Methods, systems and computer program products for license use management on a network

A method for management of configurable application programs on a network comprising the steps of:

• receiving an application launcher program associated with an application program having a plurality of configurable preferences from a server;
• providing a user set of the plurality of configurable preferences from one of the plurality of authorized users executing the application launcher program to the server;
• and
• requesting that the server provide an instance of the application program and a stored user set and an administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences for use in executing the application program responsive to a request from the one of the plurality of authorized users.

An application management system for a network including a server and a client, the server comprising:

• means for installing an application program having a plurality of configurable preferences and a plurality of authorized users on the server;
• means for distributing an application launcher program associated with the application program to the client;
• means for obtaining a user set of the plurality of configurable preferences from one of the plurality of authorized users executing the application launcher program;
• means for obtaining an administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences from an administrator;
• and
• means for providing an instance of the application program and a stored user set and the administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences for use in executing the application program responsive to a request from the one of the plurality of authorized users;
• and
• the client comprising:
• means for receiving an application launcher program associated with the application program from the server;
• means for providing to the server a user set of the plurality of configurable preferences from one of the plurality of authorized users executing the application launcher program;
• and
• means for requesting that the server initiate execution of the application program using the obtained user set and the administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences responsive to a request from the one of the plurality of authorized users.

An application management system for a network comprising:

• means for installing an application program having a plurality of configurable preferences and a plurality of authorized users on a server coupled to the network;
• means for distributing an application launcher program associated with the application program to a client coupled to the network;
• means for obtaining a user set of the plurality of configurable preferences from one of the plurality of authorized users executing the application launcher program;
• means for obtaining an administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences from an administrator;
• and
• means for providing an instance of the application program and a stored user set and the administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences for use in executing the application program responsive to a request from the one of the plurality of authorized users.

An application management system for a network comprising:

• means for receiving an application launcher program associated with an application program having a plurality of configurable preferences from a server coupled to the network;
• means for providing a user set of the plurality of configurable preferences from one of a plurality of authorized users executing the application launcher program to the server;
• and
• means for requesting that the server provide and instance of the application program and a stored user set and an administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences for use in executing the application program responsive to a request from the one of the plurality of authorized users.

A method for management of license use for a network comprising the steps of:

• maintaining license management policy information for a plurality of application programs at a license management server;
• receiving at the license management server a request for a license availability of a selected one of the plurality of application programs from a user at a client;
• determining the license availability for the selected one of the plurality of application programs for the user based on the maintained license management policy information;
• and
• providing an unavailability indication to the client responsive to the selection if the license availability indicates that a license is not available for the user or an availability indication if the licensed availability indicates that a license is available for the user.

A license use management system for a network comprising:

• means for maintaining license management policy information for a plurality of application programs at a license management server;
• means for receiving at the license management server a request for a license availability of a selected one of the plurality of application programs from a user at a client;
• means for determining the license availability for the selected one of the plurality of application programs for the user based on the maintained license management policy information;
• and
• means for providing an unavailability indication to the client responsive to the selection if the license availability indicates that a license is not available for the user or an availability indication if the licensed availability indicates that a license is available for the user.

A computer program product for application management for a network, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising:
• computer readable program code means for installing an application program having a plurality of configurable preferences and a plurality of authorized users on a server coupled to the network;
• computer readable program code means for distributing an application launcher program associated with the application program to a client coupled to the network;
• computer readable program code means for obtaining a user set of the plurality of configurable preferences from one of the plurality of authorized users executing the application launcher program;
• computer readable program code-means for obtaining an administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences from an administrator;
• and
• computer readable program code means for providing an instance of the application program using a stored user set and the administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences for use in executing the application program responsive to a request from the one of the plurality of authorized users.

A computer program product for application management for a network, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising:
• computer readable program code means for receiving an application launcher program associated with an application program having a plurality of configurable preferences from a server coupled to the network;
• computer readable program code means for providing a user set of the plurality of configurable preferences from one of a plurality of authorized users executing the application launcher program to the server;
• and
• computer readable program code means for requesting that the server provide an instance of the application program and a stored user set and an administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences for use in executing the application program responsive to a request from the one of the plurality of authorized users.

A computer program product for license use management for a network, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising:
• computer readable program code means for maintaining license management policy information for a plurality of application programs at a-license management server;
• computer readable program code means for receiving at the license management server a request for a license availability of a selected one of the plurality of application programs from a user at a client;
• computer readable program code means for determining the license availability for the selected one of the plurality of application programs for the user based on the maintained license management policy information;
• and
• computer readable program code means for providing an unavailability indication to the client responsive to the selection if the license availability indicates that a license is not available for the user or an availability indication if the licensed availability indicates that a license is available for the user.