Patent · US Expired

Software server usage governor

US6587881B1 · kind B1 · utility

14Cited by
12References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 9, 1999
Grant dateJul 1, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 9, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F2201/88
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system and method for controlling usage of a particular software program in a computer network environment is disclosed. The invention operates by controlling the throughput of the software as it executes on a server computer. In particular, the invention monitors the number of active requests to the software. If the number of active requests exceeds a predefined number, the software throughput on the server (e.g., requests completed per minute) is artificially restricted. As such, the present invention continues to allow further connections to the software but intentionally restricts further use by inhibiting the throughput for all connections to the software. Preferably, the present invention continues to allow the predefined number of active requests to be exceeded, but as more requests are made, the overall performance of software progressively degrades.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.