SOFTWARE LICENSE AND INSTALLATION PROCESS MANAGEMENT WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION

• US 20110307958A1
• Filed: 06/10/2010
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Johnson, Randy S., Northway, Tedrick N., Ashton, Miriam R., Sveda, Jacqueline, Woodruff, Caryn L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,342,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• 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 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/18 Licensing

Abstract

A software license and a software installation process are managed. A status of the license can be one of at least a third party reserved status, a requester reserved status, a requester allocated status, and an available status. A first module can be operative to change the status of the license from the third party reserved status to the requester allocated status in response to receiving a mode selection. The mode selection can correspond to one of one or more modes. The modes can comprise a reserve license mode, a remove reserve mode, a request license allocation mode, a return excess license to inventory mode, an ordering mode, and an add license to inventory mode. The first module can be operative in at least one of the modes.

Claims

1. A system for managing a software license and a software installation process, the system comprising:

a repository storing a status of the license, the status of the license being one of at least a third party reserved status, a requester reserved status, a requester allocated status, and an available status, the third party reserved status being the status that the license is reserved for a third party, the requester reserved status being the status that the license is reserved for a requester, the requester allocated status being the status that the license is allocated to the requester, and the available status being the status that the license is available;

a first module communicatively coupled to the repository, the first module comprising digital logic for changing the status of the license;

wherein the first module is operative in at least one of one or more modes;

wherein the first module is further operative to receive a mode selection, the mode selection corresponding to one of the modes; and

wherein the first module is further operative to change the status of the license from the third party reserved status to the requester allocated status in response to receiving the mode selection.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first module is further operative to receive permission to change the status of the license from the third party reserved status to the requester allocated status.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first module is further operative to change the status from the requester reserved status to the requester allocated status in response to receiving the mode selection.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first module is further operative to change the status from the available status to the requester allocated status in response to receiving the mode selection.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first module is further operative to change the status from the available status to the requester reserved status in response to receiving the mode selection.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first module is further operative to change the status from the requester reserved status to the available status in response to receiving the mode selection.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first module is further operative to change the status of the license from the requester allocated status to the available status in response to receiving the mode selection.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first module is operative to request procurement of a new license in response to receiving the mode selection.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the software installation process is for software subject to the license.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second module communicatively coupled to an ongoing monitor for monitoring the software installation process.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the second module is operative to direct the ongoing monitor to terminate the software installation process in response to receiving an authentication request from the ongoing monitor.

12. A computer program product for managing a software license and a software installation process, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to communicatively couple a first module to a repository storing the license, the status of the license being one of at least a third party reserved status, a requester allocated status, and an available status, the third party reserved status being the status that the license is reserved for a third party, the requester allocated status being the status that the license is allocated to a requester, the available status being the status that the license is available, the first module comprising digital logic for changing the status of the license, the first module being operative in at least one of one or more modes;

computer readable program code configured to receive a mode selection, the mode selection corresponding to one of the modes; and

computer readable program code configured to change the status of the license from the third party reserved status to the requester allocated status using the digital logic of the first module in response to receiving the mode selection.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising computer readable program code configured to receive permission to change the status of the license from the third party reserved status to the requester allocated status in response to receiving the mode selection.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising computer readable program code configured to change the status of the license from the requester allocated status to the available status in response to receiving the mode selection.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising computer readable program code configured to request procurement of a new license in response to receiving the mode selection.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the software installation process is for software subject to the license.

17. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising computer readable program code configured to communicatively couple a second module to an ongoing monitor for monitoring the software installation process.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising computer readable program code configured to direct the ongoing monitor to terminate the software installation process in response to receiving an authentication request from the ongoing monitor.

19. A method for managing a software license and a software installation process, the method comprising:

communicatively coupling a first module to a repository storing the license, the status of the license being one of at least a third party reserved status, a requester allocated status, and an available status, the third party reserved status being the status that the license is reserved for a third party, the requester allocated status being the status that the license is allocated to a requester, the available status being the status that the license is available, the first module comprising digital logic for changing the status of the license, the first module being operative in at least one of one or more modes;

receiving a mode selection, the mode selection corresponding to one of the modes; and

changing the status of the license from the third party reserved status to the requester allocated status using the digital logic of the first module in response to receiving the mode selection.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving permission to change the status of the license from the third party reserved status to the requester allocated status in response to receiving the mode selection.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising transforming the status of the license from the requester allocated status to the available status in response to receiving the mode selection.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising requesting procurement of a new license in response to receiving the mode selection.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the software installation process is for software subject to the license.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing a second module communicatively coupled to an ongoing monitor for monitoring the software installation process.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising directing the ongoing monitor to terminate the software installation process in response to receiving an authentication request from the ongoing monitor.