Information processing system and license management method

• US 20070130080A1
• Filed: 11/20/2006
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kanda, Arihiro
• Application Number:
  US11/601,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20070130080A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level

Abstract

A queue management device (30A/30B) receiving jobs transmitted from a plurality of user terminals (10A/10B) stores the jobs to a queue corresponding to a base in which the user terminal is disposed. Each of the jobs to be stored includes a request of securing license. The queue management device requests a job processing device (41) to secure a license corresponding to a job read from the queue. The job processing device replies whether or not the license can be secured to the request from the queue management device. The queue management device transmits the job, to which the license is secured, to the job processing device. With this processing, a license can be fairly allocated to requests from respective users without depending on timing at which the license is requested.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising:

a plurality of user terminals disposed to a plurality of bases, to which a predetermined number of licenses are previously allocated, transmitting jobs each including a request for license;

a job processing device carrying out a job; and

a queue management device storing the jobs transmitted by the plurality of user terminals to a queue of each of the bases and transmitting a job, to which a license is secured, to the job processing device,

wherein the queue management device comprises a queue processing unit requesting the job processing device to secure a license corresponding to a job each time the queue management device reads the job from a queue; and

the job processing device comprises a license secure processing unit replying whether or not the license is secured in response to the request from the queue management device.

2. An information processing system of claim 1, wherein:

the job processing device further comprises a remote license secure agent processing unit determining whether or not a license is secured at a base different from a base corresponding to the request from the queue processing unit and supplying a result of the determination to the license secure processing unit; and

the queue management device further comprises a remote license secure processing unit receiving an inquiry from the remote license secure agent processing unit as to an excessive license and reserving the excessive license when it exists.

3. An information processing system of claim 2, wherein:

the job processing device further comprises a license continuation job execution unit carrying out the job from the queue management device while securing the license reserved by the remote license secure processing unit by a remote control; and

the queue management device comprises a license hold job execution processing unit replying to a connection for the remote control carried out by the license continuation job execution unit.

4. An information processing system of claim 1, wherein when the queue management device is notified from the job processing device that it is failed to secure the license, it returns the job to the queue by the queue processing unit.

5. An information processing system of claim 1, wherein the queue management device holds virtual license data for identifying the licenses allocated to the bases, and when the queue management device transmits a job to the job processing device, it transmits virtual license data corresponding to the job.

6. A license management method comprising:

requesting from a queue management device storing jobs transmitted from a plurality of user terminals to a job processing device carrying out a job to secure a license corresponding to a job read by the queue management device;

wherein the plurality of user terminals are disposed to a plurality of bases to which a predetermined number of licenses are previously allocated;

replying from the job processing device to the queue management device whether or not the license requested from the queue management device is secured; and

transmitting a job to which the license is secured from the queue management device to the job processing device.

7. A license management method of claim 6, further comprising:

inquiring an excessive license in a base from the job processing device to the queue management device;

wherein the base is different from a base corresponding to the request from the queue management device;

replying to the inquiry of an excessive license from the queue management device to the job processing device; and

reserving a license by the queue management device when an excessive license corresponding to the inquiry exists.

8. A license management method of claim 7, further comprising:

carrying out the job from the queue management device by the job processing device while securing the license reserved by the queue management device by a remote control from the job processing device to the queue management device; and

replying to a connection for the remote control, which is carried out by the job processing device, by the queue management device.

9. An information processing system of claim 6, wherein when the queue management device is notified from the job processing device that it is failed to secure the license, it returns the job to the queue.

10. A license management method of claim 6, wherein the queue management device holds virtual license data for identifying the licenses allocated the bases, and when the queue management device transmits a job to the job processing device, it transmits virtual license data corresponding to with the job.