Patent · US Active

License management system and method with license balancing

US7716348B1 · kind B1 · utility

28Cited by
30References
31Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 25, 2000
Grant dateMay 11, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 29, 2027

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F2221/2147
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system for balancing a distribution of allocations for protected software over a communication network is disclosed. The system is comprised of at least one client computer and a pool of license servers coupled to the communication network. The client computers request authorizations to use the protected software, while a distribution of allocations is managed among the pool of servers for tracking and managing available allocations for using the protected software. One license server in the pool is designated as the current leader server. When a particular license server does not have a selectable minimum amount of available allocations, the current leader server re-assigns, where possible, the allocations within the pool by updating memory containing the distribution tables of license servers in the pool, to give at least one additional allocation to the particular license server.

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