JP2007188139A - Server device and rental server system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To properly provide the resource of a server to a user in a server/client system. <P>SOLUTION: A server side presents a resource which is selectable by a user, and in the presentation, the server side also presents costs, and after assignment of the resource to the user, the server side provides a means for reducing costs. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a service system for lending time such as a PC (Personal Computer) via a network.

  In recent years, the use of PCs for general business of companies has been expanded, and the performance of PCs has been improved. With the increase in performance, the replacement frequency of PCs lent to corporate employees is increasing, and a lot of investment is required. In addition, as the number of employees increases, it is extremely difficult to uniformly manage OS (Operating System) and business application version upgrades, bug fixes, virus countermeasures, backups, etc. of individual PCs. .

  As a technique for reducing the management cost, there is a server client system (for example, see Patent Document 1). In this method, main programs and data are stored on the server side, and data stored on the client side such as Thin Client (thin client) is reduced.

  In the server client system, computation processing and data accumulation are mainly performed on the server side. Therefore, version upgrades, bug fixes, virus countermeasures and virus countermeasures for the OS and business individually on the client side such as a thin client are performed. The necessity and frequency of disinfection are reduced, and the overall management cost can be reduced. In addition, hardware replacement may be performed as appropriate only on the server side, and costs can be reduced. Furthermore, in a company, it is only necessary to provide the server with an environment for employees who may use PCs at the same time, and it is not necessary to prepare PCs for all employees. Therefore, further cost reduction can be achieved.

  As described above, in the server client system, the desktop environment of the client PC can be virtually realized on the server. By utilizing this feature, there is a virtual PC rental apparatus that realizes a PC environment of a plurality of clients on a server and lends them to clients via a network (for example, see Patent Document 2).

JP 2004-094411 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-171212

  In the techniques described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, the PC environment on the server is always realized by the same hardware specifications that are determined in advance. When the user uses this PC environment, there are no hardware resource options. Moreover, in the technique described in Patent Document 2, there is no room for contrivance for reducing the cost for use, and thus a limited budget cannot be used effectively.

  Under these circumstances, in the conventional technology, when the client side is a thin client in the server client system, the resources provided by the server side cannot be appropriately provided to the user.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and realizes a system capable of supporting the provision of server resources appropriately to users when the client side is a thin client in the server client system. Objective.

  The features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

  In the present invention, resources that can be selected by the user on the server side are presented. At the time of presentation, the cost is also presented. Furthermore, after allocation, a means for cost reduction is provided.

  Specifically, a server device connected to a client terminal via a network and providing resources to the client terminal, the resource management means for managing the resources that can be provided, and the user using the client terminal And a user management unit that manages information of resources to be allocated to the user, and the resource management unit is configured to use the resource when a request for providing a resource is received from the user via the client terminal. Option generation that extracts a list of resources that can be provided to the requesting user and sends them as options to the requesting client terminal within the resources that the requesting user manages according to the attributes of the user managed by the user management means A request for selection from the option of the user is received via the means and the client terminal , A registration unit for registering the received selection content in the user management unit, and when a request for starting resource use is received from a user via the client terminal, according to the selection content registered in the user management unit And a resource allocating means for allocating the resource to the requesting user.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, when the client side is a thin client in a server client system, it becomes possible to support providing the user with the resource which the server side provides appropriately.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, what attached | subjected the same reference number in drawing shows the component which has the same function, The detailed description is abbreviate | omitted for convenience of explanation.

<< First Embodiment >>
In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to a rental server system. The rental server system of this embodiment provides server-side PC hardware resources to client terminals via a network. The user uses the provided PC hardware resource using a remote operation program on the client terminal. The client terminal of this embodiment is a thin client, and maintains an environment including the OS, data, and application of each user on the server side.

  FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a rental server system according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the rental server system of the present embodiment includes a connection PC 1000 that is a client terminal and a server PC system 2000 that is a server-side device. Both are connected via a network 3000.

  The connection PC 1000 includes a CPU 1010, a memory 1020, a nonvolatile memory 1030, and a network connection device 1080, and includes a mouse 1050, a key input device 1060, a display device 1040, and a reader / writer 1070 as input / output interfaces.

  The mouse 1050 and the key input device 1060 can be replaced if they are devices for transmitting user input information such as a touch panel and a joystick to the connection PC 1000. The network connection device 1080 is an interface that connects the connection PC 1000 to the network 3000. The display device 1040 displays screen information 5100 including information 1150 regarding the advertisement 1140 and the service usage status.

  The reader / writer 1070 includes an interface such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) or short-range wireless communication, can be connected to the connection PC 1000, and has an interface that can be connected to an authentication device 4000 described later. The reader / writer 1070 may include a fingerprint authentication device (not shown), a PIN input pad for inputting a PIN (Personal Identification Number) that is a personal identification number that the user should keep secret.

