COMPUTER DATA PRODUCT LICENSE INSTALLATION / UPDATE CONFIRMATION

• US 20090205040A1
• Filed: 02/10/2008
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SafeNet Data Security (Israel) Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Aladdin Knowledge Systems Limited (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Zunke, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,655,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/14
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

An authenticated digital confirmation of an installation or an update of a licensed computer data product, for providing the licensor with a validation that the installation/update was carried out as intended, and conveying relevant details of the installation/update. The installation/updating facility (internal software, external hardware device, or combination thereof) examines and documents the pre-installation/update state of the target computer system, performs the installation/update, examines and documents the post-installation/update state, and generates the confirmation, which is a summary or digest of the process and the status thereof. The confirmation is securely authenticated and sent to the licensor for validation, to be used for order fulfillment, billing and accounting, and other purposes.

Claims

1. A system for confirming an update of a licensed computer data product in a client computer, the system comprising:

a client license update manager, configured to perform the update;

a client license update confirmation manager, configured to generate an update confirmation, and including an authenticator configured to authenticate said update confirmation, wherein said update confirmation includes at least;

a status of the update;

machine-readable data indicative of a post-update state of the client computer subsequent to the update; and

an authentication, for validating the authenticity of said confirmation; and

a server license update confirmation manager, configured to receive said confirmation, and including a validator configured to validate said authentication.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said client license update manager and said client license update confirmation manager is at least partially contained in the client computer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said client license update manager and said client license update confirmation manager is at least partially contained in a removable external hardware device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said removable external hardware device includes a display configured to display a user confirmation code.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said update confirmation further includes at least one of:

a confirmation identifier;

a licensor identifier;

a licensee identifier;

a license update log, for recording update events;

a version identifier;

a configuration identifier;

a host client computer system identifier;

a license update timestamp;

a snapshot; and

a user confirmation code.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said server license update confirmation manager further includes an update confirmation database, for storing said update confirmation.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said server license update confirmation manager further includes:

at least one of;

a licensee administrator and a license administrator; and

a confirmation policy executive configured to coordinate activities in accordance with predefined policy guidelines concerning said update confirmation with respect said licensee administrator and said license administrator.

8. A system for confirming an update of a licensed computer data product in a client computer, the system comprising:

a client license update manager, configured to perform the update;

a client license update confirmation manager and a sequential update counter configured to generate an update confirmation, and including an authenticator configured to authenticate said update confirmation, wherein said update confirmation consists only of;

a sequential number generated by said sequential update counter; and

an authentication, for validating the authenticity of said confirmation; and

a server license update confirmation manager, configured to receive said confirmation, and including a validator configured to validate said authentication.

9. A method for confirming an update of a licensed computer data product in a client computer, the update being from a licensee of the licensed computer data product, the method comprising:

receiving a license update for the licensed computer data product by the client computer;

installing the licensed data product update in the client computer;

collecting configuration and license parameters for the licensed computer data product in the client computer subsequent to said installing;

generating an update confirmation from said configuration and license parameters, and including at least;

a status of the update;

machine-readable data indicative of the post-update state; and

an authentication, for validating the authenticity of said confirmation;

authenticating said update confirmation to produce said authentication;

sending said confirmation to the licensee;

receiving said confirmation by the licensee; and

validating said confirmation according to said authentication.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

collecting configuration and license parameters for the licensed computer data product in the client computer prior to said installing.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

taking a snapshot of the state of the client computer prior to said installing.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

talking a snapshot of the state of the client computer subsequent to said installing.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said update confirmation further includes at least one of:

a confirmation identifier;

a licensor identifier;

a licensee identifier;

a license update log, for recording update events;

a version identifier

a configuration identifier;

a host client computer system identifier;

a license update timestamp;

a snapshot; and

a user confirmation code.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

displaying a user confirmation code.

15. A computer program product configured to perform the method of claim 9.