Methods, systems and computer program products for license use management on a network

US 20010013064A1
Filed: 04/10/2001
Published: 08/09/2001
Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1998
Status: Active Grant

First Claim

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1. A method for management of configurable application programs on a network comprising the steps of:

installing an application program having a plurality of configurable preferences and a plurality of authorized users on a server coupled to the network;

distributing an application launcher program associated with the application program to a client coupled to the network;

obtaining a user set of the plurality of configurable preferences associated with one of the plurality of authorized users executing the application launcher program;

obtaining an administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences from an administrator; and

executing the application program using the obtained user set and the obtained administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences responsive to a request from the one of the plurality of authorized users.

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Abstract

Management of configurable applications programs on a network is provided by using two program files for each configurable application program. The two program files are provided to a network server station which operates as the on-demand server for software deployment and may also act as the application server. The on-demand server makes the first (configuration manager) program available to an administrator to obtain preferences for the configurable preferences of the application program which have been designated as administrator preferences. The on-demand server also provides a second (application launcher) program to its client stations. The application launcher program not only provides for a user interface to execute the application program itself but also allows a user to specify one or more of the configurable parameters of the application program. An icon is displayed on the screen of the client station through which a user may initiate execution of the application program. The application launcher program provides the identity of the user to the server along with the request to initiate execution of the application program. The on-demand server then initiates execution of the application program using stored values for the user and administrator set preferences or, if no preferences have yet been obtained for the particular user, obtains user preferences before initiating execution of the application program.

41 Citations

25 Claims

1. A method for management of configurable application programs on a network comprising the steps of:
- installing an application program having a plurality of configurable preferences and a plurality of authorized users on a server coupled to the network;
  
  distributing an application launcher program associated with the application program to a client coupled to the network;
  
  obtaining a user set of the plurality of configurable preferences associated with one of the plurality of authorized users executing the application launcher program;
  
  obtaining an administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences from an administrator; and
  
  executing the application program using the obtained user set and the obtained administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences responsive to a request from the one of the plurality of authorized users.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- - 2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining an administrator set is preceded by the step of distributing a configuration manager program associated with the application program to a second client coupled to the network and wherein the step of obtaining an administrator set comprises the step of obtaining an administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences from an administrator executing the configuration manager program.
  - 3. A method according to claim 2 wherein one of the plurality of authorized users is an administrator authorized to execute the configuration manager program.
  - 4. A method according to claim 2 wherein the step of executing the application program comprises the step of executing the application program using the obtained user set and the administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences responsive to a request from the one of the plurality of authorized users through the application launcher program.
  - 5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the distributing an application launcher program step includes the step of displaying an icon associated with the application program on a screen of the client and wherein the one of the plurality of authorized users executes the application launcher program by selecting the displayed icon.
  - 6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of executing is preceded by the step of storing the obtained user set and the obtained administrator set on a storage device coupled to the server and wherein the initiating execution step includes the step of retrieving the stored user set and the stored administrator set from the storage device.
  - 7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the executing step includes the step of determining if a user requesting execution of the application program is one of the plurality of authorized users.
  - 8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the initiating execution step includes the step of obtaining default preference values for any of the plurality of configurable preferences which are not specified by the user set or the administrator set.
  - 9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the default preference values are stored on a storage device coupled to the server.
  - 10. A method according to claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of authorized users is an administrator and is authorized to define the administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences.
  - 11. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the following steps:
    - obtaining a second user set of the plurality of configurable preferences from a second one of the plurality of authorized users executing the application launcher program; and
      
      executing the application program using the obtained second user set and the administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences responsive to a request from the second one of the plurality of authorized users.
  - 12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the step of installing an application program is followed by the step of distributing the application launcher program associated with the application program to a second client coupled to the network and wherein the step of obtaining a second user set comprises the step of obtaining a second user set of the plurality of configurable preferences from a second one of the plurality of authorized users executing the application launcher program on the second client.
  - 13. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of installing an application program is followed by the step of distributing the application launcher program associated with the application program to a second client coupled to the network and wherein the obtaining a user set step comprises the step of obtaining the user set of the plurality of configurable preferences from one of the plurality of authorized users executing the application launcher program on the second client.
  - 14. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
    - installing a second application program having a second plurality of configurable preferences and a second plurality of authorized users on the server;
      
      distributing a second application launcher program associated with the second application program to the client coupled to the network;
      
      obtaining a second user set of the second plurality of configurable preferences from one of the second plurality of authorized users executing the second application launcher program;
      
      obtaining a second administrator set of the second plurality of configurable preferences from the administrator; and
      
      executing the second application program using the obtained second user set and the second administrator set of the second plurality of configurable preferences responsive to a request from the one of the second plurality of authorized users.

15. A method for management of configurable application programs on a network comprising the steps of:
- receiving an application launcher program associated with an application program having a plurality of configurable preferences from a server;
  
  providing a user set of the plurality of configurable preferences from one of the plurality of authorized users executing the application launcher program to the server; and
  
  requesting that the server provide an instance of the application program and a stored user set and an administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences for use in executing the application program responsive to a request from the one of the plurality of authorized users.

