Method and apparatus for remotely managing a resource at a computer

• US 10,049,190 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Newstadt, Keith, Cooley, Shaun, Satish, Sourabh, Brown, Timothy G., Hernacki, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Casey, Alexis
• Application Number:
  US12/004,579
• Time in Patent Office: 3,889 Days
• Field of Search: 705 59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for using a remote delegate is described. In one embodiment, the method comprising evaluating information that identifies at least one of software packages resident in a client computer or licenses associated with the software packages using a remote delegate and enabling use of a resource at the client computer based on the information through use of the remote delegate.

Claims

1. A computer-based method comprising:

maintaining in memory, via a processor communicatively coupled to a network, a database of software license information indicating software packages available for purchase from a plurality of third-party vendors;

receiving, via the network, authorization from a remote client computer to acquire at least one software package available for purchase from a first third-party vendor;

receiving, via the network, information generated by an agent executing on the remote client computer, wherein the information includes an indication of valid licenses associated with the remote client computer and resource parameters of the remote client computer including at least one of available bandwidth, storage space, or processing power;

identifying, via the processor, a software package to acquire on behalf of the remote client computer;

sending, via the processor over the network, the software package to the remote client computer;

brokering, via the processor over the network, a dynamic license for the software package from the first third-party vendor on behalf of the remote client computer, wherein the brokering comprises automatically negotiating terms of the dynamic license that are different from terms of licenses available for purchase for the software package, wherein first terms of the dynamic license differ from second terms of the software license information in the database;

sending, via the processor over the network, an electronic payment on behalf of the remote client computer to a server of the first third-party vendor for the dynamic license; and

enabling, via the processor over the network, use of the software package at the remote client computer using the dynamic license;

wherein enabling use of the software package further comprises controlling, via the processor over the network, installation of the software package on the remote client computer and installing the software package on the remote client computer; and

wherein brokering the dynamic license further comprises creating, via the processor, the dynamic license associated with the software package based on at least one of a software history, a usage history, and an instruction associated with the remote client computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein brokering the dynamic license further comprises controlling, via the processor over the network, acquisition of the dynamic license from the server on behalf of the remote client computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling use of the software package further comprises initiating, via the processor over the network, installation of the software package on the remote client computer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising managing, via the processor, software license information on behalf of the remote client computer, wherein the software license information is associated with the software package.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling use of the software package further comprises:

receiving, via the network, a plurality of resource parameters from the remote client computer; and

determining, via the processor, an acquisition method for the software package based on the plurality of resource parameters from the remote client computer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the software package further comprises recommending, via the processor over the network, the software package for installation on the remote client computer based on at least one of a software history, a usage history, and at least one instruction associated with the remote client computer.

7. An apparatus comprising:

at least one non-transitory processor readable storage medium storing a computer program of instructions configured to;

maintain in memory a database of software license information indicating software packages available for purchase from a plurality of third-party vendors;

receive authorization from a remote client computer to acquire at least one software package available for purchase from a first third-party vendor;

receive, via a network, information generated by an agent executing on the remote client computer, wherein the information includes an indication of valid licenses associated with the remote client computer and resource parameters of the remote client computer including at least one of available bandwidth, storage space, or processing power;

identify a software package to acquire on behalf of the remote client computer;

send the software package to the remote client computer;

broker a dynamic license for the software package from the first third-party vendor on behalf of the remote client computer, wherein the brokering comprises automatically negotiating terms of the dynamic license that are different from terms of licenses available for purchase for the software package, wherein first terms of the dynamic license differ from second terms of the software license information in the database;

send an electronic payment on behalf of the remote client computer to a server of the first third-party vendor for the dynamic license; and

enable use of the software package at the remote client computer using the dynamic license;

wherein enabling use of the software package further comprises controlling, via the processor over the network, installation of the software package on the remote client computer and installing the software package on the remote client computer; and

wherein brokering the dynamic license further comprises creating, via the processor, the dynamic license associated with the software package based on at least one of a software history, a usage history, and an instruction associated with the remote client computer.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further configured to determine an acquisition method for the software package based on a plurality of resource parameters from the remote client computer.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, further configured to control installation of the software package on the remote client computer.

10. A system for remotely managing a computer resource, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor communicatively coupled to a network, wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

maintain in the memory a database of software license information indicating software packages available for purchase from a plurality of third-party vendors;

receive an authorized request for a software package available for purchase from a first third-party vendor from a remote client device over the network;

receive, via the network, information generated by an agent executing on the remote client device, wherein the information includes an indication of valid licenses associated with the remote client device and resource parameters of the remote client computer including at least one of available bandwidth, storage space, or processing power;

analyze the database to determine that the remote client device requires a license from the first third-party vendor to enable the software package for use on the remote client device;

broker a dynamic license for the software package from the first third-party vendor on behalf of the remote client computer, wherein the brokering comprises automatically negotiating terms of the dynamic license that are different from terms of licenses available for purchase for the software package, wherein first terms of the automatically negotiated license differ from second terms of the software license information in the database;

send an electronic payment over the network on behalf of the remote client device to a server of the first third-party vendor for the dynamic license;

enable the software package of the third-party vendor over the network for use on the remote client device with the automatically negotiated license;

wherein enabling use of the software package further comprises controlling, via the processor over the network, installation of the software package on the remote client computer and installing the software package on the remote client computer; and

wherein brokering the dynamic license further comprises creating, via the processor, the dynamic license associated with the software package based on at least one of a software history, a usage history, and an instruction associated with the remote client computer.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the dynamic license is based on a licensing option selected from among a plurality of licensing options received from the first third-party vendor, and wherein selection of the licensing option is based at least in part on system resource information received from the remote client device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the dynamic license is based on a custom licensing request not included among a plurality of licensing options received from the first third-party vendor, wherein customization of the custom licensing request is based at least in part on at least one licensing parameter received from the remote client device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein enable the software package further comprises remotely controlling installation of the software package on the remote client device over the network.