Generic License Management via State Diagram Event Model
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing license management systems are designed as custom solutions, making them difficult to reuse and limited to tracking specific predefined actions, requiring tight coupling of license rules with the system that uses the asset, which restricts their applicability.
Innovation Solution
An architecture based on an event model derived from a state diagram of the software asset lifecycle, allowing for a generic license usage management system that can manage various software and hardware management systems by tracking the state transitions and entitlements of software assets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a custom license management system is designed to track specific predefined actions, then the system can provide detailed tracking for those actions, but the system becomes difficult to reuse and requires tight coupling with the specific software management system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the license management system into independent modular components including event sources, event handlers, state diagrams, and license rules. Each component can be independently configured and reused across different software management systems. The event model separates tracking functionality from system-specific implementation details, allowing precise tracking of actions while maintaining reusability through standardized event interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal event model that can track multiple types of actions across different software management systems through a standardized interface. The state diagram framework provides a universal way to represent asset lifecycles that applies to various software packages. This universal architecture enables the same license management system to adapt to different systems without requiring tight coupling or custom development for each specific system.
2Reliability
If the license management system is tightly coupled with the software management system, then the system can track specific actions accurately, but the system complexity increases and adaptability to other systems decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary event model that sits between the software management system and the license management logic. Event sources generate standardized events that are processed by event handlers according to state diagrams. This intermediary layer maintains tracking accuracy by capturing specific actions while reducing system complexity by providing a standardized interface that eliminates the need for tight coupling between license management and specific software systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes in the form of state transitions within state diagrams to represent different phases of the asset lifecycle. By modeling system behavior through state parameters and transitions rather than hard-coded logic, the system achieves reliable tracking of actions while reducing complexity. The state diagram framework allows the same structure to apply to different software systems with different parameters, maintaining accuracy without increasing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method may include obtaining a state diagram of a software management system, wherein the software management system manages at least a first software and configuring a license usage management system based on the state diagram.