Remote feature activation authentication file system

A system, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes:

• a processor-executable retrieval agent operable to (i) receive, at the time of sale or after purchase and installation of a first computational component, from a remote feature activation system, and by a network, a request to create or update a system record associated with at least one of a first computational system and the first computational component and (ii) create and/or update the system record;
• and
• a processor-executable authentication file system operable, after the system record is created or updated successfully, to:
• (a) receive a request from an untrusted user for a second set of authentication information permitting a second set of operations to be performed on the first computational component, wherein the first computational component is operable to be installed by the untrusted user on the first computational system, wherein the first computational component contains a first set of authentication information permitting a first set of operations to be performed on the first computational component, wherein the first set of authentication information corresponds to a first login and comprises a first key and/or password, and wherein the first set of operations comprises requesting delivery of the second set of authentication information, and wherein the first and second sets of operations are different;
• (b) generate an encrypted authentication file containing the second set of authentication information, wherein the second set of authentication information comprises a unique first identifier of the first computational system, corresponds to at least a second login, and comprises a second key and/or password, whereby the unique first identifier prevents use of the second set of authentication information with a second computational system having a different unique second identifier;
• and
• (c) transmit, over a geographically distributed processing network, the encrypted authentication file to the first computational system, wherein the untrusted user does not have a privilege to access, through the first computational system, a plain text version of at least one of the second key and/or password in the encrypted authentication file.

A method, comprising:

• providing a first computational component for installation by an untrusted user on a first computational system;
• providing the untrusted user with at least one of a first password and key corresponding to a first login;
• after a first set of operations is enabled and after the untrusted user has successfully logged in to the first computational component using the first login and the at least one of the first password and key, receiving, at an input, a request from the untrusted user for authentication information permitting a second set of operations by the first computational component on the first computational system to be enabled, the authentication information corresponding to at least a second login and comprising a unique first identifier of at least one of the first computational component and first computational system and at least one of a second password and key, whereby the unique first identifier prevents use of the authentication information, on a second computational system, with a second computational component, wherein at least one of the second computational component and second computational system has a unique second identifier different from the first identifier;
• generating, by a remote feature activation system, an encrypted authentication file containing the set of authentication information;
• and
• transmitting, by the remote feature activation system over a distributed processing network, the encrypted authentication file to the user, wherein the user is not privileged to access, through the first computational system, a plain text version of at least one of the second password and key in the encrypted authentication file.

A system, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes:

• a processor-executable authentication file system operable to:
• receive a request from an untrusted user for authentication information permitting installation of a first computational component on a first computational system, wherein the untrusted user uses at least one of a first password and key corresponding to a first login to generate the request, the authentication information corresponding to at least a second login and comprising a unique first identifier of at least one of the first computational component and first computational system and at least one of a second password and key, whereby the unique first identifier prevents use of the authentication information, on a second computational system, with a second computational component, wherein at least one of the second computational component and second computational system has a unique second identifier different from the first identifier;
• generate an encrypted authentication file containing the set of authentication information as cipher text;
• and
• transmit, over a distributed processing network, the encrypted authentication file to the user, wherein the user is prohibited, by the first computational system, from accessing a plain text form of the at least one of the second password and key in the encrypted authentication file.