METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR VERIFYING SOFTWARE LICENSE COMPLIANCE IN CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20110131315A1
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: FERRIS, James Michael, Riveros, Gerry Edward
• Granted Patent: US 9,971,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A monitoring system can monitor computing processes in clouds. The monitoring system can verify software license compliance in the computing processes instantiated in the clouds. The monitoring system can generate and maintain a software license knowledge base. The software license knowledge base can include the software license requirements for various software programs. To verify software license compliance, the monitoring system can determine the software programs utilized by the computing processes instantiated in the clouds. The monitoring system can compare the software programs utilized by the computing processes to the software license knowledge base to determine the number of software licenses required by the computing processes. The monitoring system can compare the number of software licenses required to the number of software licenses currently held by the user to determine if the user is in compliance.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring cloud computing environments, comprising:

determining software utilized by a computing process supported by at least one cloud;

determining a number of software licenses required by the software;

comparing the number of required software licenses to a number of software license held by a user associated with the computing process; and

notifying the user of the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the software utilized by the computing process, comprises:

receiving access information for the at least one cloud; and

accessing the at least one cloud utilizing the access information to determine the software utilized by the computing process supported by the at least one cloud and associated with the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the number of software licenses required, comprises:

maintaining a knowledge base of available software and license requirements of the available software; and

searching the knowledge base to determine the number of required software licenses.

4. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

purchasing additional software licenses for the software utilized by the computing process based on the comparison.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving an indication of the number of software licenses held by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

terminating the computing process based on the comparison.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing process comprises at least one of a virtual machine, a software appliance, and a software program.

8. A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions for causing a processing system to perform a method, comprising:

determining software utilized by a computing process supported by at least one cloud;

determining a number of software licenses required by the software;

comparing the number of required software licenses to a number of software license held by a user associated with the computing process; and

notifying the user of the comparison.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein determining the software utilized by the computing process, comprises:

receiving access information for the at least one cloud; and

accessing the at least one cloud utilizing the access information to determine the software utilized by the computing process supported by the at least one cloud and associated with the user.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein determining the number of software licenses required, comprises:

maintaining a knowledge base of available software and license requirements of the available software; and

searching the knowledge base to determine the number of required software licenses.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, the method further comprising:

purchasing additional software licenses for the software utilized by the computing process based on the comparison.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, the method further comprising:

receiving an indication of the number of software licenses held by the user.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, the method further comprising:

terminating the computing process based on the comparison.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the computing process comprises at least one of a virtual machine, a software appliance, and a software program.

15. A system for monitoring a cloud computing environment, comprising:

a network interface to at least one cloud of computing systems; and

a processor communicating with the network interface and executing an software compliance module, the software compliance module being configured to—

determine software utilized by a computing process supported by the at least one cloud;

determine a number of software licenses required by the software;

compare the number of required software licenses to a number of software license held by a user associated with the computing process; and

notify the user of the comparison.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is executing a monitoring module, the monitoring module being configured to—

receive access information for the at least one cloud; and

access the at least one cloud utilizing the access information to determine the software utilized by the computing process supported by the at least one cloud and associated with the user.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein determining the number of software licenses required, comprises:

maintaining a knowledge base of available software and license requirements of the available software; and

searching the knowledge base to determine the number of required software licenses.

18. The system of claim 15, the software compliance module being configured to—

purchase additional software licenses for the software utilized by the computing process based on the comparison.

19. The system of claim 15, the software compliance module being configured to—

receive an indication of the number of software licenses held by the user.

20. The system of claim 15, the software compliance module being configured to—

terminate the computing process based on the comparison.