Apparatus, system, and method for enabling a service

• US 20060294022A1
• Filed: 06/22/2005
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Parasuraman, Rohith A., Dayan, Richard Alan, Jennings, Jeffrey Bart
• Application Number:
  US11/158,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20060294022A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/65
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for enabling a service. A receiving module receives a token communicated over a peer-to-peer network. An enablement module enables a service in response to an authorization data field of the token. A transmit module transmits the token over the peer-to-peer network. The apparatus, system, and method may strive to enable the service.

Claims

1. An apparatus to enable a service, the apparatus comprising:

a receiving module configured to receive a token communicated over a peer-to-peer network, the token enabling a service for a plurality of data processing devices in communication over the peer-to-peer network;

an enablement module configured to enable the service responsive to an authorization data field of the token; and

a transmit module configured to transmit the token over the peer-to-peer network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a check module configured to check that at least one service authorization is available using the authorization data field.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the enablement module further configured to enable the service responsive to a capacity on demand field of the token.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a notification module configured to notify an administrator to obtain an additional service authorization.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a modification module configured to modify the token with a record of the enabled service.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, the modification module further configured to modify the token with service use data.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the service is a software license.

8. A system to enable a service, the system comprising:

a network;

a plurality of data processing devices in communication over the network and organized in a peer-to-peer network;

a receiving module configured to receive a token communicated over the peer-to-peer network, the token enabling a service for the plurality of data processing devices;

an enablement module configured to enable the service responsive to an authorization data field of the token; and

a transmit module configured to transmit the token over the peer-to-peer network.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a check module configured to check that at least one service authorization is available using the authorization data field.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a notification module configured to notify an administrator to obtain an additional service authorization.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising a modification module configured to modify the token with a record of the enabled service.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising an injection module configured to inject the token into the peer-to-peer network.

13. A signal bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform operations to enable a service, the operations comprising:

receiving a token communicated over a peer-to-peer network and configured to enable a service for a plurality of data processing devices in communication over the peer-to-peer network;

enabling the service responsive to an authorization data field of the token; and

transmitting the token over the peer-to-peer network.

14. The signal bearing medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further comprise an operation to check that at least one service authorization is available using the authorization data field.

15. The signal bearing medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further comprise an operation to enable the service responsive to a capacity on demand field of the token.

16. The signal bearing medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further comprise an operation to notify an administrator to obtain an additional service authorization.

17. The signal bearing medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further comprise an operation to modify the token with a record of the enabled service.

18. The signal bearing medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further comprise an operation to modify the token with service use data.

19. The signal bearing medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further comprise an operation to inject the token into the peer-to-peer network.

20. The signal bearing medium of claim 13, wherein the service is a software license.

21. The signal bearing medium of claim 13, wherein the service is a software upgrade.

22. The signal bearing medium of claim 13, wherein the authorization data field is encrypted.

23. A method for deploying computer infrastructure, comprising integrating computer-readable code into a computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing the following:

receiving a token communicated over a peer-to-peer network and configured to enable a service for a plurality of data processing devices in communication over the peer-to-peer network;

enabling the service responsive to an authorization data field of the token; and

transmitting the token over the peer-to-peer network.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising modifying the token with a record of the enabled service.

25. An apparatus to enable a service, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a token communicated over a peer-to-peer network and configured to enable a service for a plurality of data processing devices in communication over the peer-to-peer network;

means for checking that at least one service authorization is available using an authorization data field of the token.

means for enabling the service responsive to the authorization data field; and

means for transmitting the token over the peer-to-peer network.