Container Licensing Key Enforcement via Boot Code Validation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies lack a means to enforce licensing restrictions and ensure payment to licensors when distributing content within containers, as the existing methods do not provide a way to validate licensing terms and enforce compliance upon content distribution.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a key within the container that utilizes commerce code APIs to validate licensing terms, ensuring compliance before allowing the container to execute, thereby enforcing licensing restrictions and payment enforcement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If container images are copied and distributed freely, then ease of distribution and deployment is improved, but licensing restrictions and payment enforcement cannot be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds a key containing licensing terms directly into the container image before distribution. This preliminary action ensures that licensing information is already present and can be validated automatically when the container is instantiated, eliminating the need for separate licensing steps while maintaining enforcement capability throughout the distribution process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a key as an intermediary element that mediates between the container image and the licensing enforcement mechanism. This key acts as a carrier of licensing terms and enables the commerce code to validate and enforce licensing restrictions automatically during container execution, bridging the gap between free distribution and controlled usage
2Reliability
If licensing validation is performed at container execution, then licensing enforcement is improved, but container startup time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service licensing validation where the container's own boot code contains the logic to extract and validate the licensing key embedded in the container image. This self-service approach automates the validation process without requiring external licensing servers or manual intervention, reducing operational complexity while maintaining enforcement reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the licensing validation functionality directly into the boot code of the container. By combining the key extraction, validation logic, and licensing enforcement within the existing boot code structure, the system adds licensing enforcement capability without creating separate complex validation systems, thereby minimizing additional complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A method, system and computer program product for enforcing licensing terms when distributing content via a container image running in a container. Upon receiving a request for a service from the container by the isolation code, where the isolation code limits, accounts and isolates resource usage of process groups, the commerce code application programming interfaces (APIs) of the isolation code read a key of the container. The key contains licensing terms applied to the component(s) (e.g., applications) of the container. The commerce code APIs will then confirm that the container is in compliance with those licensing terms. If the container is in compliance with the licensing terms, the container will be allowed to execute. Otherwise, the container will be prevented from executing. In this manner, the commerce code APIs can enforce the licensing terms, including restrictions and enforcement of payment to the licensor upon distributing content in the container.