Method and apparatus for monitoring software usage
First Claim
1. A method for monitoring software usage, comprising:
- periodically determining how many of a particular hardware resource are active within a defined computing environment; and
in accord with a number of the particular hardware resources that are determined to be active in the defined computing environment during a given time period, i) debiting a count of permanent licenses, if any, that are available in a usage account of a software application configured to use the defined computing environment, and ii) upon exhausting the count of permanent licenses, debiting a count of time increments, if any, for which a number of temporary licenses in the usage account of the software application are valid.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, and in accord with a method for monitoring software usage, a periodic determination is made as to how many of a particular hardware resource are active within a defined computing environment. Then, in accord with a number of the particular hardware resources that are determined to be active in the defined computing environment during a given time period, i) a count of permanent licenses, if any, that are available in a usage account of a software application configured to use the defined computing environment, is debited, and ii) upon exhausting the count of permanent licenses, a count of time increments, if any, for which a number of temporary licenses in the usage account of the software application are valid, is debited. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
28 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method for monitoring software usage, comprising:
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periodically determining how many of a particular hardware resource are active within a defined computing environment; and
in accord with a number of the particular hardware resources that are determined to be active in the defined computing environment during a given time period, i) debiting a count of permanent licenses, if any, that are available in a usage account of a software application configured to use the defined computing environment, and ii) upon exhausting the count of permanent licenses, debiting a count of time increments, if any, for which a number of temporary licenses in the usage account of the software application are valid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A computing environment, comprising:
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a number of processors, only some of which may be active in any given time period;
a hardware metering process to periodically determine how many of the processors are active;
a software application configured to use the active ones of the processors;
a usage account associated with the software application; and
a software usage monitor to, in accord with a number of the processors that the hardware metering process determines to be active during a given time period, i) debit a count of permanent licenses, if any, that are available in the usage account, and ii) upon exhausting the count of permanent licenses, debit a count of time increments, if any, for which a number of temporary licenses in the usage account of the software application are valid.
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18. A software usage monitor, comprising:
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program code to, in accord with a number of particular hardware resources that are determined to be active in a defined computing environment during a given time period, debit a count of permanent licenses, if any, that are available in a usage account of a software application configured to use the defined computing environment; and
program code to, upon exhausting the count of permanent licenses, debiting a count of time increments, if any, for which a number of temporary licenses in the usage account of the software application are valid.
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19. Apparatus, comprising:
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a number of computer-readable media; and
computer-readable program code, stored on the computer-readable media, including;
code to, in accord with a number of particular hardware resources that are determined to be active in a defined computing environment during a given time period, debit a count of permanent licenses, if any, that are available in a usage account of a software application configured to use the defined computing environment; and
code to, upon exhausting the count of permanent licenses, debit a count of time increments, if any, for which a number of temporary licenses in the usage account of the software application are valid. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification