Generation of enterprise-wide licenses in a customer environment

• US 8,229,858 B1
• Filed: 02/04/2005
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Mazza, Bruce P., Walker, William T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reagan, James A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cheung, Calvin
• Application Number:
  US11/051,316
• Time in Patent Office: 2,727 Days
• Field of Search: 705/59
• US Class Current: 705/59
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 705/901 Digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 705/902 Licensing digital content
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 705/904 Usage protection of distributed files

Abstract

An enterprise licensing system is provided that includes a licensing agent 172 operable to (a) provide a customer with a first set of enterprise licensable features and/or capacities and a second set of non-enterprise licensable features and/or capacities, with the enterprise licensable features and/or capacities, but not non-enterprise licensable features and/or capacities, being allocable freely by the customer among first and second computational components; (b) receive a first allocation of the members of the first set between the first and second computational components; and (c) generate first and second licenses reflecting the first allocation. The first license is for the first computational component and the second license is for the second computational component.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

creating, by a remote feature activation system including a processor, an enterprise record corresponding to an enterprise network and first, second, and third system records corresponding to first, second, and third computational components, respectively, in the enterprise network, the first, second, and third system records having first, second, and third system capacities, respectively, for an enterprise-level licensable feature and fifth, sixth, and seventh system capacities, respectively, for a non-enterprise-level licensable feature, wherein the first, second, and third capacities for the enterprise-level licensable feature are freely transferable, by a customer, to any of the first, second, and third computational components, and wherein the fifth, sixth, and seventh non-enterprise level licensable capacities are not freely transferable, by the customer, to another of the first, second, and third computational components;

during a first time interval, associating, at a first request of the customer, with the enterprise record, and by the remote feature activation system, the first and second system records;

during the first time interval, creating and delivering, by the remote feature activation system, a first master license to the enterprise network, the first master license governing and permitting a total capacity for the enterprise-level licensable feature in the enterprise network that is at least the sum of the first and second system capacities;

during the first time interval, creating and delivering first and second standard licenses to the first and second computational components, respectively, the first and second standard licenses having respective ones of the first, second, fifth, and sixth system capacities, wherein the first and second standard licenses include feature and maximum feature capacity information;

during a second time interval, associating, at a second request of the customer, with the enterprise record, and by the remote feature activation system, the first and third system records, but not the second system record;

during the second time interval, creating and delivering, by the remote feature activation system, a second master license to the enterprise network, the second master license permitting a total capacity for the enterprise-level licensable feature in the enterprise network that is a sum of at least the first and third system capacities, the sum excluding the second system capacity, wherein at least one of the first and second master licenses replaces the other of the first and second master licenses; and

during the second time interval, creating and delivering a third standard license to the third computational component, the third standard license including the third and seventh system capacities.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a customer has the ability, without contacting either a software vendor or manufacturer, to associate the enterprise record with either or both of the first and second system records, wherein the second master license replaces the first master license, wherein the enterprise record has an enterprise capacity, wherein the first master license permits a total capacity that is at least the sum of the enterprise and first and second system capacities;

and wherein the second master license permits a total capacity that is at least the sum of the enterprise and first system capacities but that excludes the second system capacity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the enterprise network comprises a second network segment, wherein the first and second system records have first and second system record identifiers, respectively, wherein the enterprise record has a corresponding enterprise identifier, wherein, during the first time interval, the first and second system record identifiers are linked to the enterprise identifier and wherein, during the second time interval, the first, but not the second system identifier, is linked to the enterprise identifier, wherein the second master license replaces the first master license, and further comprising:

during the second time interval, associating, with a second enterprise record corresponding to the second network segment, the second system record; and

during the second time interval, generating and delivering a third master license for the second network segment, the third master license permitting a total capacity that includes at least the second system capacity but excludes the first system capacity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second system records each comprise a pointer to a corresponding enterprise record, a hardware identifier, a respective system identifier, a listing of system-level licensed applications, a listing of features and capacities for each licensed application, and a license expiration date, wherein the first and second system records have first and second system record identifiers, respectively, wherein the enterprise record has a corresponding enterprise identifier, and wherein the enterprise record comprises an enterprise identifier, customer information, enterprise information, a listing of licensed applications, a listing of enterprise-level features and capacities for each licensed application, a license expiration date, and pointers to one or more associated system records and wherein the first and second computational components are media servers and the first and second system records each comprise a set of licensed enterprise features and/or capacities comprising a plurality of the following:

