License proxy process to facilitate license sharing between a plurality of applications

• US 20060020553A1
• Filed: 07/26/2004
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Verigy Limited (Advantest Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Verigy Limited (Advantest Corporation)
• Inventors: Septon, Daven Walt
• Application Number:
  US10/899,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20060020553A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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

Abstract

In one embodiment, a license proxy process transmits to a license server a request for a license that is to be shared by a plurality of applications. After the license proxy process receives the license from the license server, it stores license information corresponding to the license in a memory that is shared by the plurality of applications and the license proxy process.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a plurality of applications; and

a license proxy process, communicatively coupled to the plurality of applications, to obtain a license to be shared between the plurality of applications.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a memory, communicatively coupled to the plurality of applications and the license proxy process, to store license information for the license.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a license server, communicatively coupled to the license proxy process to issue the license and transmit the license to the license proxy process.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said license information comprises a license usage count that is incremented in response to applications requesting said license, and decremented in response to applications releasing the license.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the license proxy process is further configured to, after receipt of said license by the license proxy process, periodically transmit a heartbeat to the license server.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the license server is further configured to transmit an acknowledgement of at least one of the periodic heartbeats.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the applications comprises a process to enable a feature of a circuit tester.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising the circuit tester.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the circuit tester comprises a system-on-a-chip (SOC) tester.

10. A method, comprising:

from a first application, reading a memory shared with a license proxy process and a second application;

if the memory contains license information for a required license, using the license information to enable a feature of the first application;

from a second application, reading the memory and using the license information to enable a feature of the second application; and

if the memory does not contain the license information, notifying a license proxy process.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

upon use of the license by either of said applications, incrementing a license usage count associated with the license; and

upon release of the license by either of said applications, decrementing the license usage count associated with the license.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising, if the memory does not contain the license information:

transmitting from the license proxy process to a license server, a request for the required license;

receiving, at the license proxy process, a license from the license server; and

storing license information corresponding to the license in the memory.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein using the license information to enable said feature of the first application comprises using the license to enable a first feature of a circuit tester.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising, if the memory contains the license information, periodically transmitting a heartbeat from the license proxy process to the license server.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising, receiving from a license server, at the license proxy process, an acknowledgement of at least one of said periodic heartbeats.

16. A method, comprising:

transmitting from a license proxy process to a license server, a request for a license that is to be shared by a plurality of applications; and

receiving, at the license proxy process, the license from the license server; and

storing license information corresponding to the license in a memory shared by the plurality of applications and the license proxy process.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising, after receiving the license, periodically transmitting a heartbeat from the license proxy process to the license server.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising, receiving from the license server, at the license proxy process, an acknowledgment of at least one of said periodic heartbeats.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising, when each of the plurality of applications no longer requires the license, transmitting a request to free the license from the license proxy process to the license server, and removing said license information from the memory.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein transmitting a license request comprises transmitting a license request before the plurality of applications require the license.