Method and system for database licensing

• US 20060224522A1
• Filed: 04/03/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Wald, Joe
• Granted Patent: US 9,547,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level

Abstract

A licensing service for a data repository, including software instructions to perform: dividing a data store into a plurality of domains; assigning a license number to at least one of the plurality of domains; and checking a license of a user with the assigned license number. A method to expedite license checking by statistically sampling a subset of probes to check the license. A method for allowing a third party application to access a data store without a license, including: assigning a license management tool feature name to the third party application; adding the license management tool feature name to a program in the data store; starting a session of the third party application; having the third party application call an embedded licensing application program interface; and checking the license using the embedded licensing application program interface.

Claims

1. A data repository, comprising:

a data store comprising a plurality of domains;

a data dictionary comprising a meta-table and means to generate the data store,

wherein the meta-table is generated from a logical specification defining the data repository; and

a licensing service capable of licensing a domain of the data store to a user.

2. The data repository of claim 1, wherein the licensing service comprises software instructions to:

divide the data store into the plurality of domains;

assign a license number as an attribute to a domain; and

check whether the user has a valid domain license with the assigned license number.

3. The data repository of claim 2, wherein the software instructions check the license of the user using a statistical sampling method.

4. The data repository of claim 3, wherein the software instructions for checking the license of the user further comprise software instructions to:

compare an input argument from the user with a first secret number generated by the licensing service;

if the input argument matches the first secret number, then execute a license check; and

if the license is valid, then return a second secret number.

5. The data repository of claim 4, wherein the input argument from the user is generated using a first code possessed by the user, wherein the first secret number is generated using a second code in the licensing service.

6. The data repository of claim 5, wherein the first code and the second code share a common algorithm.

7. The data repository of claim 1, wherein the licensing service comprises third party application licensing scheme comprising software instructions to:

assign a license management tool feature name to the third party application;

add the license management tool feature name to a code in the data store;

start a user session of the third party application;

have the third party application call an embedded licensing application program interface; and

check the license using the embedded licensing application program interface.

8. A method for licensing a domain of a data store to a user, comprising:

dividing the data store into a plurality of domains;

assigning a different license number to each of the plurality of domains; and

checking whether the user has a valid domain license with the assigned license number.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the checking is a statistically sampled checking.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the checking further comprises:

checking for a probe attempting to access the data store, by;

generating a random number;

comparing the random number with a selected value stored in the data store; and

if the random number equals the selected value, then check the license for the probe.

11. A method for allowing a third party application to access a data store without a license, comprising:

assigning a license management tool feature name to the third party application;

adding the license management tool feature name to a program in the data store;

starting a session of the third party application;

having the third party application call an embedded licensing application program interface; and

verifying the license using the embedded licensing application program interface.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the determining whether a user has a valid license is performed for a selected subset of user accesses based on a statistical sampling.

12. A computer readable medium for executing software instructions on a processor to perform:

dividing a data sore into a plurality of domains;

assigning a license number as an attribute to a domain; and

determining whether a user has a valid license with the assigned license number to access the domain corresponding to the assigned license number.

14. A computer readable medium for executing software instructions on a processor for a third party licensing, wherein the software instructions comprise:

assigning a license management tool feature name to a third party application;

adding the license management tool feature name to a program in the data store;

starting a session of the third party application;

having the third party application call an embedded licensing application program interface; and

checking the license using the embedded licensing application program interface.