16. An application management system for a network including a server and a client, the server comprising:
- means for installing an application program having a plurality of configurable preferences and a plurality of authorized users on the server;
  
  means for distributing an application launcher program associated with the application program to the client;
  
  means for obtaining a user set of the plurality of configurable preferences from one of the plurality of authorized users executing the application launcher program;
  
  means for obtaining an administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences from an administrator; and
  
  means for providing an instance of the application program and a stored user set and the administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences for use in executing the application program responsive to a request from the one of the plurality of authorized users; and
  
  the client comprising;
  
  means for receiving an application launcher program associated with the application program from the server;
  
  means for providing to the server a user set of the plurality of configurable preferences from one of the plurality of authorized users executing the application launcher program; and
  
  means for requesting that the server initiate execution of the application program using the obtained user set and the administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences responsive to a request from the one of the plurality of authorized users.

17. An application management system for a network comprising:
- means for installing an application program having a plurality of configurable preferences and a plurality of authorized users on a server coupled to the network;
  
  means for distributing an application launcher program associated with the application program to a client coupled to the network;
  
  means for obtaining a user set of the plurality of configurable preferences from one of the plurality of authorized users executing the application launcher program;
  
  means for obtaining an administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences from an administrator; and
  
  means for providing an instance of the application program and a stored user set and the administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences for use in executing the application program responsive to a request from the one of the plurality of authorized users.

18. An application management system for a network comprising:
- means for receiving an application launcher program associated with an application program having a plurality of configurable preferences from a server coupled to the network;
  
  means for providing a user set of the plurality of configurable preferences from one of a plurality of authorized users executing the application launcher program to the server; and
  
  means for requesting that the server provide and instance of the application program and a stored user set and an administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences for use in executing the application program responsive to a request from the one of the plurality of authorized users.

19. A method for management of license use for a network comprising the steps of:
- maintaining license management policy information for a plurality of application programs at a license management server;
  
  receiving at the license management server a request for a license availability of a selected one of the plurality of application programs from a user at a client;
  
  determining the license availability for the selected one of the plurality of application programs for the user based on the maintained license management policy information; and
  
  providing an unavailability indication to the client responsive to the selection if the license availability indicates that a license is not available for the user or an availability indication if the licensed availability indicates that a license is available for the user.
- View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
- - 20. A method according to claim 19 wherein the receiving step includes the step of receiving the request from an application launcher program associated with the selected one of the plurality of application programs and wherein the step of providing includes the step of providing at least one of the unavailability and the availability indication to the application launcher program associated with the selected one of the plurality of application programs.
  - 21. A method according to claim 19 wherein the license management server is an on demand server associated with the client which provides an instance of the selected one of the application programs to the client for execution.

22. A license use management system for a network comprising:
- means for maintaining license management policy information for a plurality of application programs at a license management server;
  
  means for receiving at the license management server a request for a license availability of a selected one of the plurality of application programs from a user at a client;
  
  means for determining the license availability for the selected one of the plurality of application programs for the user based on the maintained license management policy information; and
  
  means for providing an unavailability indication to the client responsive to the selection if the license availability indicates that a license is not available for the user or an availability indication if the licensed availability indicates that a license is available for the user.

23. A computer program product for application management for a network, the computer program product comprising:
- a computer readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising;
  
  computer readable program code means for installing an application program having a plurality of configurable preferences and a plurality of authorized users on a server coupled to the network;
  
  computer readable program code means for distributing an application launcher program associated with the application program to a client coupled to the network;
  
  computer readable program code means for obtaining a user set of the plurality of configurable preferences from one of the plurality of authorized users executing the application launcher program;
  
  computer readable program code-means for obtaining an administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences from an administrator; and
  
  computer readable program code means for providing an instance of the application program using a stored user set and the administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences for use in executing the application program responsive to a request from the one of the plurality of authorized users.

24. A computer program product for application management for a network, the computer program product comprising:
- a computer readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising;
  
  computer readable program code means for receiving an application launcher program associated with an application program having a plurality of configurable preferences from a server coupled to the network;
  
  computer readable program code means for providing a user set of the plurality of configurable preferences from one of a plurality of authorized users executing the application launcher program to the server; and
  
  computer readable program code means for requesting that the server provide an instance of the application program and a stored user set and an administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences for use in executing the application program responsive to a request from the one of the plurality of authorized users.

25. A computer program product for license use management for a network, the computer program product comprising:
- a computer readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising;
  
  computer readable program code means for maintaining license management policy information for a plurality of application programs at a-license management server;
  
  computer readable program code means for receiving at the license management server a request for a license availability of a selected one of the plurality of application programs from a user at a client;
  
  computer readable program code means for determining the license availability for the selected one of the plurality of application programs for the user based on the maintained license management policy information; and
  
  computer readable program code means for providing an unavailability indication to the client responsive to the selection if the license availability indicates that a license is not available for the user or an availability indication if the licensed availability indicates that a license is available for the user.

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Current Assignee
Uniloc 2017 LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
Original Assignee
David B. Lindquist, David E. Cox, David L. Kaminsky
Inventors
Kaminsky, David L., Lindquist, David B., Cox, David E.

Granted Patent

US 6,728,766 B2
Time in Patent Office

Days
Field of Search
US Class Current

709/220
CPC Class Codes

G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software l...

G06F 8/61 Installation

Methods, systems and computer program products for license use management on a network

First Claim

4 Assignments

0 Petitions

Accused Products

Abstract

41 Citations

25 Claims

Specification

Solutions

Use Cases

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Methods, systems and computer program products for license use management on a network

First Claim

4 Assignments

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0 Petitions

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Accused Products

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Abstract

41 Citations

25 Claims

Specification

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Solutions

Use Cases

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