  The non-volatile memory 1030 stores an authentication program 1031 and a remote operation program 1032. The authentication program 1031 and the remote operation program 1032 are loaded into the memory 1020 and executed by the CPU 1010, thereby realizing an authentication function and a remote operation function, respectively. Various input information 5200 input from the mouse 1050 and the key input device 1060 is transmitted to the gateway server 2100 in the server PC system 2000, which will be described later, via the network 3000 by a remote operation function.

  The connection PC 1000 is assumed to be a general information processing apparatus having the above configuration, but the type of device is not limited. For example, any device having the same configuration as described above may be used, such as a mobile phone or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). For example, a PDA includes a CPU, a memory, and a nonvolatile memory. However, the input device is a stylus and a touch panel, and the output device is an LCD.

  The authentication device 4000 includes an IC chip 4500 having tamper resistance. The IC chip 4500 includes a CPU 4100, a memory 4200, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 4300, and a nonvolatile memory 4400. The ROM 4300 stores an authentication information processing program and a PIN verification program. The CPU 4100 loads and executes the authentication information processing program and the PIN verification program in the memory 4200, thereby realizing an authentication processing function and a PIN verification function. The nonvolatile memory 4400 stores PIN information, a secret key for authentication, and the like.

  The network 3000 is, for example, the Internet, WAN, LAN, telephone line network, CATV network, satellite communication network, wireless LAN, or the like. The network 3000 transmits screen information 5100, input information 5200, and the like.

  The server PC system 2000 includes a gateway server 2100, a storage 2200, a server PC 2300, a terminal server 2400, a virtual PC server 2500, and a management server 2600.

  The gateway server 2100 serves as an interface with the network 3000, and includes a CPU 2110, a memory 2120, a disk device 2130, and a network connection device 2140. The gateway server 2100 is connected to the network 3000, the storage 2200, the server PC 2300, the terminal server 2400, the virtual PC server 2500, and the management server 2600 via the network connection device 2140.

  The disk device 2130 stores a VPN (Virtual Private Network) program 2131. The VPN program 2131 is loaded into the memory 2120 and executed by the CPU 2110 to realize a virtual network function. The virtual network function transmits the input information 5200 received from the connection PC 1000 to any of the server PC 2300, the terminal server 2400, and the virtual PC server 2500 in accordance with the management server 2600. Similarly, the screen information 5100 from the server PC 2300, the terminal server 2400, and the virtual PC server 2500 is sent to the network 1000 in order to be sent to the connection PC 1000.

  A server group of the server PC 2300, the terminal server 2400, and the virtual PC server 2500 provides a PC service (environment) to the connection PC 1000 that is a client terminal.

  Server PC 2300 includes CPU 2310 and memory 2320.

  The terminal server 2400 includes a CPU 2410, a memory 2420, and a disk device 2430. The disk device 2430 stores a server OS 2431 and an application program 2432. The application program 2432 is a program for realizing a terminal service, a spreadsheet application, a word processor application, or the like. The terminal service realizes a plurality of user desktop environments on the server OS 2340 and is operated from a plurality of client terminals including a keyboard, a mouse, a display device, and the like, so that a plurality of people can execute the CPU, memory, and OS of the server. Typical product names include Microsoft Windows Terminal Service (registered trademark), Citrix Citrix MetaFrame (registered trademark), and the like. Since the terminal service is a known technique, the details are omitted.

  The virtual PC server 2500 includes a CPU 2510, a memory 2520, and a disk device 2530. The disk device 2530 stores a server OS 2531 and a virtual application program 2532. Virtualization is to virtually implement a plurality of PCs on a certain server. The virtual application program 2532 is loaded into the memory 2520 and executed by the CPU 2510, thereby virtually realizing a plurality of PCs. Typical product names of the virtual application program 2532 include Microsoft VirtualServer 2005 (registered trademark), VMware VMware (registered trademark), and the like. Since the virtualization application program 2532 is a known technique, details are omitted.

  The storage 2200 stores an OS (Operating System) 2210, personal data 2220, and an application program (AP) 2230 for each user. The application program 2230 is a spreadsheet application or a word processor application. In this embodiment, the storage 2200 collectively holds data necessary for constructing a PC environment so that the user can freely select from the server group as necessary.

  The personal data 2220 is recorded on a medium such as a CD (Compact Disk) -ROM, and sent from the user to the service provider in advance for registration. Or you may comprise so that it may upload via the network 3000. FIG. The method of uploading the personal data 2220 via the network 3000 is, for example, as one of the use services described later, when the user selects uploading in addition to uploading personal data, the user selects A method is conceivable in which personal data prepared in advance in the connected PC 1000 being used is uploaded to the storage 2200 so that server resources can be used in the same personal environment as the connected PC 1000.

  Note that identifiers (storage numbers) are assigned to all storage areas of the storage 2200. The storage number of the area in which each user's OS 2210, personal data 2220, and AP 2230 are stored is recorded in the user management table 2651 of the management server 2600, which will be described later, in association with the user identifier that identifies each user. . The user identifier may be any parameter that can identify the user, and may be a PIN or password, which will be described later, for example. Hereinafter, an area in which each user's OS 2210, personal data 2220, and AP 2230 are stored is referred to as a personal area assigned to the user.

