Cloud License Compliance Monitoring via Knowledge Base

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users of cloud computing services face challenges in tracking and managing virtual machines and software licenses across multiple cloud environments, leading to difficulties in ensuring compliance and proper functioning of cloud processes.

Innovation Solution

A monitoring system is configured to provide access to cloud environments, track computing processes, and verify software license compliance by maintaining a software license knowledge base and comparing utilized software programs to the required licenses, ensuring users are in compliance and notifying them of any necessary purchases.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If users manually track cloud processes and software licenses across multiple cloud environments, then compliance verification can be performed, but the complexity and time consumption increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesoftware license compliance verificationVSAvoidtracking system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a monitoring system as an intermediary between users and cloud environments. This system automatically collects process information, identifies software usage, and verifies license compliance without requiring users to manually track each cloud process across multiple environments, thereby maintaining compliance verification while reducing system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The monitoring system enables self-service by automatically performing compliance verification tasks. The system autonomously collects data from cloud processes, compares software usage against licensed software, and generates compliance reports without requiring user intervention, thus improving reliability while reducing the operational complexity for users

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If users manually monitor cloud processes to ensure proper functioning, then process compliance can be verified, but time consumption and operational effort increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecloud process complianceVSAvoidmanual monitoring time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring system implements continuous automated monitoring of cloud processes, replacing intermittent manual checks. The system continuously collects process information, tracks software usage, and verifies compliance in real-time, ensuring reliable compliance verification while eliminating the time loss associated with manual monitoring intervals

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-service monitoring by automatically detecting process states, identifying software consumption, and verifying compliance without user intervention. This automated self-monitoring maintains continuous compliance verification while completely eliminating the time users would spend on manual monitoring tasks

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If users track multiple cloud processes across independent clouds, then comprehensive compliance monitoring is achieved, but the difficulty of tracking increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomprehensive compliance monitoringVSAvoidtracking difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring system implements a universal interface that can access and monitor processes across multiple independent cloud environments. The system performs multiple functions including process discovery, software identification, license verification, and reporting through a single unified platform, achieving comprehensive compliance monitoring while simplifying operations by eliminating the need for separate tracking mechanisms for each cloud

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Adaptability or versatility

If cloud processes spawn new processes dynamically, then cloud functionality is enhanced, but license compliance tracking becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecloud process dynamicsVSAvoidlicense compliance tracking

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring system continuously monitors cloud processes and their spawned descendants. When new processes are dynamically created, the system automatically detects them, identifies any software usage, and updates compliance status in real-time. This continuous monitoring ensures that license compliance tracking remains reliable even as the cloud environment dynamically evolves with new processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS10402544B2Generating a software license knowledge base for verifying software license compliance in cloud computing environments

Publication Date: 2019.09.03 RED HAT INC

AI summary

A monitoring system can monitor computing processes in clouds. The monitoring system can verify software license compliance in the computing processes instantiated in the clouds. The monitoring system can generate and maintain a software license knowledge base. The software license knowledge base can include the software license requirements for various software programs. To generate the software license knowledge base, the monitoring system can communicate with various sources (software vendors, clouds, publicly available sources, etc.) to determine license requirements for the various software programs.