Measuring client interactive performance using a display channel

A method for measuring performance of a virtual desktop application at a client computer, the method comprising:

• sending from the client computer an action request to be executed at a server computer;
• polling video frames received at the client computer until a first encoded pixel is detected in a first image frame indicating a receipt at the server computer of the action request;
• polling video frames received at the client computer until a second encoded pixel is detected in a second image frame indicating completion of an action associated with the action request;
• and
• storing in memory an action performance time, the action performance time being a time difference between arrivals of the first and second image frames.

A system for measuring performance of virtual desktop services, the system comprising:

• a server computer configured to process an action request received from a client computer, the server computer including,
• a server agent that receives the action request, and
• a workload module in communication with the server agent, the workload module configured to,
• embed a first encoded pixel into a first image frame that is communicated to the client computer when acknowledging receipt of the action request,
• process an action associated with the action request,
• embed a second encoded pixel into a second image frame that is communicated to the client computer after completion of the action;
• and
• a performance server that receives an action performance time from the client computer and stores in memory the action performance time, the action performance time being a time difference between arrivals of the first and second image frames at the client computer.