TITLE: "AN INTELLIGENT SYSTEM FOR SOFTWARE LICENSE MANAGEMENT"

FIELD OF THE INVENTION:

The present invention provides a new means for software license

Management System.

The present invention provides a new means for Software Compliance management.

The present invention provides a new means for software rights management.

The present invention provides a new means to centralize software distribution

The present invention provides a new means to Control Software licenses.

The present invention provides a new means to prompt the System

Administrator of free unused licenses.

Particularly, the present invention provides an electronic mechanism to block unauthorized software Downloads through Internet.

More particularly, the present invention provides an electronic means of managing the file system over the Internet.

The present invention provides a new means to ensure security of

Software License Database.

The present invention provides a new means to monitor the operations of the system through the handheld standalone device.

More particularly, the present invention provides a new means to ensure security of licensed software from unauthorized duplication .

More particularly, the present invention provides a new means to permit

Automated Installation of the software into the Client machine from the server.

More particularly, the present invention provides a new means to permit automatic Un-installation based on software utility from the Client machine.

BACKGROUND ART:

Software Compliance Irregularity refers to legally purchased software licenses that are not being used appropriately based on the software publisher's terms and conditions. It also refers to software which is being used without legally purchasing them, hence violating the software publisher's terms and conditions. Software piracy can subject an individual to arrest and criminal prosecution, with fines up to US$250,000 and prison term of up to five years.

Reference may be made to the US Publication No. 2004/0045000 Al, Hara, Yutaka, wherein it has been disclosed that: Upon receiving a request to install a software package, a user device running an installer builder contained in a medium connects to a seller's server, requests the installer from the seller's server, and thereby checks whether the software package contained in the medium has already been installed, where the seller's server manages installation information in an installation management database on a medium-by-medium basis. If it is found that the software package has not been installed, the user device installs the software package from the medium by executing an installer

downloaded from the seller's server. After the installation, the software package in the medium is managed as having been installed.

In the above prior art, it is mentioned that this would do remote installation and uhinstallation of the softwares through the Internet, but their database will be in the server, but these license details are not secured in the server system. This doesn't provide any alarm to the administrator about the misuse of softwares in the client system. This doesn't provide any hardware protection to the license details.

Reference may also be made to the US Publication No. 2005/0071281 Al, Faur, Adrian; et al. wherein it has been disclosed that: A computer system for managing and deploying a plurality of software with a plurality of associated licenses in the computer system. Software allocation workflow requests are obtained from a requester for a target server referencing specific software and then redirected to a license broker. The license broker determines availability of the plurality of associated licenses referenced in the request and provisions the target server with said plurality of software. The requester of software allocation is then notified of the results. The workflow need not be concerned with monitoring resource status and providing requester feedback. Provisioning is handled on a just-in-time basis by the license broker as requested by the workflow making necessary licenses available (and software) only on as needed basis.

Here we can see that this prior art is also a software method for software license management. They are storing all the software and software license details in the server system. They haven't applied any hardware

mechanism to protect software license details. They haven't provided any hardware interface for the administrator.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION:

Main object of the present invention is to provide a new means of an intelligent system for software Asset management, which obviates the drawbacks of the prior art.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic mechanism for monitoring and blocking the unauthorized software downloads through Internet.

Another object of the present invention is to manage software compliance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a handheld standalone device to monitor the operations of the system.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic based system for managing software distribution over server-client architecture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

In the drawing accompanying this specification, Fig (1) represents the Intelligent System for Software License Management, wherein (1) is the Software License Storage Device, (2) is the Network Server, (3) is the software content from a CD, (4) is Server Manager, (5) is Client Agent, (6) is the Client System, (7) is the System Administrator Interface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

Accordingly the present invention provides an Intelligent System for Software License Management, which comprises: - a software license storage device (1) is an electromechanical device, which stores the license details of the softwares with the required security. This software license storage device (1) stores license details in the storage zone which may be a Memory Flash, a memory flash card, a hard disk, an EPROM, an EEPROM, a RAM, a disc on chip etc. This software license storage device (1) will be updated using a Server Manager (4) within the Network Server (2) when the software contents of a CD (3) are transferred to it.