  The management server 2600 manages each resource in the server PC system 2000 and the usage status of each resource user. The management server 2600 includes a CPU 2610, a memory 2620, a display device 2630, and a disk device 2640. The disk device 2640 includes a user management program 2641, an advertisement distribution program 2642, a power consumption management program 2643, a backup program 2644, a virus check program 2645, a resource management program 2646, a user management table 2651, and a server resource management table. 2652, a charge table 2653, a storage management table 2654, a recommended / impossible association table 2655, a user attribute table 2656, and a software / option management table 2657 are stored.

  First, functions realized by each program will be described.

  The user management program 2641 is loaded into the memory 2620 and executed by the CPU 2610, thereby realizing a user management function. The user management function manages the user management table 2651, manages the resource usage status for each user, and authenticates the user based on the notification from the function realized by each program. In addition, based on the resource usage status for each user, the user is billed for the resource usage fee. For example, in this embodiment, the use of each resource is received at a point from the resource management function and collected. The user management function aggregates the points of each resource used by the user on a monthly basis, calculates the monthly usage fee by converting into points, and notifies the connection PC 1000 of the calculated usage fee. The connected PC 1000 prompts the user to pay by displaying the received usage fee in the service information 1150 column. The user pays a monthly fee by credit card or bank withdrawal according to this request.

  The advertisement distribution program 2642 is loaded into the memory 2620 and executed by the CPU 2610, thereby realizing an advertisement distribution function. The advertisement distribution function inserts an advertisement into the screen information 5100 transmitted to the connected PC 1000. In this embodiment, the resource management function accepts a user's intention to insert an advertisement and inserts the advertisement into the screen information 5100 transmitted to the permitted user.

  As will be described later, the necessary points when advertising distribution is selected as an optional service are negative. That is, the user can reduce the cost by selecting the advertisement distribution.

  The power consumption management program 2643 is loaded into the memory 2620 and executed by the CPU 2610, thereby realizing a power consumption management function. The power consumption management function monitors the power consumption of the user's server PC 2300. Then, the monitoring result is notified to the user management function. The user management function records the total power consumption of the user using the received monitoring results, calculates the power saving discount points to which more discount points are given if the consumption during the specified period is small. To the point totals With this function, the user can reduce the cost by turning off the power of the server PC 2300 when work is not performed. Furthermore, since the user is prompted to turn off the power of the server PC 2300 when work is not performed, power consumption can be suppressed.

  The backup program 2644 is loaded into the memory 2620 and executed by the CPU 2610, thereby realizing a backup function. In the backup function, the management server 2600 backs up data stored in the storage 2200 to a backup device (for example, a tape device, CD, DVD, hard disk, etc.) regularly or when there is an update. The backup is performed according to the user's selection registered in the user management table 2651.

  The virus check program 2645 is loaded into the memory 2620 and executed by the CPU 2610, thereby realizing a virus check function. The virus check function periodically scans data stored in the storage 2200 to detect and remove data that matches the virus pattern. This process is performed according to the user's selection registered in the user management table 2651.

  The resource management program 2646 is loaded into the memory 2620 and executed by the CPU 2610, thereby realizing a resource management function. The resource management function manages the specifications of each server resource (2300, 2400, 2500) connected to the management server 2600 and the storage 2200 in the server PC system 2000. Specifically, the management is realized by keeping the server resource management table 2652 and the storage management table 2654 described later in the latest state.

  When a new server resource or storage is connected to the management server 2600, the performance information is notified from the server resource or storage to the management server 2600 by UPnP or the like and registered in each table. Alternatively, the administrator of the management server 2600 may be registered in each table.

  Further, the resource management function, when there is a resource provision request (hereinafter referred to as a resource allocation request) from the user, a user management table 2651, a server resource management table 2652, a charge table 2653, a storage management table 2654, Using the data held in the recommended / impossible association table 2655 and the software resource / option management table 2657, data of the selectable use service list display screen 6100 is generated. This display screen data is a resource that can be provided by the server PC system 2000 to the requesting user of the resource allocation request, presents the resource items that can be selected by the user, and selects the user. It will be an accepted interface.

  The resource management function allocates resources to users according to the user selection received via the selectable available service list display screen 6100. Specifically, the resource management function notifies the user management function of the contents of selection received from the user. At this time, with reference to the charge table 2653, the user management function is also notified of the necessary points of each selected resource. Upon receiving the notification, the user management function updates the user management table 2651 based on the received information. When the resource management function receives a use start request that is a request to start use from a user, the resource management function allocates resources according to the contents registered in the user management table 2651 so that the user can use them.

  Next, information managed in each table will be described.

  Registered in the user management table 2651 are attributes, usage statuses of resources in the server PC system 2000, services selected by the user, and various data relating to usage for each user. FIG. 2 shows an example of the user management table 2651 of this embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, the user management table 2651 of the present embodiment includes a user number 2651a uniquely assigned in advance for each user, a user attribute 2651b of the user, and the user using the user management table 2651. Various data 2651c relating to the use of resources in the selected server PC system 2000 are registered.

