Device-Based Software License Compliance Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing asset management systems face challenges in tracking and ensuring compliance with software licenses due to employee-based models, which are not suitable for all scenarios, especially when IT devices require additional attention based on factors like expense, usage, or ownership, and do not account for licenses tied to multiple processors or users.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a device-based approach that defines device groups with assigned group owners, allowing for flexible management and reconciliation of software licenses, where compliance is determined by comparing discovery and asset information to identify exceptions and facilitate license reallocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an employee-based software authorization model is used, then software compliance can be tracked for standard devices, but IT devices requiring additional attention based on expense, usage, or ownership cannot be properly managed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the authorization model into device-level and user-level components. Each IT device is assigned a device ID that independently tracks software installations, while users are assigned user IDs for access rights. This segmentation allows the system to handle both employee-based and device-based authorization scenarios, improving adaptability without significantly increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension of device ID as a separate identifier from user ID. This dimensional separation allows the system to track software authorizations at the device level independently of user assignments, enabling flexible management of expensive or specialized IT devices while maintaining the traditional employee-based model for standard devices.
2Loss of information
If discovery software is installed on each IT device, then detailed device and software inventory information can be obtained, but tracking and ensuring license compliance becomes increasingly difficult with large numbers of devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of device discovery, software inventory tracking, and license compliance management into a unified system. The device ID serves as a central key that links all software installations and license information for each device, consolidating multiple tracking functions into a single manageable framework that reduces overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary authorization management system that sits between the discovery software and the compliance tracking. This intermediary layer processes device ID assignments and software authorization data, simplifying the complexity of tracking compliance across large numbers of devices by providing a centralized coordination point.
3Measurement precision
If software licenses are tied to employees, then compliance can be monitored for user-based licensing, but licenses tied to multiple processors or users on a single machine cannot be properly tracked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments license tracking into device-level authorization and user-level access rights. The device ID tracks the total number of software installations and license compliance at the device level, while user IDs manage individual access permissions. This segmentation enables precise tracking of licenses tied to multiple processors or users on a single machine, as the device ID provides a comprehensive view of all software instances.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds the device ID dimension to the traditional user ID-based licensing model. This additional dimension allows the system to track software authorizations at the device level independently of user assignments, providing precise measurement of license compliance for complex scenarios such as multi-processor systems or shared devices while maintaining versatility in licensing models.
Data Source
AI summary
Software device groups allow owners and administrators to be defined for various intelligent devices, instead of tracking by primary user. A software license compliance management system obtains discovery information for these devices to determine software installed or active on these devices. The management system also obtains the number of licenses for each software package and determines whether the software is in compliance, or if the number of instances exceeds the number of licenses. This determination is flexible and can handle various license types, such as per user, per device, and per processor. For any exception, the group owner is informed and then can re-allocate licenses, purchase additional licenses, or request the uninstalling of a software instance(s). Device groups also can include sub-groups with sub-group owners responsible for handling any exception in that sub-group.