Tolerant device licensing in a distributed environment

A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions encoded thereon operable on a computerized device to perform processing comprising:

• instructions for defining a cluster of a plurality of network controllers, wherein each respective network controller contributes at least one license to a current total amount of licenses in a license pool;
• instructions for identifying at least one threatened access point upon detecting a first network controller has become unavailable, wherein the threatened access point comprises any access point connected to the first network controller when the first network controller becomes unavailable;
• instructions for establishing a connection between a back-up controller and the threatened access point;
• instructions for allocating a license, while the first network controller is unavailable, to each threatened access point via the back-up network controller;
• instructions for placing each license contributed by the first network controller into a grace pool for a grace period upon detecting the first network controller is unavailable, wherein the current total amount of licenses accounts for each license currently in the grace pool, the grace period comprising a specified time interval;
• and
• wherein the instructions for allocating a license to each threatened access point via the back-up network controller while the first network controller is in a failed state include:
• instructions for allocating an unconsumed license, during the grace period, to each threatened access point when a total number of access points is not greater than the current total amount of licenses, the total number of access points including each threatened access point and any other access point connected to the cluster.

A wireless network controller comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory unit that stores instructions associated with an application executed by the processor;
• and
• an interconnect coupling the processor and the memory unit, enabling the computer system to execute the application and perform operations of:
• defining a cluster of a plurality of network controllers, wherein each respective network controller contributes at least one license to a current total amount of licenses in a license pool;
• identifying at least one threatened access point upon detecting a first network controller has become unavailable, wherein the threatened access point comprises any access point connected to the first network controller when the first network controller becomes unavailable;
• approving a connection between a back-up controller and the threatened access point;
• while the first network controller is unavailable, allocating a license to each threatened access point via the back-up network controller;
• upon detecting the first network controller is unavailable, placing each license contributed by the first network controller into a grace pool for a grace period, wherein the current total amount of licenses accounts for each license currently in the grace pool, the grace period comprising a specified time interval;
• and
• wherein allocating a license to each threatened access point via the back-up network controller while the first network controller is in a failed state includes:
• during the grace period, allocating an unconsumed license to each threatened access point when a total number of access points is not greater than the current total amount of licenses, the total number of access points including each threatened access point and any other access point connected to the cluster.