Starvationless Kernel-Aware Distributed Scheduling of Software Licenses

• US 20140366162A1
• Filed: 08/25/2014
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Piece Future Pte., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Carroll, Martin D., Katsak, William, Woithe, Hans C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,792,419 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/12 Protecting executable software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for implementing shared-license software management are provided. Shared-license software management may be performed by generating a request for a license for running a process of a shared-license software application. The request is communicated to a license server, and the process is made available for scheduling an operation when a grant for the requested license is received from the license server, wherein the grant comprises a license quantum, which is an amount of central processing unit time for which the license has been granted to the process.

Claims

1. A local scheduler, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor in communication with the memory, the processor configured to;

generate a request for a license for running a process of a shared-license software application;

communicate the request to a license server; and

make the process available for scheduling an operation when a grant for the requested license is received from the license server, wherein the grant comprises a license quantum, which is an amount of central processing unit (CPU) time for which the license has been granted to the process.

2. The local scheduler of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

idle the process;

cancel the license grant previously received; and

add the process to a queue maintained for processes waiting for license grants.

3. The local scheduler of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to decrement an amount of remaining license quantum for running the process when the process has run for a CPU quantum of time.

4. The local scheduler of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to:

idle the process; and

add the process to a queue maintained for processes waiting for a license if central processing unit time remaining is insufficient for running the process.

5. The local scheduler of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to communicate a request for a plurality of licenses for running the process based on the process'"'"'s need set.

6. The local scheduler of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the process is one of expired, killed, idle or nonidle.

7. The local scheduler of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the process is idle for longer than a predetermined period of time.

8. The local scheduler of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cancel the license grant.

9. The local scheduler of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to perform one or more operations via a kernel scheduler.

10. The local scheduler of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to estimate a license quantum consumption rate for the process.

11. The local scheduler of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a plurality of license servers associated with the request; and

generate a plurality of requests for licenses based on a priority order determined for the plurality of license servers, wherein the licenses associated with a license server of the plurality of license servers comprise a license sub-grant.

12. The local scheduler of claim 11, wherein the priority order is determined such that licenses corresponding to a higher-priority license server are reserved prior to licenses corresponding to a lower-priority license server.

13. A method comprising:

generating a request for a license for running a process of a shared-license software application;

communicating the request to a license server; and

making the process available for scheduling an operation when a grant for the requested license is received from the license server, wherein the grant comprises a license quantum, which is an amount of central processing unit (CPU) time for which the license has been granted to the process.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

idling the process;

canceling the license grant previously received; and

adding the process to a queue maintained for processes waiting for license grants.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising decrementing an amount of remaining license quantum for running the process when the process has run for a CPU quantum of time.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

idling the process; and

adding the process to a queue maintained for processes waiting for a license if central processing unit time remaining is insufficient for running the process.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising communicating a request for a plurality of licenses for running the process based on the process'"'"'s need set.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining whether the process is one of expired, killed, idle or nonidle.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining whether the process is idle for longer than a predetermined period of time.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising canceling the license grant.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising performing one or more operations via a kernel scheduler.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising estimating a license quantum consumption rate for the process.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a plurality of license servers associated with the request; and

generating a plurality of requests for licenses based on a priority order determined for the plurality of license servers, wherein the licenses associated with a license server of the plurality of license servers comprise a license sub-grant.

25. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, that in response to execution by a computing device causes the computing device to perform operations comprising:

generating a request for a license for running a process of a shared-license software application;

communicating the request to a license server; and

making the process available for scheduling an operation when a grant for the requested license is received from the license server, wherein the grant comprises a license quantum, which is an amount of central processing unit (CPU) time for which the license has been granted to the process.

24. The local scheduler of claim 25, wherein the priority order is determined such that licenses corresponding to a higher-priority license server are reserved prior to licenses corresponding to a lower-priority license server.