Method and apparatus for license distribution

• US 7,260,557 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2003
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Chavez, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer; Firmin
• Application Number:
  US10/377,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20040172367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: 705/59, 705/28, 705/4
• US Class Current: 705/59
• 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 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method and apparatus for license distribution are disclosed. An endpoint requests information from a server related to information required for the server to grant a license. The server provides the required information to the endpoint. The endpoint obtains the required information, and forwards the information to the server. The server, upon receiving the information, determines if a license may be granted to the endpoint, and transmits a license authorization to the endpoint, which includes the number of licenses which are granted.

Claims

1. A method for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, comprising:

(a) allocating a first number of licenses to a first site;

(b) allocating at least a second number of licenses to at least a second site, the at least a second site being geographically dislocated from the first site;

(c) receiving a license reallocation request;

(d) determining, independently of input from a user, at least one of (i) a third number of licenses for said first site and (ii) at least a fourth number of licenses for said at least a second site based on a total number of available licenses, said third number of licenses being different from said first number of licenses;

(d1) accessing a database containing license allocation records to determine said first number and said second number;

(d2) calculating a difference between said first number and a requested number of licenses in said reallocation request;

(d3) determining an additional number of licenses required for said first site based on said calculating step (d2);

(d4) determining said third number as the sum of said first number and said additional number of licenses; and

(d5) determining said at least a fourth number by subtracting said additional number of licenses from said at least a second number;

(e) communicating at least a first response to the first site, the at least a first response including said third number of licenses, and communicating at least a second response to the at least a second site, the at least a second response including said at least a fourth number of licenses; and

(f) thereafter operating the first and second sites subject to the first site being entitled to the third number of licenses and the second site being entitled to the at least a fourth number of licenses.

2. The method for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

updating a record indicating the third and at least a fourth number of licenses allocated to said first site and at least a second site, respectively.

3. The method for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said accessing step comprises:

establishing communication with a server; and

accessing the database on the server which contains said license allocation records.

4. The method for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said license reallocation request includes a request for additional licenses.

5. The method for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first response includes a plurality of fields, including a version number field, a customer name field, a number of licenses granted field, a use allowed field, and a qualifying field.

6. The method for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said license reallocation request includes a plurality of fields including a version number field, a customer name field, a number of licenses requested field, and an authorization field.

7. The method for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said receiving and communicating steps are performed using hypertext transfer protocol.

8. The method for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said receiving and communicating steps are performed using hyper text transfer protocol over secure socket layer (HTTPS).

9. The method for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, as claimed in claim 2, wherein said updating a record step includes:

accessing a database containing license records; and

updating said records to indicate the third and at least a fourth number of licenses allocated to said first and said at least a second sites, respectively.

10. The method for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, as claimed in claim 9, wherein said accessing a database step comprises:

establishing communication with a server; and

accessing the database on the server which contains said license allocation records.

11. An apparatus for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, comprising:

a server operable to reallocate licenses upon receiving a license reallocation request from at least a first endpoint;

a database in communication with said server, operable to store license data and a total number of available licenses for an enterprise;

wherein, upon receiving said license reallocation request, said server is operable to access said database and determine, independently of input from a user, at least one of (i) a first number of licenses for the at least a first endpoint and (ii) at least a second number of licenses for at least a second endpoint based on said total number of available licenses, the at least first endpoint and the at least second endpoint being geographically dislocated, and said server is operable to communicate a first response to the at least first endpoint, the first response including said first number of licenses, and communicate at least a second response to the at least second endpoint, the at least a second response including said at least a second number of licenses, and wherein the at least a first and at least a second endpoints operate subject to the at least a first endpoint being entitled to the first number of licenses and the at least a second site being entitled to the at least a second number of licenses, wherein when making said determination said server is operable to;

access said database to determine a previous number of licenses allocated to said at least a first endpoint;

calculate a difference between said previous number of licenses and a requested number of licenses in said reallocation request;

determine an additional number of licenses required for said at least a first site based on said calculated difference; and

determine said first number as the sum of said previous number of licenses and said additional number of licenses.

12. The apparatus for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, as claimed in claim 11, wherein said server updates a record in said database indicating the first number and the at least second number of licenses allocated to said at least a first endpoint and at least second endpoint, respectively.

13. The apparatus for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, as claimed in claim 11, wherein said server is operable to:

establish communication with a database server; and

access the database on the database server which contains said license allocation records.

14. The apparatus for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, as claimed in claim 11, wherein said license reallocation request includes a request for additional licenses.

15. The apparatus for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, as claimed in claim 11, wherein said license reallocation request includes a plurality of fields including a version number field, a customer name field, a number of licenses requested field, and an authorization field.

16. The apparatus for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, as claimed in claim 11, wherein said server is operable to communicate with said database and the endpoints using hypertext transfer protocol.

17. The apparatus for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, as claimed in claim 11, wherein said server is operable to communicate with said database and the endpoints using hyper text transfer protocol over secure socket layer (HTTPS).

18. An apparatus for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, comprising:

a first endpoint and at least a second endpoint, each of said endpoints being operably interconnected to said enterprise network and wherein the first endpoint and at least a second endpoint are geographically dislocated and located, respectively, in a first site and at least a second site;

a server operably interconnected to said enterprise network, which is geographically dislocated from said first and said at least a second endpoints;

a database operably interconnected to said server, said database operable for storage and retrieval of license information related to said first site and at least a second site,

wherein said first endpoint is operable to receive a request to reallocate a number of licenses associated with the first site, and, upon receiving said requests, communicate a license reallocation information request to said server, and receive license reallocation information from said server in response to said license reallocation information request, and thereafter communicate a license reallocation request to said server, the server, upon receiving said license reallocation request, determines a revised number of licenses available to said first site and said at least a second site, communicates the revised license information including a revised number of licenses to each of said first and said at least a second endpoints, and the sites thereafter operate according to the revised number of licenses and wherein, receiving said license reallocation request, said server is operable to;

access said database to retrieve license allocation records related to said first and said at least a second sites, said license allocation records including a first number of licenses for said first site and at least a second number of licenses for said at least a second site;

calculate a difference between said first number and a requested number of licenses in said reallocation request;

determine an additional number of licenses required for said first site based on said calculated difference;

determine a third number as the sum of said first number and said additional number of licenses; and

determine at least a fourth number of licenses by subtracting said additional number of licenses from said at least a second number.

19. An apparatus for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, as claimed in claim 18, wherein said server is operable to update a record located in said database to indicate the revised number of licenses allocated to said first and at least a second sites, respectively.

20. An apparatus for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, as claimed in claim 18, wherein, when accessing said database, said server is operable to:

establish communication with a server; and

access the database on the server which contains said license allocation records.

21. An apparatus for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, as claimed in claim 18, wherein said license reallocation request includes a request for additional licenses.

22. An apparatus for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, as claimed in claim 18, wherein said license reallocation information includes a plurality of fields, including a version number field, a customer name field, a number of licenses granted field, a use allowed field, and a qualifying field.

23. An apparatus for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, as claimed in claim 18, wherein said license reallocation request includes a plurality of fields including a version number field, a customer name field, a number of licenses requested field, and an authorization field.

24. An apparatus for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, as claimed in claim 18, wherein said server is operable to communicate to said endpoints using hypertext transfer protocol.

25. An apparatus for transferring a software license in an enterprise network, as claimed in claim 18, wherein said server is operable to communicate to said first and at least a second endpoints using hypertext transfer protocol over secure socket layer (HTTPS).