Software Entitlement Management Across Cloud and On-Premise

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Solution Overview

Problem

Enterprises face complexity in tracking and managing software applications and their entitlements across multiple locations, including local managed networks and cloud platforms, due to varying license mobility rules and compliance requirements.

Innovation Solution

A unified and automated process is provided to determine software application deployments and entitlement compliance across managed networks and cloud platforms, suggesting strategies for compliance and optimizing licensing through graphical user interfaces and querying computing devices and cloud platforms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If software applications are distributed across multiple cloud platforms and managed networks, then service availability and flexibility are improved, but tracking and managing entitlements becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice availabilityVSAvoidentitlement management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary system that acts as a mediator between multiple cloud platforms and the enterprise's entitlement management. This intermediary consolidates entitlement data from disparate sources, standardizes the information format, and provides a unified view of software deployments across managed networks and cloud platforms, thereby reducing management complexity while maintaining multi-platform distribution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a universal entitlement management approach that can handle multiple cloud platforms and managed networks through a single interface. The entitlement data structure and management processes are designed to be platform-agnostic, allowing the same system to manage software entitlements across diverse environments without requiring separate management systems for each platform

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If entitlements are allocated to cover all deployed instances, then compliance is ensured, but licensing overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecomplianceVSAvoidlicensing overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements automated feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor software deployments and entitlement allocations. By automatically detecting when software is deployed and calculating the corresponding entitlement requirements, the system provides real-time feedback on compliance status, enabling dynamic adjustment of entitlement allocations to match actual deployment needs without manual intervention or excessive overhead

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The entitlement management system operates autonomously by automatically discovering software deployments, calculating entitlement requirements based on deployment data, and allocating entitlements without requiring manual license management. The system self-adjusts entitlement allocations based on actual usage, reducing licensing overhead while ensuring compliance through automated processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If manual tracking of software deployments is performed, then entitlement compliance can be monitored, but time and resources are consumed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompliance monitoring accuracyVSAvoidtracking time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical tracking processes with automated electronic discovery and monitoring systems. The system automatically discovers software deployments across managed networks and cloud platforms by querying system registries and deployment databases, eliminating the need for manual inventory tracking while maintaining precise compliance monitoring through automated data collection and analysis

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS11281442B1Discovery and distribution of software applications between multiple operational environments

Publication Date: 2022.03.22 SERVICENOW INC

AI summary

Persistent storage may contain software models defining corresponding software packages and entitlements to a software package, wherein use of the entitlements is constrained by entitlement rules. One or more processors may be configured to: (i) determine, by querying computing devices, a first deployment of the software package; (ii) determine, by querying an interface of a public cloud platform, a second deployment of the software package, wherein use of the entitlements on the public cloud platform is constrained by platform rules; (iii) determine, based on the constraints, an assignment of the entitlements to the first deployment and the second deployment; (iv) determine that the assignment leaves one or more deployed instances of the software package not covered by the entitlements; and (v) determine a modification to the entitlements that: satisfies the constraints and facilitates a further assignment of the entitlements that covers all deployed instances of the software package.