Distributed license administration system using a local policy server to communicate with a license server and control execution of computer programs
US5579222A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 14, 1992 |
| Grant date | Nov 26, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 14, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06Q30/018
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An improved system for administration of license terms for a software product on the network, having an arrangement, for tracking software product usage, with one of the computers acting as a license server. This arrangement permits the license server (i) to identify the current set of nodes that are using the software product, (ii) to handle license data concerning conditions under which usage of the software product is permitted at any given node, and (iii) to determine whether at any given time the conditions would be satisfied if a given node is added to this set of nodes. The software product may thus include instructions to interface with the license server to cause enforcement of the license terms. The improvement, in one embodiment, to the system includes a policy server database maintained on each node, containing data specifying conditions under which usage of the software product is permitted on the corresponding node. Each node also has a policy server "daemon" in association with the corresponding policy server database, for (i) communicating with the license server, (ii) interfacing with both the software product and the corresponding policy server database, (iii) enf…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.