  In this embodiment, the user number 1651a is a number used to identify the user, and is registered in advance by an administrator or the like.

  The user attribute 2651b is assigned and registered in advance by an administrator or the like from the attributes registered in the user attribute table 2656.

The various data 2561c is notified by the resource management function and registered by the user management function. In the various data 2651c, the usage status (unregistered, being used, and being used) of the resource in the server PC system of the user is registered.
When the usage state is “in use”, the server resource number (described later) of the server resource allocated based on the user's selection is registered as information for specifying the usage start time and the allocated server resource. .

  In addition, various data 2561c includes hardware specifications (CPU specifications, CPU type, memory capacity, memory type, storage capacity, storage type, storage number) selected by the user, and optional services (necessity of backup service). Necessity of virus check program, necessity of word processor application, necessity of spreadsheet application, type of operating system, availability of advertisement distribution), power saving discount point of server PC 2300, necessary point in user's selection situation, charge State of withdrawal, date and time of notification when authentication device 4000 is lost, unauthorized access log recorded when connecting with impersonation of authentication device 4000 with lost notification, IP address, date and time, and service of connection source in use Such as logs, such as screen information is registered.

  In addition, when the user changes the selection content of the resource on the way, the previous use state becomes “use end”, and various data are recorded.

  The screen information of the usage log is used as an audit trail when, for example, there is a leakage of customer information at a company.

  The server resource management table 2652 manages the specifications of each server resource connected to the management server 2600 in the server PC system 2000. An example of the server resource management table 2652 is shown in FIG.

  As shown in this figure, in the server resource management table 2652, for each server resource, a server resource number 2652a uniquely assigned to the server resource, a power state 2652b indicating the current power state of the server resource, A CPU clock 2652c indicating the CPU clock frequency of the server resource, a CPU type 2652d indicating the CPU type of the server resource, a memory capacity 2652e indicating the memory capacity of the server resource, and the type of the memory A memory type 2652f, address information 2652g, and a usage rate 2652h indicating the current usage status of the server resource are registered.

  The power state 2652b and the usage rate 2652h are maintained by the resource management function by inquiring each server resource every predetermined time. Other items are registered in advance by an administrator or the like.

  The fee table 2653 stores the cost necessary for using each resource for a certain period as a point. Each point is registered in advance by an administrator. The fixed period is, for example, one month, one week, one hour, or the like. FIG. 4 shows an example of the charge table 2653 of this embodiment. As shown in this figure, the charge table 2653 of this embodiment includes a selectable item column 2653a for registering a resource name and a necessary point registration column 2653b for registering points necessary for using the resource for a certain period. Prepare. If you select a high-performance spec or select to use a service, you will need more points, and if you permit advertising distribution, the required points will be negative.

  The storage management table 2654 manages the specifications of each storage connected to the management server 2600 in the server PC system 2000. An example of the storage management table 2654 is shown in FIG.

  As shown in this figure, the storage management table 2654 includes a storage number 2654a uniquely assigned to each storage, a logical unit number 2654b of the storage, a disk usage rate 2654c of the storage, The storage type 2654d and the total capacity 2654e of the storage are registered. The disk usage rate 2654c maintains the latest information by inquiring each storage every predetermined time by the resource management function. Other items are registered in advance by an administrator or the like.

  The recommended / impossible association table 2655 registers recommended specifications for each server resource connected to the management server 2600. The recommended / impossible association table 2655 is registered in advance by the administrator.

  FIG. 6 shows an example of the recommended / impossible association table 2655. As shown in this figure, the recommended / unavailable association table 2655 of this embodiment includes a recommended OS 2655b, a recommended CPU specification 2655c, a recommended memory capacity 2655d, and a server memory 2655a connected to the management server 2600. Application A 2655e indicating whether or not software resources can be used, recommended server resource priority 2655f, and optional service A 2655g indicating whether or not optional services can be used are registered. Here, the software resource is shown only for the application A, and the option service is shown only for the optional service A. In this case, the availability is registered for each prepared application and each optional service. be registered.

  In the example of FIG. 6, for example, when the server resource is a server PC 2300 type, a combination of OS1, CPU spec 1 GHz, memory 1 GB or more, and server resource priority 1 is registered as recommended. Further, even in the case of the same server PC 2300 type, the application A is registered as unavailable when the OS 2 is selected.

  The user attribute table 2656 registers recommended resources, specifications, software, necessity of optional services, and the like for each user attribute. This table is registered in advance by the administrator. In the present embodiment, the user attributes include, for example, a job title and job type within a company, and a premium member or general member type for a service for general consumers. The selectable items of services that can be used by the user are restricted according to the user attribute. FIG. 7 shows an example of the user attribute table 2656 of this embodiment.

  The software resource / option management table 2657 manages software and optional services available in the server PC system 2000. These are registered in advance by the administrator.

