Remote feature activator feature extraction

• US 7,844,572 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Levy, Leslie, Lourenco, Mary K., Walker, William T., Serkowski, Robert J., Lieou, Bruce G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Truong, Dennis
• Application Number:
  US11/928,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20080052295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/607, 705/59, 717/177, 713/1, 726/26, 726/30
• US Class Current: 707/607
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]

Abstract

A database record controls a license to use a computational component. An input receives an order identifier associated with an order related to a computational component and an interface retrieves order information associated with the identifier. The order information comprises at least one material code. A material code mapping agent compares the material code with at least one material code mapping table to identify corresponding computational component information associated with the material code. In another configuration, a transaction record includes first information associated with the order, the order relates to at least a first computational component and/or feature thereof, a configuration file includes second information different from the first information, the configuration file relates to at least one telecommunication switch/server, and a configuration file processing agent compares some of the first information with some of the second information to form a system record having both first and second information.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving an order identifier associated with an order, the order relating to a first feature thereof, the first feature thereof to one of upgrade or replace at least one of a telecommunication switch and server;

retrieving order information associated with the order identifier, wherein the order information comprises at least one material code;

comparing the at least one material code with at least one material code mapping table to identify corresponding first information associated with the at least one material code;

forming a transaction record containing the identified first information;

receiving a configuration file comprising second information different from the first information, the configuration file relating to a current configuration of the at least one of a telecommunication switch and server;

merging at least some of the first information with at least some of the second information to form a license file comprising both first and second information, the license file being for the operation of the at least a first computational component and/or feature thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information comprises a plurality of a description of the computational component, a platform description, a module type, an application description, a release description, and a feature code and wherein the merging step comprises applying a set of rules to resolve potential conflicts between the first and second information, the set of rules comprising:

(i) in response to selected first information being associated with a first type of feature and, in response to the switch configuration file indicating that the first type of feature is available for use, using the selected first information in a right-to-use field in the license file;

(ii) in response to selected first information being associated with a second type of feature and, in response to the second information not containing the second type of feature, using the selected first information in right-to-use, setting, and range fields in the license file; and

(iii) in response to the selected first information being associated with a third type of feature and, in response to the second information not containing the third type of feature, using the selected first information in right-to-use, setting, and range fields in the license file.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

repeating the merging step for each of a plurality of material codes in the order information.

4. A system, comprising:

a memory;

a processor in communication with the memory, the processor operable to execute a material code mapping agent, a configuration file processing agent, and a feature activator;

the material code mapping agent operable to;

receive an order identifier associated with an order, the order relating to at least a first computational component and/or feature thereof, the at least a first computational component and/or feature thereof to upgrade and/or replace at least one of a telecommunication switch and server;

retrieve order information associated with the order identifier, wherein the order information comprises at least one material code;

compare the at least one material code with at least one material code mapping table to identify corresponding first information associated with the at least one material code;

form a transaction record containing the identified first information;

the configuration file processing agent operable to;

receive a configuration file comprising second information different from the first information, the configuration file relating to a current configuration of the at least one of a telecommunication switch and server;

merge at least some of the first information and at least some of the second information to form a system record comprising both first and second information; and

the feature activator operable to generate a license file containing at least some of the computational component information, the license file being for the operation of the at least a first computational component and/or feature thereof and including first and second information.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first information comprises a plurality of a description of the computational component, a platform description, a module type, an application description, a release description, and a feature code and wherein the configuration file processing agent is further operable to apply the following set of rules as part of sub-operation (b2):

(i) in response to selected first information being associated with a first type of feature and, in response to the switch configuration file indicating that the first type of feature is available for use, using the selected first information in a right-to-use field in the system record;

(ii) in response to selected first information being associated with a second type of feature and, in response to the second information not containing the second type of feature, using the selected first information in right-to-use, setting, and range fields in the system record; and

(iii) in response to the selected first information being associated with a third type of feature and, in response to the second information not containing the third type of feature, using the selected first information in right-to-use, setting, and range fields in the system record.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the material code mapping agent is operable to:

repeat the merging operation for each of a plurality of material codes in the order information.