Distributed License Allocation for Data Volume and Type Limits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing software licensing systems struggle to accurately price licenses based on varying data volumes and types across different business sizes, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs for large corporations.
Innovation Solution
Implement a distributed licensing system that measures and restricts data processing based on provided licenses, allowing for flexible allocation of entitlements across nodes, separate treatment of data types, and corrective actions when limits are exceeded, with features like warning notifications and feature disabling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If software licensing is based on number of devices or nodes, then licensing control is simplified, but it cannot accurately reflect varying data volumes and types across different business sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the licensing control into two layers: a simplified node-based licensing layer for ease of deployment, and a detailed data measurement layer that tracks data volume and types. This segmentation allows the system to maintain simple licensing controls while accurately measuring data usage through separate measurement mechanisms.
2Adaptability or versatility
If software is designed to handle large corporation data volumes and types, then it can serve large enterprises, but the development and maintenance expense becomes substantially greater than needed for small businesses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic licensing that adapts to the actual data volume and types processed by each node. The system dynamically adjusts licensing requirements based on measured data characteristics rather than requiring fixed high-capability software for all nodes. This allows small businesses to use simpler, less expensive software configurations while large corporations can access full capabilities when needed.
3Reliability
If distributed licensing measures and restricts data processing, then license compliance is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service licensing mechanisms where each node automatically measures its own data processing, generates compliance reports, and manages its own licensing entitlements. This self-service approach improves compliance reliability through automated measurement and reporting while reducing overall system complexity by eliminating centralized monitoring infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention is directed towards enabling data volume and data type based licensing of software in a distributed system of a plurality of remote and/or local nodes. The invention enables measuring and optionally restricting the use of software based on one or more provided licenses that restrict the amount and type of data that may be processed by the software. New and older licenses may be added together for a single, bulk entitlement for a given volume of data processing for one or all types of data. Different users in the same enterprise may combine license entitlements too. Also, a new license can be acquired repeatedly, without requiring the issuance of combined licenses by the issuing authority and/or the revocation of prior licenses.