Automated system for management of licensed software

A hierarchical license system having a plurality of computers connected by a computer network, the plurality of computers arranged in a hierarchy from a lowest level to highest level and having computer software that is enabled with a license, the system comprising:

• license server on a computer at the highest level in the hierarchcial license system, the license server having a database of licensing information for enabling computer software on the plurality of computers in the hierarchcial license system;
• plurality of licensing modules on computers at levels in the hierarchy below the highest level in the hierarchy, the plurality of licensing modules including:
• client component for communicating with agent components in licensing modules in a next level L+1 in the hierarchy,
• agent component for communicating with client components in licensing modules in a previous level L-1 in the hierarchy, and
• cache component for storing license information for computer software on computers in a previous level L-1 in the hierarchy, wherein the cache component is updated periodically with license information from agent components in a next level L+1 in the hierarchy,
• wherein a client component in a licensing module at a level L in the hierarchy requests a license for enabling software from an agent component in a licensing module at a level L+1 in the hierarchy and not directly from the license server at the highest level in the hierarchy.

In a computer system having a plurality of computers connected by a computer network, the plurality of computers arranged in a hierarchy from a lowest level to highest level and having computer software that is enabled with a license, a method of enabling the computer software with a license, the method comprising the following steps:

• (a) maintaining a license server on a computer at the highest level in the hierarchical license system, the license server having a database of licensing information for enabling computer software on the plurality of computers in the hierarchy;
• (b) requesting a license in a licensing module at a level L in the hierarchy from a licensing module on a computer at level L+1 in the hierarchy to enable computer software on a computer at a level L in the hierarchy, the licensing modules having:
• client component for communicating with agent components in licensing modules in a next level L+1 in the hierarchy,
• agent component for communicating with client components in licensing modules in a previous level L-1 in the hierarchy, and
• cache component for storing license information for computer software on computers in a previous level L-1 in the hierarchy, wherein the cache component is updated periodically with license information from agent components in a next level L+1 in the hierarchy;
• (c) determining from the licensing module at the level L+1 if the requested license is in a cache component for the licensing module, and if not,
• (d) sending the request for the license to a licensing module at a next higher level in the hierarchy;
• (e) repeating step (d) until the requested license is located in a cache component in a licensing module at a next highest level in the hierarchy, or the highest level in the hierarchy is reached, wherein the requested license is located on the license server.

A hierarchical computer software licensing apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

• maintaining means for maintaining a license server on a computer at a highest level in a hierarchical license system, the license server having a database of licensing information for enabling computer software on a plurality of computers in the hierarchy;
• requesting means for requesting a license from a computer at a level L in the hierarchy to enable computer software on the computer from a licensing module on a computer at level L+1 in the hierarchy, the licensing modules having:
• client component for communicating with agent components in licensing modules in a next level L+1 in the hierarchy,
• agent component for communicating with client components in licensing modules in a previous level L-1 in the hierarchy, and
• cache component for storing license information for computer software on computers in a previous level L-1 in the hierarchy, wherein the cache component is updated periodically with license information from agent components in a next level L+1 in the hierarchy;
• determining means for determining from the licensing module at the level L+1 if the requested license is in a cache component for the licensing module, and if not,
• sending means for sending the request for the license to a licensing module at a next higher level in the hierarchy;
• locating means for locating requested the license in a cache component in a licensing module at a next highest level in the hierarchy, or at the highest level in the hierarchy, wherein the requested license is located on the license server.