Software license

Abstract: A software licensing system includes a license generator located at a licensing clearinghouse and at least one license server and multiple clients located at a company or entity. When a company wants a software license, it sends a purchase request (and appropriate fee) to the licensing clearinghouse. The license generator at the clearinghouse creates a license pack containing a set of one or more individual software licenses. To prevent the license pack from being copied and installed on multiple license servers, the license generator assigns a unique license pack ID to the license pack and associates the license pack ID with the particular license server in a master license database kept at the licensing clearinghouse. The license generator digitally signs the license pack and encrypts it with the license server's public key. The license server is responsible for distributing the software licenses from the license pack to individual clients. When a client needs a license, the license server determines the client's operating system platform and grants the appropriate license. To prevent an issued license from being copied from one client machine to another, the software license is assigned to a specific client by including a client ID within the license. The software license also has a license ID that is associated with the client ID in a database record kept at the license server. The license server digitally signs the software license and encrypts it using the client's public key. The license is stored locally at the client.

Abstract: An improved software license management system in accordance with the present invention is disclosed. A license server initializes a license database by receiving a package license description that includes component license descriptions for component software products in a package. Licenses for software products are also received, and license records are created in the license database for components and suite packages, where each record includes a number of licenses available to be checked out. A client computer system can request a license for a component product in a package. A license is granted to the client when the client is allowed to receive the license according to a license policy. When a component license is checked out, a linked suite license is also automatically checked out. No other client thus may use a component license linked with the suite license record unless another suite license is checked out. The license management system also provides a number of modifiers to be included in license records, including an overdraft quantity, a fail safe indicator, a minimum license quantity, and a capacity indicator. A finder and a diagnostic process can be implemented at the client computer system to find the license server over a network and provide a tool to diagnose failures in the license management system.

Abstract: We introduce a new software package for analysis of XAS data. This package is based on the IFEFFIT library of analytical and numerical algorithms and uses the perl/Tk graphics toolkit. The two main components are ATHENA, a program for XAS data processing, and ARTEMIS, a program for EXAFS data analysis using theoretical standards from FEFF. These programs provide high quality analytical capabilities in a manner that is accessible to novices yet powerful enough to meet the demands of an expert. The programs run on all major platforms and are freely available under the terms of a free software license.

Abstract: The present invention allows for the electronic management and enforcement of software licenses. The present invention can be used in a network or non-network environment to facilitate product licensing and upgrades. Further, the present invention accommodates the use of compact disc read-only memory (CD ROM) product distribution. Further, the present invention can retain useful, after-market information. The present invention provides the ability to implement a license policy. Further, the license policy can be implemented or modified without requiring a new version of the associated product. The present invention provides the ability to create electronic licenses. Further, the present invention provides the ability to extract and transfer licenses from an inventory of licenses to a final distribution media. Licenses can be transferred to a reseller in batches. A reseller can extract unused licenses from these batches to generate licenses. An optional companion license can be generated. Installed licenses can be managed and enforced by the present invention. Further, Upgrades (e.g., version and connections) can be accomplished independent of the product. License documents can be used to retain information related to a license. Portions of a license document can be encrypted using a private key and message digests. The encrypted result can be stored in the license document, and examined to validate a license. License documents can be created in batches. One or more licenses in a batch of licenses can be enabled to create a software license.