License reconciliation for online services

A computer-implemented method for operating a user interface that interfaces with an administrator, the method comprising:

• an act of automatically discovering when a license conflict exists for a license, and discovering a plurality of available resolution methods for resolving the license conflict;
• an act of discovering a type of an administrative user that is associated with the user interface, and determining one or more administrator rights of the administrative user of the user interface, the one or more administrator rights affecting which one or more of the plurality of available resolution methods are suitable for the administrative user for resolving the license conflict;
• an act of determining the one or more of the plurality of available resolution methods that are suitable for the administrative user based on the one or more administrator rights;
• and
• an act of the user interface prompting the administrative user of the user interface to resolve the license conflict, wherein the resolution prompt includes only the one or more of the plurality of available resolution methods as determined by the resolution method determination, while excluding one or more other of the plurality of available resolution methods that are not suitable for the administrative user.

A computing system, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more computer storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to formulate a user interface the computing system, the user interface comprising:
• a license conflict discovery mechanism configured to automatically discover when a license conflict exists for a license in that the licensee has exceeded the scope of the license, and to discover a plurality of available resolution methods for resolving the license conflict, the plurality of available resolution methods including at least a license purchase method that may be used to purchase additional users on the license, and a user removal method that may be used to remove users off the license;
• an administrator rights determination mechanism configured to discover a type of an administrative user that is associated with the user interface, and to determine one or more administrator rights of the administrative user of the user interface, the one or more administrator rights affecting which one or more of the plurality of available resolution methods are suitable for the administrative user for resolving the license conflict;
• a resolution method determination mechanism configured to determine the one or more of the plurality of available resolution methods that are suitable for the administrative user based on the one or more administrator rights determined by the administrator rights determination mechanism, the subset including at least one of the license purchase method and the user removal method;
• and
• a resolution prompt configured to prompt the administrative user of the user interface to resolve the license conflict, wherein the resolution prompt includes only the one or more of the plurality of available resolution methods as determined by the resolution method determination, while excluding one or more other of the plurality of available resolution methods that are not suitable for the administrative user.