Software Discovery on Shared File Systems for License Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
In enterprise data centers, correlating software products with real or virtual machines for accurate license consumption tracking is challenging, especially with shared resources and trial software periods, leading to difficulties in determining unused software and managing license costs.
Innovation Solution
An automated method and system for software discovery that scans shared resources for installed software, monitors usage, and marks software as used or uninstalled based on access history, ensuring accurate license tracking and cost management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If software is installed on shared resources for multiple virtual machines, then software availability and adaptability are improved, but license consumption tracking and measurement precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the software usage tracking by creating separate usage records for each virtual machine that accesses software from shared resources. The scanning unit identifies software on shared resources, and the software asset management unit maintains separate usage information for each endpoint device, allowing precise tracking of which VM used which software when, even though the software physically resides on shared storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a monitoring agent as an intermediary component that sits between the virtual machines and the shared resources. This monitoring agent detects and reports software usage events to the software asset management unit, enabling accurate tracking of license consumption without requiring physical software installation on each VM or direct access to shared file system metadata.
2Measurement precision
If software usage monitoring is implemented continuously, then license tracking precision is improved, but system complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action through the monitoring agent that operates event-driven rather than continuously. The monitoring agent activates to detect software usage events when they occur and reports back to the software asset management unit, rather than maintaining constant monitoring. This reduces system complexity and energy consumption while maintaining accurate license tracking precision through event-based detection.
3Ease of operation
If trial software is allowed for extended periods, then adaptability and ease of operation are improved, but license compliance and loss of information worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback through the software asset management unit that continuously monitors and records software usage information, including trial software usage. The system provides feedback about usage patterns and license compliance status, enabling automatic detection when trial periods expire or when usage exceeds licensed parameters. This maintains operational flexibility while preventing license compliance information loss through continuous monitoring and reporting.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for software discovery may be provided. The method may comprise scanning an shared resource mounted to an endpoint device for identifying installed software on the shared resource for the endpoint device, monitoring a read access to such identified installed software by the endpoint device using a monitoring agent, and marking the installed software as used on the shared resource by the endpoint device using a software asset management unit. Additionally, the method may comprise recording a last time use of the installed software by the endpoint device, and marking the installed software as uninstalled on the endpoint device after a predetermined time after the last time use.