Software license and installation process management within an organization

• US 9,342,825 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2010
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ashton, Miriam R., Johnson, Randy S., Northway, Tedrick N., Sveda, Jacqueline, Woodruff, Caryn L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nilforoush, Mohammad A
• Application Number:
  US12/797,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20110307958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,168 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/18 Licensing

Abstract

A software license and a software installation process are managed. A status of the license can be one of at least a third party reserved status, a requester reserved status, a requester allocated status, and an available status. A first module can be operative to change the status of the license from the third party reserved status to the requester allocated status in response to receiving a mode selection. The mode selection can correspond to one of one or more modes. The modes can comprise a reserve license mode, a remove reserve mode, a request license allocation mode, a return excess license to inventory mode, an ordering mode, and an add license to inventory mode. The first module can be operative in at least one of the modes.

Claims

1. A computer system for managing software licenses and a software installation process, the computer system comprising a memory, a processor, and program code stored on the memory and that when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform a method comprising:

obtaining, by the processor, data representing a status of each of a plurality of software licenses and writing, by the processor, to the memory, the status of each of the plurality of licenses, each license of the plurality of licenses being one of at least a third party reserved status, a requester reserved status, a requester allocated status, and an available status,

wherein the third party reserved status designates that the license is reserved for a third party,

wherein the requester reserved status designates that the license is reserved for a requester,

wherein the requester allocated status designates that the license is allocated to the requester, and

wherein the available status designates that the license is available;

obtaining, by the processor, instructions from a requester to change the status of a license of the plurality of licenses, the instructions comprising a mode selection;

responsive to obtaining the mode selection, obtaining, by the processor, a current status of the license from the memory, determining, by the processor, that the current status of the license is the third party reserved status, receiving, by the processor, permission to perform an override of the status of the license and based on the permission, changing, by the processor, the current status of the license in the memory to requester allocated status;

after changing the status of the license to requester allocated status, receiving, by the processor, from an approver separate from the requester and the third party a request for an authentication mechanism for the requester;

based on the request from the approver generating, by the processor, the authentication mechanism and deploying the authentication mechanism to the requester;

monitoring, by the processor, the software installation process subject to the license, wherein the monitoring comprises the processor, responsive to obtaining an installation alert from the requester, wherein the alert indicates a pause in the software installation process, requesting the authentication mechanism, and responsive to obtaining the authentication mechanism, the processor, directing the requester to resume the software installation process;

obtaining, by the processor, during the monitoring, data indicating that the software installation process is completed; and

writing, by the processor, the data indicating that the software installation process is completed to the memory.

2. The computer system of claim 1, the instructions further comprising permission to change the status of the license from the third party reserved status to the requester allocated status.

3. The computer system of claim 1, the method further comprising:

responsive to obtaining the mode selection, obtaining, by the processor, at least one license of the plurality of licenses in available status and changing the status to the requester reserved status.

4. The computer system of claim 1, the method further comprising:

responsive to obtaining the mode selection, obtaining, by the processor, at least one license of the plurality of licenses in requester reserved status and changing to the status to available status.

5. The computer system of claim 1, the method further comprising:

responsive to obtaining the mode selection, obtaining, by the processor, the at least one license and changing the status of the at least one license to the available status; and

disabling access to software associated with the at least one license wherein the disabling comprises sending a command to disable the software to a client.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise a request to procure a new license.

13. The computer system of claim 1, the monitoring further comprising:

responsive to requesting the authentication mechanism and receiving an invalid authentication mechanism, directing the requester to terminate the software installation process.

14. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the authentication mechanism comprises an identifier representing the requester.

15. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the permission received is based on an Override Agreement being reached between the requester and the third party.

16. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the method includes, after changing the current status of the license to requester allocated status, performing a request, by the processor, to procure a new license for the third party.

17. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the method further includes, responsive to a request to change the status of the license to requester allocated status with the third party reserved status active, performing a request, by the processor, that the requester provide direction and permitting the requester to request procurement of a new license.

7. A computer program product for managing a software license and a software installation process, said computer program product comprising:

a memory readable by a processor and storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform a method comprising;

obtaining, by the processor, data representing a status of each of a plurality of software licenses and writing, by the processor, to the memory, the status of each of the plurality of licenses, each license of the plurality of licenses being one of at least a third party reserved status, a requester reserved status, a requester allocated status, and an available status,

wherein the third party reserved status designates that the license is reserved for a third party,

wherein the requester reserved status designates that the license is reserved for a requester,

wherein the requester allocated status designates that the license is allocated to the requester, and

wherein the available status designates that the license is available;

obtaining, by the processor, requester instructions from a requester to change the status of a license of the plurality of licenses, the requester instructions comprising a mode selection;

responsive to obtaining the mode selection, obtaining, by the processor, a current status of the license from the memory, determining, by the processor, that the current status of the license is the third party reserved status, receiving, by the processor, permission to perform an override of the status of the license, and based on the permission changing, by the processor, the current status of the license in the memory to requester allocated status;

after changing the current status of the license to requester allocated status, receiving, by the processor, from an approver separate from the requester and the third party, a request for an authentication mechanism for the requester;

based on the request from the approver, generating, by the processor, the authentication mechanism and deploying the authentication mechanism to the requester;

monitoring, by the processor, the software installation process subject to the license, wherein the monitoring comprises the processor, responsive to obtaining an installation alert from the requester, wherein the alert indicates a pause in the software installation process, requesting the authentication mechanism, and responsive to obtaining the authentication mechanism, the processor, directing the requester to resume the software installation process;

obtaining, by the processor, during the monitoring, data indicating that the software installation process is completed; and

writing, by the processor, the data indicating that the software installation process is completed to the memory.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the current status is the requester allocated status.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, the method further comprising:

responsive to obtaining the mode selection, requesting procurement of a new license.

10. A method for managing a software license and a software installation process, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a processor, data representing a status of each of a plurality of software licenses and writing, by the processor, to a memory, the status of each of the plurality of licenses, each license of the plurality of licenses being one of at least a third party reserved status, a requester reserved status, a requester allocated status, and an available status,

wherein the third party reserved status designates that the license is reserved for a third party,

wherein the requester reserved status designates that the license is reserved for a requester,

wherein the requester allocated status designates that the license is allocated to the requester, and

wherein the available status designates that the license is available;

obtaining, by the processor, instructions from a requester to change the status of a license of the plurality of licenses, the instructions comprising a mode selection;

responsive to obtaining the mode selection, obtaining, by the processor, a current status of the license from the memory, determining, by the processor, that the current status of the license is the third party reserved status, receiving, by the processor, permission to perform an override of the status of the license, and based on the permission changing, by the processor, the current status of the license in the memory to requester allocated status;

after changing the current status of the license to requester allocated status, receiving, by the processor, from an approver separate from the requester and the third party, a request for an authentication mechanism for the requester;

based on the request from the approver, generating, by the processor, the authentication mechanism and providing, by the processor, the authentication mechanism to the requester;

monitoring, by the processor, the software installation process subject to the license, wherein the monitoring comprises the processor, responsive to obtaining an installation alert from the requester, wherein the alert indicates a pause in the software installation process, requesting the authentication mechanism, and responsive to obtaining the authentication mechanism, by the processor, directing the requester to resume the software installation process;

obtaining, by the processor, during the monitoring, data indicating that the software installation process is completed; and

writing, by the processor, the data indicating that the software installation process is completed to the memory.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

responsive to obtaining the mode selection, transforming the status of the license to the available status when the status of the license is the requester allocated status.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising requesting procurement of a new license in response to obtaining the mode selection.