Software License Storage Device (1) will be interfaced with the Network Server (2) through ISA, PCI/PCI-X, PCI-E, VME, USB, Network, etc Also, when the Client system (6) requests for download of particular software from the network server (2), the network server (2) communicates with the Server Manager (4) for the availability of software license from the Software License Storage Device (1). Database in the Network Server (2) contains over all records of the network, license details of the software in the network, individual machine details on the existing network, installed application details on the network, inventory details of each machine.

Server Manager (4) manages over all administration of an Intelligent

System for Software License Management. Add license for a new product can be carried out by this unit.

Server Manager (4) has two parts: 1). Server Agent, 2). Server

Application.

Server Agent communicates with Client Agent regularly to establish communication between Server System and Client System.

Here, Network Server will be a computer, a laptop, a desktop, a notebook. This Server manages all protocols of Scanning & Software Usage, it manages Database Operations, it enforces scanning at Client machine on network. This server is explicitly requested by Administrator.

Server Agent scans the client system with the help of Client Agent and keeps the entire inventory in the Software License Storage Device (1). Client Agent (5) is installed at client computer, it monitors activities of the system on which it is installed. It connects Server (2) from Server Manager (4). It extracts the System Inventory Report of the System and pushes the inventory report to Network Server (2). This Client Agent (5) is deployed from the Network Server (2) remotely.

According to the availability of the license of that particular software the Software License Storage Device (1) communicates with the server agent of the Server Manager (4) to deliver the download to the client system (6) through the client agent (5). When the software is delivered to the client system (6), the client agent (5) picks the system information and stores this information in the license database of the software license storage device (1). During tininstallation of the software, the system information stored in the license database will be removed from the software license storage device (1) for the availability of more licenses in the server-client architecture.

Server Application of Server Manager (4) has two separate centers: a) Service Center and b). Message Center.

Service Center downloads the installer file of the software requested by the client system (6) after confirming that the software package has not been installed in the client system and also it removes the software from the client system (6) once the duration of that particular software for

that particular client system (6) expires or when Administrator decides to remove license from that client system (6).

Message center sends the message to the client system (6) if the requested software is already installed in the client system (6) and other user-friendly messages.

This software license storage device (1) communicates to the system administrator interface (7) on a periodic basis through alerts.

This system administrator interface (7) will be a handheld device or may also be a dedicated computer, which has the functions such as Add

License, License Details, View Machine List, View Requested License List, etc.

EXAMPLE:

Consider a Corporate Network having a number of computer systems interconnected through a local LAN to a central Server system. In this server system all the softwares required by the company will be stored. License details of these softwares will be stored in a separate hardware device where adequate security for these license details is assured. If the client wants to use particular software, for example MEMSPro, he has to request the server system the same through Client Agent. Then Server Agent of Server Manager contacts the database details of that particular client to check out whether that client is already installed MEMSPro software or not and is he authorized to use that software. If he is authorized and if it is not installed, administrator sends installer file from server agent to the client and installs remotely. Then in the client system, user or the administrator follows the installation procedures of that software. Now the database details in the server system and the license details in the mentioned hardware device will be updated accordingly.

If the particular software already present in the client system, administrator sends the same message to the client through Message Center of Server Application

If the client wants to uninstall the MEMSPro software after usage he has to send a uninstall request to Server. When Administrator wants to uninstall the particular software or time period dedicated for that MEMSPro software expires, the server system automatically uninstall MEMSPro software from the client system so that, MEMSPro software license will then be available to other clients.

After uninstallation of MEMSPro software, license details in the hardware device will be increased and the system information of the client from where this MEMSPro software is uninstalled will be updated accordingly. All these license details will be available to the Administrator on his handheld device or dedicated computer for effective software license management.

ADVANTAGES:

1) Software Rights Management.

2) Monitors software usage.

3) Software Compliance management.

4) Centralized Software Distribution

5) Accept or rejects the license requested.

6) Administrator Alerts / Alarms.

7) Reports on illegal software used in the network.

8) Un-installation from client machine automatically updates the license database.

9) Periodic Monitoring of software utilization