abbreviated dialing enhanced list, audible message waiting, vectoring, answer supervision by call classifier, ATM trunking, agent states, dial by name, DCS call coverage, echo cancellation, multifrequency signaling, wideband switching, Digital Communication System or DCS call coverage, audible message waiting, vectoring, attendant vectoring, Asynchronous Transfer Mode or ATM WAN spare processor, ATM, dial by name, echo cancellation, multimedia call handling, multiple call handling, caller identification, multifrequency signaling, Integrated Services Digital Network or ISDN network call redirection, centralized attendant, remote office, enhanced Direct Inward Dialing or DID routing, survivable remote processor, time of day routing, tenant partitioning, hospitality announcements, Vector Directory Number or VDN of origin announcement, wideband switching, wireless, logged-in agents, offer category, maximum numbers of concurrently registered IP stations, administered IP trunks, ports, and concurrently administered remote office stations/trunks, call center release, logged-in automated call distribution or ACD agents, maximum currently registered IP stations, maximum administered IP trunks, offer category, maximum number of ports, maximum number of administered remote office trunks, and maximum number of mobile stations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the enterprise record comprises enterprise-level features and capacities and not non-enterprise -level features and capacities, and wherein the system records comprise non-enterprise -level features and capacities and not enterprise-level features and capacities.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the enterprise record comprises enterprise-level features and capacities and not non-enterprise level features and capacities and wherein the system records comprise non-enterprise level features and capacities and not enterprise-level features and capacities.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second computational components are servers and wherein the following rules govern the generating steps:

a total number of servers with a given activatable enterprise feature activated cannot exceed a value defined in a master license file;

a total allocated capacity for each enterprise capacity feature cannot exceed a total capacity for that feature as defined in the master license file;

an allocated enterprise feature capacity cannot be less than a current usage for that feature on a server;

an enterprise feature capacity can only be allocated to a system having a system record identifier appearing in the master license file;

an allocation of enterprise features and capacities to spare servers in a system is identical to an allocation to a corresponding main server;

a calculation of a total allocation for a given feature is based only on the allocations to main servers; and

an allocation to a spare server is not counted against a total allocation for the enterprise, wherein the enterprise is licensed to a maximum enterprise capacity and further comprising;

determining whether the sum of the enterprise and first and second system capacities is less than the maximum enterprise capacity;

when the sum is greater than the maximum capacity, determining that at least one of the first and second master licenses is invalid;

providing a collection of non-enterprise-level features; and

installing on the first and second computational components a standard license comprising the collection of non-enterprise-level features.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer controls the allocation of the first, second, and third capacities for the enterprise-level licensable feature among the first, second, and third computational components, and wherein the customer does not control the allocation of fifth, sixth, and seventh non-enterprise-level licensable capacities among the first, second, and third computational components.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a selected application has both enterprise-level and non-enterprise-level features and settings.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising machine executable instructions that, when executed by a server, perform the steps:

creating, by a remote feature activation system including a processor, an enterprise record corresponding to an enterprise network and first, second, and third system records corresponding to first, second, and third computational components, respectively, in the enterprise network, the first, second, and third system records having first, second, and third system capacities, respectively, for an enterprise-level licensable feature and fifth, sixth, and seventh system capacities, respectively, for a non-enterprise-level licensable feature, wherein the first, second, and third capacities for the enterprise-level licensable feature are freely transferable, by a customer, to any of the first, second, and third computational components, and wherein the fifth, sixth, and seventh non-enterprise-level licensable capacities are not freely transferable, by the customer, to another of the first, second, and third computational components;

during a first time interval, associating, at a first request of the customer, with the enterprise record, and by the remote feature activation system, the first and second system records;

during the first time interval, creating and delivering, by the remote feature activation system, a first master license to the enterprise network, the first master license governing and permitting a total capacity for the enterprise-level licensable feature in the enterprise network that is at least the sum of the first and second system capacities;

during the first time interval, creating and delivering first and second standard licenses to the first and second computational components, respectively, the first and second standard licenses having respective ones of the first, second, fifth, and sixth system capacities, wherein the first and second standard licenses include feature and maximum feature capacity information;

during a second time interval, associating, at a second request of the customer, with the enterprise record, and by the remote feature activation system, the first and third system records, but not the second system record;

during the second time interval, creating and delivering, by the remote feature activation system, a second master license to the enterprise network, the second master license permitting a total capacity for the enterprise-level licensable feature in the enterprise network that is a sum of at least the first and third system capacities, the sum excluding the second system capacity, wherein at least one of the first and second master licenses replaces the other of the first and second master licenses; and

during the second time interval, creating and delivering a third standard license to the third computational component, the third standard license including the third and seventh system capacities.