  The programs and tables in the management server 2600 have been described above.

  In the server PC system 2000, the gateway server 2100, the storage 2200, the server PC 2300, the terminal server 2400, the virtual PC server 2500, and the management server 2600 are connected to each other via a network. Further, although only one unit is shown in FIG. 1, any number may be used.

  Next, the selectable use service list display screen 6100 generated by the resource management function and displayed on the display device 1040 of the connected PC 1000 will be described. FIG. 8 shows a selectable use service list display screen 6100.

  The selectable use service list display screen 6100 includes a selectable item display field 6110, a selection content display field 6120, a necessary point display field 6130, a total point display field 6140, and a point calculation button 6150, as shown in FIG. And a confirm button 6160 and a cancel button 6170. The point calculation button 6150 is a button for receiving an instruction for calculating the total points necessary for the selection contents, the confirmation button 6160 is a button for receiving an instruction for confirmation of the selection contents, and a cancel button 6170 is a button for canceling the selection contents. This button accepts instructions.

  The selectable item display field 6110 includes a resource type display field 6111 and a specification display field 6112. In the resource type display column 6111, server resources and storage resources that can be selected by the user, software resources, and optional services are separately displayed. In the spec display column 6112, selectable specs (combinations) of each resource displayed in the resource type display column 6111 are displayed. As software resources and optional services, selectable application names and optional services are displayed. The information displayed as selectable specifications is generated by the resource management function.

  From each displayed item, the user can select a desired resource type, specifications, software, and the like. In the present embodiment, server resources and storage resources can be selected independently. That is, it is possible to select only server resources and only storage resources.

  Specifically, in the example of FIG. 8, the user can select a server resource from the server PC 2300, the terminal server 2400, and the virtual PC server 2500. Further, for example, when the server PC 2300 is selected as the server resource, the CPU specification, CPU type, memory capacity, and memory type of the server PC are selected. Here, the CPU type is a product type of a CPU such as Pentium (registered trademark) or Athlon (registered trademark). The memory type is a type of a memory standard such as DDR (Double Data Rate).

  Storage specifications and capacity can be selected as storage resources.

  In addition, as software resources and optional services, users need backup services for personal data stored in storage, virus check services are required / not required, word processing applications are required / not required, and spreadsheet applications are required / not required. It is possible to select an operating system, ad delivery permission, server resource usage priority, and the like.

  Here, the server resource use priority is assigned preferentially to the vacant server PC 2300 according to the priority, or the CPUs 2410 and 2510 and the memory resources 2420 and 2520 of the terminal server 2400 and the virtual PC server 2500 are given priority. It is an index that makes it available for use. For example, when a user selects “1” indicating the highest priority on the server PC 2300, the management server always uses one server PC 2300 so that the server PC 2300 can be used whenever the user connects. Manage to be free. That is, when there is only one server PC 2300 in the empty state, if the user has a low priority, even if the server PC 2300 is desired, it is not assigned, but the terminal server 2400 and the virtual PC server 2500 are assigned. It will be. Further, the user can select and use only the storage resource without selecting the server resource.

  In the present embodiment, using the information in the charge table 2652, the points necessary for use for a certain period of time are displayed in the necessary point display column 6130 according to the selection contents.

  The content selected by the user is received by the connection PC 1000 and displayed in the selected content display field 6120. When receiving an instruction by pressing the point calculation button 6150 after receiving the selection, the connection PC 1000 sends the content of the selection and the point calculation instruction to the management server 2600 via the network 3000 and the gateway server 2100. To do. The management server 2600 calculates the total necessary points according to the selection received by the resource management function, and returns the calculated points as additional screen information 5100. In the connection PC 1000, the received total points are displayed in the total point display column 6140. By performing this display, it is possible to show points necessary for selecting the resource to the user, that is, the cost. The user can grasp the cost intuitively.

  On the other hand, when a transmission instruction is received from the user by pressing the confirmation button 6160, the connection PC 1000 transmits the user selection content and the confirmation instruction to the management server 2600. In the management server 2600, the user management function registers the selection received by the resource management function in the user management table.

  When the cancel button 6170 is pressed, the user selection is not transmitted to the management server 2600.

  In selecting the CPU spec of the server resource, the CPU performance that can be used by the user may be selected from a pull-down menu, or an input of an arbitrary numerical value may be accepted. When receiving an input of a numerical value, the management server 2600 may be configured to transmit a command for limiting the clock frequency of the CPU 2310 of the server PC 2300 so that the CPU operates according to the CPU specification specified by the input numerical value.

  Next, the flow of processing when the connection PC 1000 that is a client terminal uses the server PC system 2000 as a rental server will be described with reference to FIG. In the following, a case where user authentication is performed using authentication information registered in the authentication device 4000 in advance will be described as an example. Of course, user authentication is not limited to this method. For example, password authentication that authenticates with a password stored by the user may be used.

