Software auditing mechanism for a distributed computer enterprise environment
First Claim
1. A method of auditing software usage in a managed network environment wherein computing resources are logically organized into one or more managed regions, each region being managed by a management server servicing one or more gateway machines, each gateway machine servicing a plurality of endpoint machines, comprising the steps of:
- responsive to a system management task, collecting information about a number of nodes of the managed region affected by the system management task and the type of machine located at each affected node; and
using the information to audit software usage in the managed network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A large distributed enterprise includes computing resources that are organized into one or more managed regions, each region being managed by a management server servicing one or more gateway machines, with each gateway machine servicing a plurality of endpoint machines. A method of auditing software usage in the environment begins by deriving a count of a number of simultaneous method invocations of one or more application programs that occur in response to a system management task. The count is then used to determine whether an authorized number of copies of each application program within the managed region has been exceeded. This protocol obviates a dedicated licensing server.
232 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of auditing software usage in a managed network environment wherein computing resources are logically organized into one or more managed regions, each region being managed by a management server servicing one or more gateway machines, each gateway machine servicing a plurality of endpoint machines, comprising the steps of:
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responsive to a system management task, collecting information about a number of nodes of the managed region affected by the system management task and the type of machine located at each affected node; and using the information to audit software usage in the managed network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of auditing software usage in a managed network environment wherein computing resources are logically organized into one or more managed regions, each region being managed by a management server servicing one or more gateway machines, each gateway machine servicing a plurality of endpoint machines, comprising the steps of:
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deriving a count of a number of simultaneous method invocations of a given application program that occur in response to a system management task; and using the count to determine whether an authorized number of copies of the application program within the managed region has been exceeded. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. In a large distributed enterprise wherein computing resources are organized into one or more managed regions, each region being managed by a management server servicing one or more gateway machines, each gateway machine servicing a plurality of endpoint machines, a method of auditing software usage without a dedicated licensing server, comprising the steps of:
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deriving a count of a number of simultaneous method invocations of one or more application programs that occur in response to a system management task; and using the count to determine whether an authorized number of copies of each application program within the managed region has been exceeded. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A computer connectable into a large distributed enterprise wherein computing resources are organized into one or more managed regions, each region being managed by a management server servicing one or more gateway machines, each gateway machine servicing a plurality of endpoint machines, the computer comprising:
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a processor; an operating system; and an audit mechanism, comprising; means for deriving a count of a number of simultaneous method invocations of a given application program that occur in response to a system management task; and means for using the count to determine whether an authorized number of copies of the application program within the managed region has been exceeded. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A computer program product for use in a computer having a processor, an interface, a memory, the computer connectable into a large distributed enterprise wherein computing resources are organized into one or more managed regions, each region being managed by a management server servicing one or more gateway machines, each gateway machine servicing a plurality of endpoint machines, the computer program product comprising:
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a computer-readable storage medium having a substrate; and program data encoded in the substrate of the computer-readable storage medium, wherein the program data comprises; means for deriving a count of a number of simultaneous method invocations of a given application program that occur in response to a system management task; and means for using the count to determine whether an authorized number of copies of the application program within the managed region has been exceeded.
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Specification