially-connected devices.
11. A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of a computing device, including instructions configured to cause one or more data processors to:
receive one or more serial communications associated with a first serially-connected device located in a first location and a second serially-connected device located in a second location, wherein the first serially-connected device and the second serially-connected device are not configured to directly communicate with a network server, wherein the first serially-connected device is assigned a first universally unique identifier and is serially connected to a first device that enables communication with the network server, wherein the second serially-connected device is assigned a second universally unique identifier is serially connected to a second device that enables communication with the network server, and wherein a received serial communication includes the second universally unique identifier;
obtain the second universally unique identifier;
determine that the second universally unique identifier is assigned to the second serially-connected device;
create a virtual serial connection between the first serially-connected device and the second serially-connected device, wherein the virtual serial connection is established with the second serially-connected device based on the second universally unique identifier being assigned to the second serially-connected device, wherein the virtual serial connection is created by binding a communication session of the first serially-connected device and the second serially-connected device such that serial communications from the first serially-connected device are configured to be transmitted to the second serially-connected device and serial communications from the second serially-connected device are configured to be transmitted to the first serially-connected device, and wherein the virtual serial connection is maintained until the first serially-connected device or the second serially-connected device is taken offline; and
transmit the serial communication to the second serially-connected device located in the second location, wherein the serial communication causes the second serially-connected device to perform an operation.
12. The computer-program product of claim 11 , further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more data processors to:
convert the received serial communication to a communication in a native protocol of the network server;
process the communication using an application programming interface; and
convert the communication back to a serial format before transmitting the communication to the second serially-connected device.
13. The computer-program product of claim 11 , wherein when the virtual serial connection is created between the first serially-connected device and the second serially-connected device, communications communicated from the first serially-connected device are automatically transmitted to the second serially-connected device without user input.
14. The computer-program product of claim 11 , further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more data processors to:
create virtual serial connections between the first serially-connected device and multiple other serially-connected devices.