  First, when an instruction intended for an authentication request is received from a user of the rental server, the CPU 1010 of the connection PC 1000 activates the authentication program 1031 stored in the nonvolatile memory 1030 (step 201). The CPU 1010 transmits an authentication request to the management server 2600 via the gateway server 2100 according to the authentication program 1021 (step 203).

  Receiving the authentication request, the management server 2600 transmits an authentication information request, which is a request for acquiring information (authentication information) necessary for authentication, to the connection PC 1000 that is the transmission source (step 204). Receiving the authentication information request, the connected PC 1000 displays a screen for PIN input on the display device 1040 and prompts the user for input (step 205).

  When receiving a PIN input from the user using an input means such as a key input device 1060 or a PIN pad (not shown) (step 206), the connected PC 1000 transmits the input PIN to the authentication device 4000, The collation is requested (step 207). In the IC chip 4500 of the authentication device 4000 that has received the PIN, the PIN verification function performs verification, and if the verification is successful, authentication information is returned to the connection PC 1000 of the transmission source (step 209).

  The connection PC 1000 transmits authentication information to the management server 2600 (step 210). The management server 2600 that has received the authentication information refers to the user management table 2651 and performs authentication (step 211). For example, when using PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) for a user authentication function, a user certificate and a signature value generated in an IC card are used as authentication information. The user management server authenticates the user with the signature value and the certificate. The certificate is associated with the user number in the user management table 2651.

  When the authentication is successful, an authentication success notification indicating that the authentication is successful is returned to the connection PC 1000 of the transmission source (step 212). Upon receiving the authentication information, the management server 2600 interprets that the resource allocation request has been received, Selectable usable service list display screen 6100 data for displaying a list of usable services that can be selected by the user specified as the usable service selection request is generated, and the data and the charge table 2653 are returned together with an authentication success notification.

  Receiving the notification of successful authentication, the selectable use service list display screen 6100 data, and the charge table 2653, the connected PC 1000 displays the received selectable use service list display screen 6100 on the display device 1040, and prompts the user to select. (Step 213).

  When the selection of the usage service is received from the user (step 214), the connected PC 1000 notifies the management server 2600 of the selected usage service (step 215). The management server 2600 registers the selected use service in the user management table 2651 (step 216). Then, the management server 2600 notifies the transmission source connection PC 1000 of screen information 5100 indicating that the registration in the user management table 2651 has ended (step 217). The connection PC 1000 displays the received screen information 5100 on the display screen 1040 and notifies the user (step 218).

  If the same user executes the process in steps 213 to 217 once unless the specification desired to be assigned is changed, the second and subsequent assignment requests can be omitted.

  Thereafter, when the user confirms the notification, the user instructs to start the remote operation program 1032 of the connected PC 1000 (step 219). When receiving an instruction from the user, the connection PC 1000 activates the remote operation program 1032 to realize a remote operation function. The connection PC 1000 transmits a use start request for starting use of the selected service to the management server 2600 through the gateway server 2100 together with information for specifying the user by using the remote operation function (step 220).

  The management server 2600 confirms the use service registered in the user management table 2651 in association with the user (step 221), and according to the registered use service, the necessary server resources are given to the user. Allocation (step 222) is made available.

  Here, the server resource of this embodiment is one of the server PC 2300, the terminal server 2400, and the virtual PC server 2500. After the allocation, each server resource loads the OS 2210, personal data 2220, and AP 2230 from the storage 2200 area allocated to the user to the server PC 2300, and the remote operation function from the connection PC 1000 on each server resource. (Step 223).

  Thereafter, the user can use the server resource by the remote operation program 1032 of the connection PC 1000 (step 224).

  The procedure for terminating the use of server resources is as follows.

  The user instructs the connection PC 1000 to end. The connection PC 1000 that accepts the intention to end the use of the server resource from the user (step 225) is assigned an end notification indicating the end together with information for specifying the user, and is used by the user. The server resource is notified (step 226). The server resource that has received the end notification is the individual assigned to the user of the storage device 2200 with the data (OS 2210, personal data 2220, AP 2230) of the user loaded according to the information for identifying the user. In the area (step 227), the user data is deleted from the memory in the server resource. For example, the management server 2600 writes a random number to the memory of the server resource or performs zeroing so that the user data does not remain. Further, when the memory is a volatile memory, the data can be cleared by setting the voltage to 0V.

  Thereafter, the connection PC 1000 that is the transmission source of the end notification and the management server 2600 are notified of the normal end (step 228). At this time, the management server 2600 is notified together with information specifying the user.

  In the management server 2600, the user management function updates the user management table 2651.

  If the collation result received in step 209 indicates that the collation is unsuccessful, the connected PC 1000 notifies the user to that effect. In step 212, if the authentication is unsuccessful, the management server 2600 returns information to that effect to the connection PC 1000 as the transmission source.

  Next, a process in which the resource management function of the management server 2600 generates selectable service list display screen 6100 data to be sent to the user will be described. FIG. 10 is a process flow of the selectable service list display screen 6100 data generation process.

