DYNAMIC LICENSING FOR APPLICATIONS AND PLUGIN FRAMEWORK FOR VIRTUAL NETWORK SYSTEMS

• US 20160226663A1
• Filed: 01/19/2016
• Published: 08/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Inventors: JONES, Randy, NGUYEN, Phuong Van, CIOLFI, Peter, MEEK, Kevin Andrew, RAHIMI KOOPAYI, Hesam Aldin, WANG, Sen, BARBARIE, Stphane Luc, NURSIMULU, Khenaidoo
• Granted Patent: US 9,893,887 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/24 Key scheduling, i.e. generating round keys or sub-keys for block encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 using a plurality of keys or algorithms

Abstract

A dynamic licensing method, implemented in an integrated system, includes, responsive to an end user requesting a third-party application through the integrated system; determining a license key, for the third-party application, in the integrated system using a public key associated with the integrated system; receiving an encrypted validation result from a system associated with the third-party application that validates the license key using a private key and software provided with the integrated system, wherein the system returns the encrypted validation results to the third-party application which provides the encrypted validation results to the integrated system; and decrypting the encrypted validation results using previously allocated session key and determining whether to run the third-party application based on the validation results.

Claims

1. A dynamic licensing method, implemented in an operating environment comprising one or more third-party applications, an integrated system offering and enabling execution of the one or more third-party applications, and one or more end users operating the one or more third-party applications in conjunction with the integrated system, the dynamic licensing method comprising:

responsive to an end user requesting a third-party application through the integrated system, determining a license key, for the third-party application, in the integrated system using a public key associated with the integrated system;

receiving an encrypted validation result from a system associated with the third-party application that validates the license key using a private key and software provided by the integrated system, wherein the system returns the encrypted validation results to the third-party application which provides the encrypted validation results to the integrated system; and

decrypting the encrypted validation results using previously allocated session keys and determining whether to run the third-party application based on the validation results.

2. The dynamic licensing method of claim 1, wherein the integrated system offers the one or more third-party applications through a plugin framework adapted to auto license and auto configure the one or more third-party applications from different vendors.

3. The dynamic licensing method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing the third-party application based on the validation results.

4. The dynamic licensing method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining fraudulent use of the third-party application via the integrated system based on the validation results.

5. The dynamic licensing method of claim 1, wherein the one or more third-party applications comprise Virtual Network Functions (VNF) that are executed by the integrated system as a cloud-based system.

6. The dynamic licensing method of claim 1, wherein the one or more third-party applications comprise Virtual Network Functions (VNF) that are not locked to a physical host.

7. The dynamic licensing method of claim 1, wherein the integrated system is adapted to generate dynamically the license key on-demand rather than obtaining the license key from the system associated with the third-party application.

8. The dynamic licensing method of claim 1, wherein the one or more third-party applications comprise at least two applications from different vendors, offered through the integrated system via a plugin framework.

9. The dynamic licensing method of claim 1, wherein the integrated system comprises a multi-domain orchestrator.

10. An integrated system adapted to operate in an environment comprising one or more third-party applications, the integrated system offering and enabling execution of the one or more third-party applications, and one or more end users operating the one or more third-party applications in conjunction with the integrated system, the integrated system comprising:

a network interface communicatively coupled to the one or more end users;

a processor communicatively coupled to the network interface; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to

responsive to an end user requesting a third-party application through the integrated system, determine a license key, for the third-party application, using a public key associated with the integrated system,

receive an encrypted validation result from a system associated with the third-party application that validates the license key using a private key and software provided by the integrated system, wherein the system returns the encrypted validation results to the third-party application which provides the encrypted validation results to the integrated system, and

decrypt the encrypted validation results using previously allocated session keys to determine whether to run the third-party application based on the validation results.

11. The integrated system of claim 10, wherein the integrated system offers the one or more third-party applications through a plugin framework adapted to auto license and auto configure the one or more third-party applications from different vendors.

12. The integrated system of claim 10, wherein the memory storing instructions that, when executed, further cause the processor to

execute the third-party application based on the validation results.

13. The integrated system of claim 10, wherein the memory storing instructions that, when executed, further cause the processor to

determine fraudulent use of the third-party application via the integrated system based on the validation results.

14. The integrated system of claim 10, wherein the one or more third-party applications comprise Virtual Network Functions (VNF) that are executed by the integrated system as a cloud-based system.

15. The integrated system of claim 10, wherein the one or more third-party applications comprise Virtual Network Functions (VNF) that are not locked to a physical host.

16. The integrated system of claim 10, wherein the integrated system is adapted to generate dynamically the license key on-demand rather than obtaining the license key from the system associated with the third-party application.

17. The integrated system of claim 10, wherein the one or more third-party applications comprise at least two applications from different vendors, offered through the integrated system via a plugin framework.

18. The integrated system of claim 10, wherein the integrated system comprises a multi-domain orchestrator.

19. An operating environment for one or more end users to operate one or more third-party applications, the operating environment comprising:

an integrated system adapted to offer and enable execution of the one or more third-party applications; and

a system adapted to provide the one or more third-party applications to the integrated system,

wherein responsive to an end user request for a third-party application through the integrated system, the integrated system is adapted to

determine a license key, for the third-party application, using a public key associated with the integrated system,

receive an encrypted validation result from the system associated with the third-party application that validates the license key using a private key and software provided by the integrated system, wherein the system returns the encrypted validation results to the third-party application which provides the encrypted validation results to the integrated system, and

decrypt the encrypted validation results using previously allocated session keys to determine whether to run the third-party application based on the validation results.

20. The operating environment of claim 19, wherein the one or more third-party applications comprise Virtual Network Functions (VNF) that are not locked to a physical host.