# US 2023/0054904 A1 · Layered-Infrastructure Blockchain-Based System for Software License Distribution > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0054904 A1 - Document ID: US20230054904A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/409,167 - Filed: 2021-08-23 - Published: 2023-02-23 - Earliest claimed: 2021-08-23 - Assignees: EMC IP Holding Company LLC - Applicants: Emc IP Holding Company LLC - Inventors: Owen Crowley; Peniel Charles; Joseph Kanjirathinkal - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230054904A1 ## CPC - G06F 21/105: {Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level} - H04L 9/0891: {Revocation or update of secret information, e.g. encryption key update or rekeying} - H04L 9/50: {using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees} - G06F 21/107: {License processing; Key processing} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A layered-infrastructure blockchain-based system for software license distribution includes a distributed cloud of blockchain full nodes. Each blockchain full node contains a blockchain data structure on which a complete set of license key transactions are recorded. The layered-infrastructure also includes a plurality of storage systems. Each respective storage system contains a blockchain light data structure on which only a subset of license key transactions associated with that respective storage system are recorded. A plurality of hosts connect to the plurality of storage systems. As the hosts connect to the storage systems, license key transactions are generated, such that the license key transactions that are recorded in the blockchain-based system for software license distribution are associated with the connection events between the plurality of hosts and the plurality of storage systems. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of implementing layered-infrastructure blockchain-based system for software license distribution, comprising: maintaining a distributed cloud of blockchain full nodes, each blockchain full node containing a blockchain full node data structure recording a complete set of license key transactions by a plurality of hosts on a plurality of storage systems; and maintaining a respective blockchain light data structure on each of the plurality of storage systems, each respective blockchain light data structure recording a subset of the license key transactions by hosts on the respective storage system; wherein the license key transactions are associated with connection events between the plurality of hosts and the plurality of storage systems. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a license key by a first of the storage systems from a first host, in connection with the first host seeking to access the first storage system; generating a first license key transaction by the first storage system; transmitting the first license key transaction by the first storage system to the distributed cloud of blockchain full nodes; verifying the first license key transaction by the distributed cloud of blockchain full nodes; generating a first blockchain light data structure update for the blockchain light data structure of the first storage system, the first blockchain light data structure update containing the first license key transaction; and using the first blockchain light data structure update to update the blockchain light data structure of the first storage system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: communicating the first license key from the first storage system to a subset of the other storage systems of the plurality of storage systems; using the license key by each storage system of the subset of other storage systems to determine if the license key is contained in the respective blockchain light data structure of any storage system of the subset of other storage systems. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising granting access by the first storage system to the first host prior to transmitting the first license key transaction by the first storage system to the distributed cloud of blockchain full nodes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising: determining that the first license key is not valid; issuing a second license key by the first storage system to the first host; generating a second license key transaction associated with the second license key by the first storage system; and transmitting the second license key transaction by the first storage system to the distributed cloud of blockchain full nodes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first license key transaction is implemented using an add license blockchain transaction data structure having a plurality of data fields configured to identify the first host, first storage system, first license key, and a date and time the first license key was received by the first storage system from the first host. ### Claim 7 A layered-infrastructure blockchain-based system for software license distribution, comprising; a distributed cloud of blockchain full nodes, each blockchain full node containing a blockchain data structure on which a complete set of license key transactions are recorded; a plurality of storage systems, each respective storage system containing a blockchain light data structure on which only a subset of license key transactions associated with the respective storage system are recorded; and a plurality of hosts connected to the plurality of storage systems; wherein the license key transactions are associated with connection events between the plurality of hosts and the plurality of storage systems. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The layered-infrastructure blockchain-based system of claim 7, wherein the license key transactions comprise add license key blockchain data structures and delete license key blockchain data structures. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The layered-infrastructure blockchain-based system of claim 8, wherein each add license key blockchain data structure has a respective plurality of data fields containing information identifying a respective host, a respective storage system, a respective license key, and a respective date and time the respective license key was received by the respective storage system from the respective host. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The layered-infrastructure blockchain-based system of claim 8, wherein each delete license key blockchain data structure has a respective plurality of data fields containing information identifying a respective host, a respective storage system, a respective license key, and a respective date and time the respective license key was deleted by the respective storage system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The layered-infrastructure blockchain-based system of claim 7, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of storage systems are interconnected and configured to process license key transactions received from other storage systems against their respective blockchain light data structures. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The layered-infrastructure blockchain-based system of claim 7, wherein the distributed cloud of blockchain full nodes is configured to generate blockchain light node updates for each of the plurality of storage systems, each blockchain light node update containing license key transactions related to hosts connected to the respective storage system.