  The resource management function of the management server 2600 uses a server resource management table 2652, a storage management table 2654, and a software resource / option management table 2657 to use a list of services that can be physically provided in the server PC system 2000 ( (First stage) 410 is generated.

  Next, with reference to the recommended / impossible combination table 2655, a use service list (second stage) 420 is generated by reflecting recommended combinations registered in advance and combinations that cannot be logically used.

  Next, the user management table 2651 and the user attribute table 2656 are referred to, and the user service list (final stage) is reflected by reflecting the user service items that can be selected according to the user attribute specified by the authentication information that is the resource allocation request. ) 430 is generated. The selectable item generation function generates selectable use service list display screen 6100 data using the generated use service list, and sends the data to the connection PC 1000 that is the transmission source of the authentication information via the gateway server 2100 and the network 3000. Send.

  Next, the processing of the management server 2600 from when the use start request 220 is received from the connected PC 1000 to when the remote operation program end request 225 is received will be described.

  Upon receiving the use start request 220, the management server 2600 refers to the server resource management table 2652, and allocates the use start request 220 to the transmission source user according to the use service 216 registered in the user management table in the above step 216. Determine resources.

  The management server 2600 extracts, for example, server resource specifications, usage rates, etc. registered in the server resource management table 2652 in association with the service information registered in the user management table 2651, and assignable server resources. Select. Thereafter, the management server 2600 updates the server resource management table 2652. In addition, the corresponding server resource number, usage log, and usage status item in the user management table 2651 are updated.

  Next, a personal area assigned to the user is searched from the storage number of the user management table 2651 and the storage number 2654a of the storage management table 2654, and personal environment data (OS 2210, personal data 2220, AP 2230 is searched from the personal area. ) To the allocated server resource.

  On the other hand, if the management server 2600 receives a notification of termination of use from the server resource, the management server 2600 determines that the server resource of the notification source has become free, and the personal environment data in the memory or storage device of the server resource Is saved in the personal area assigned to the user of the storage 2200, the server resource management table 2652 is updated, and the server resources are released.

  When the user selects only the storage 2200, when the management server 2600 receives a use start request, the management server 2600 allocates an area of the storage 2200 that matches the selected content, and the user saves or deletes data in the area. And control to make it accessible.

  If the server PC 2100 is not available when allocating the server PC 2100, the user is notified of this, and an instruction is given to wait until the server PC 2100 is available, or the terminal server 2400 or the virtual PC server 2500. It is also possible to configure so that the server PC 2100 is assigned to the user until it becomes available.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the server PC system 2000 generates and provides information on the user's attributes, selectable server resources, specifications, software, and the like as necessary. Can do. The user can select from the provided selectable items as necessary. Furthermore, since the points required when using each presented resource for a certain period are displayed at the time of selection, the user can intuitively grasp the cost. Therefore, a guideline can be given to the user together with the range of selection.

  That is, according to the present embodiment, in the client server system, in particular, in a system that accumulates main data, applications, OS, and the like on the server side, the server-side PC hardware resources are appropriately provided to the user, and the server Can effectively use resources on the other side.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, a policy for reducing costs when using server resources is prepared by selecting advertisement distribution and saving power. Therefore, a wider range of options can be provided to the user. At the same time, since the cost of power saving is reduced, an incentive to save power consumption can be provided. Therefore, for example, when the present embodiment is applied to a rental PC system, the range of user selection can be further expanded and the quality of service can be improved.

It is a system configuration figure of a rental server system of an embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the user management table of embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the server resource management table of embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the charge table of embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the storage management table of embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the recommendation and an impossible association table of embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the user attribute table of embodiment. It is an example of a selectable use service list display screen of an embodiment. It is a figure which shows transmission / reception of the data between the client terminal and server system of embodiment. It is a processing flow of selectable use service list display screen data generation processing of an embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1000 ... connected PC, 1010 ... CPU, 1020 ... memory, 1030 ... non-volatile memory, 1031 ... authentication program, 1032 ... remote operation program, 1040 ... display device, 1050 ... mouse, 1060 ... key input device, 1070 ... reader / writer, 1080 ... Network connection device 1140 ... Advertisement 1150 ... Information 2000 ... Server PC system 2100 ... Gateway server 2110 ... CPU 2120 ... Memory 2130 ... Disk device 2131 ... VPN program 2140 ... Network connection device 2200 ... Storage 2210 ... 2210, 2220 ... Personal data, 2230 ... AP, 2300 ... Server PC, 2310 ... CPU, 2320 ... Memory, 2400 ... Terminal server, 2410 ... CPU, 2420 ... Memo 2430: Disk device, 2431 ... Server OS, 2432 ... Application program, 2500 ... Virtual PC server, 2510 ... CPU, 2520 ... Memory, 2530 ... Disk device, 2531 ... Server OS, 2532 ... Virtualization application program, 2600 ... Management server, 2610 ... CPU, 2620 ... Memory, 2630 ... Display device, 2640 ... Disk device, 2641 ... User management program, 2642 ... Advertisement distribution program, 2643 ... Power consumption management program, 2644 ... Backup program, 2645 ... Virus check program 2646 ... Resource management program, 2651 ... User management table, 2652 ... Server resource management table, 2653 ... Charge table, 2654 ... Storage management table 2655 ... Recommended / impossible association table 2656 ... User attribute table 2657 ... Software resource / option management table 3000 ... Network 4000 ... Authentication device 4100 ... CPU 4200 ... Memory 4300 ... ROM 4400 ... Non-volatile Memory, 4500 ... IC chip, 5100 ... screen information, 5200 ... input information.

