Software license management method and system

A license management system comprising, in a client server system in which a plurality of server computers are connected to each other, one or a plurality of client computers are connected to each server computer, and a predetermined number of licenses are installed on each server computer:

• a number-of-licenses determining unit provided to each server computer for determining whether or not a number of licenses installed on the one server computer is exceeded as a result of a license request, when the license request is issued from a client computer connected to the one server computer, from the one server computer itself, or from another server computer;
• a license grant unit provided to each server computer for granting one of the licenses installed on the one server computer in response to the license request, in a case where the number-of-licenses determining unit determines that the number of licenses installed on the one server computer is not exceeded as the result of the license request;
• and
• a license request transmitting unit provided to each client computer for transmitting the license request to another server computer connected to the one server computer, in a case where the number-of-licenses determining unit determines that the number of licenses installed on the one server computer is exceeded as the result of the license request.