Claims (11)

A server device connected to a client terminal via a network and providing resources to the client terminal,
Resource management means for managing the resources that can be provided;
User management means for managing the attributes of the users who use the client terminal and the information of resources allocated to the users,
The resource management means includes
When there is a resource provision request from the user via the client terminal, the resource is provided to the requesting user within the resource managed by the user according to the attribute of the user managed by the user management means. An option generation means for extracting a list of possible resources and sending it as an option to the requesting client terminal;
When accepting a selection from the options of the user via the client terminal, registration means for registering the accepted selection content in the user management means;
Resource allocation means for allocating the resource to the requesting user according to the selection registered in the user management means upon receiving a resource usage start request from the user via the client terminal A server device characterized by the above. The server device according to claim 1,
The resource management means further comprises monitoring means for monitoring the use of each user's resources,
The server device, wherein the user management means includes use result collection means for collecting the monitoring results of the monitoring means for each user. The server device according to claim 2,
A usage cost is set for each of the resources that can be provided,
The option generation means also transmits the use cost for each resource in the option together with the option,
The use result collecting means collects a monitoring result for each user in terms of the use cost. The server device according to claim 3,
The server device characterized in that the resources that can be provided include a virtual PC, a server PC, a terminal server, a storage device, software, and an optional service. The server device according to claim 4,
The server device characterized in that the optional service includes a backup service, a virus check service, advertisement distribution, and priority setting. The server device according to claim 5,
The use result collection means reduces the use cost of the user when the user selects the advertisement distribution for conversion into the use cost. The server device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein
The monitoring means includes power consumption monitoring means for monitoring power consumption consumed by the server PC,
The server apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the utilization result collection unit collects the power consumption monitored by the power consumption monitoring unit for each user for a predetermined period, and reduces the use cost as the power consumption is smaller. The server device according to claim 1,
The selection by the user includes an instruction as to whether or not a predetermined resource should be secured. When the selection of the resource to be secured is accepted, the resource management unit secures the resource for the user. A server device characterized by: A rental server system comprising a client terminal connected via a network and a server device that provides resources to the client terminal,
The client terminal is
User authentication means for authenticating a user who is provided with the resource of the server device via the client terminal;
A user interface that transmits information received from the user authenticated by the user authentication means to the server device and presents the information transmitted from the server device to the user; and
The server device
Resource management means for managing the resources that can be provided;
User management means for managing the attributes of the users who use the client terminal and the information of resources allocated to the users,
The resource management means includes
When there is a resource provision request from the user via the client terminal, the resource is provided to the requesting user within the resource managed by the user according to the attribute of the user managed by the user management means. An option generation means for extracting a list of possible resources and sending it as an option to the requesting client terminal;
Upon receiving a request for selection from the option of the user via the client terminal, a registration unit that registers the received selection content in the user management unit;
Resource allocation means for allocating the resource to the requesting user according to the selection registered in the user management means upon receiving a resource usage start request from the user via the client terminal A rental server system characterized by this. A resource providing method in a server device connected to a client terminal via a network and providing resources to the client terminal,
The server device
Resource management means for managing the resources that can be provided;
User management means for managing the attributes of the users who use the client terminal and the information of resources allocated to the users,
When there is a resource provision request from the user via the client terminal, the resource is provided to the requesting user within the resource managed by the user according to the attribute of the user managed by the user management means. An option generation step of extracting a list of possible resources and sending it as an option to the requesting client terminal;
When receiving a request for selection from the option of the user via the client terminal, a registration step of registering the received selection content in the user management means;
A resource allocation step of allocating the resource to the requesting user according to the selection registered in the user management means when a request for starting the resource utilization is received from the user via the previous term client terminal A resource providing method characterized by the above. A computer in a server device connected to a client terminal via a network and providing resources to the client terminal,
User management means for managing attributes of users using the client terminals and information on resources allocated to the users;
When there is a resource provision request from the user via the client terminal, the resource is provided to the requesting user within the resource managed by the user according to the attribute of the user managed by the user management means. An option generation means for extracting a list of possible resources and sending it as an option to the requesting client terminal;
Upon receiving a request for selection from the option of the user via the client terminal, a registration unit that registers the received selection content in the user management unit;
When accepting a resource use start request from a user via the client terminal, resource allocation means for allocating the resource to the requesting user according to the selection registered in the user management means;
Program to function as.

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