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Claims  |
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What is claimed is:
1. An improved system, operative on a computer having a plurality of
digital computers, each computer at a node, in communication with each
other over a data path, for administration of license terms for use on the
network of a software product with respect to the running of which on
nodes of the network a number of licenses have been made available and
each of a set of nodes may be caused to seek a license to run the software
product, the system being of a type having usage tracking means,
associated with one of the computers acting as a license server, for (i)
causing storage of the number of licenses available for running the
software product on nodes of the network, (ii) identifying the current set
of nodes with respect to which a license has been granted to run the
software product at a given time, and (iii) determining whether at any
given time any licenses remain to be granted for permitting an additional
node to run the software product, so that the software product may include
instructions to cause enforcement of the license terms;
wherein the improvement comprises:
(a) a policy server database containing data specifying conditions under
which usage of the software product is permitted on any given node; and
(b) policy server means, maintained and operating locally as an independent
process; from the software product, on each computer, with respect to
which the license terms are to be enforced, in association with the policy
server database, for (i) communicating with the license server, (ii)
interfacing with both the software product and the policy server database,
and (iii) making a permission-to-run availability determination, with
respect to local usage of the software product, on the basis of applicable
data from the license server and the policy server database, so that
enforcement of license terms applicable to the software product at a given
local node is achieved on the basis of both license policy maintained in
the policy server database as well as applicable data from the license
server.
2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the policy server database is
encrypted.
3. A system according to claim 1, wherein each computer at a specified node
with respect to which license terms are to be enforced includes means for
maintaining locally a local policy server database, containing data
specifying conditions under which usage of the software product is
permitted on the specified node.
4. A system according to claim 3, wherein
(i) each local policy server database contains data specifying conditions
under which usage of each of plurality of software products is permitted
on the computer on which the database is maintained, and
(ii) each policy server means includes means for interfacing with each of
the software products,
so that enforcement of license terms applicable to each software product at
a given local node may be achieved on the basis of both license policy
maintained at the local node as well as applicable data from the license
server.
5. A system according to claim 4, wherein the policy server means include
means for maintaining a secure interface with each of the software
products.
6. A system according to claim 4, wherein one of the local policy server
databases includes a limit on the number of nodes that may simultaneously
use a given software product and wherein the corresponding policy server
means associated with the policy server database includes reservation
means for informing the license server, over a predetermined time
interval, that the node associated with the policy server means is using
the given software product, regardless whether the software product is
actually being used, so that the node will always be available to use the
software product, despite attempts to use the software product at other
nodes which if successful would otherwise foreclose use at the node of the
software product, with the effect that the reservation means reserves use
of the software product at the node over the predetermined time interval.
7. A system according to claim 4, further comprising:
(c) log means, maintained locally in association with each policy server
means, for recording and maintaining a log file of recent software product
usage on the computer on which the log means is maintained, the log file
being accessible to the policy server means, and wherein the policy server
means includes means for making a permission-to-run availability
determination in the absence of data from the license server on the basis
of data from the local policy server database and the log file, so that a
favorable determination is possible if the log file indicates a sufficient
level of recent usage of the pertinent software product on the computer on
which the policy server means is operating.
8. A system according to claim 7, wherein one of the local policy server
databases includes a limit on the number of nodes that may simultaneously
use a given software product and wherein the corresponding policy server
means associated with the policy server database includes reservation
means for informing the license server, over a predetermined time
interval, that the node associated with the policy server means is using
the software product regardless of whether the software product is
actually being used, so that the node will always be available to use the
software product despite attempts to use the software product at other
nodes which if successful would otherwise foreclose use at the node of the
software product, with the effect that the reservation means reserve use
of the software product at the node over the predetermined time interval.
9. A system according to claim 7, wherein the local policy server database
and the log file are encrypted.
10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the policy server means includes
means for maintaining a secure interface with each of the software
products.
11. A system according to claim 10, wherein one of the local policy server
databases includes a limit on the number of nodes that may simultaneously
use a given software product and wherein the corresponding policy server
means associated with the local policy server database includes
reservation means for informing the license server, over a predetermined
time interval, that the node associated with the policy server means is
using the given software product, regardless whether the software product
is actually being used, so that the node will always be available to use
the software product, despite attempts to use the software product at
other nodes which if successful would otherwise foreclose use at the node
of the software product, with the effect that node of the reservation
means reserves use of the software product at the node over the
predetermined time interval.
12. A computer network, permitting administration of license terms for use
on the network of a software product, the network comprising:
(a) a plurality of digital computers, each computer at a node, in
communication with each other over a data path, wherein with respect to
the running of the software product on nodes of the network a number of
licenses have been made available and each of a set of nodes may be caused
to seek a license to run the software product; and
(b) usage tracking means, associated with one of the computers acting as a
license server, for (i) causing storage of the number of licenses
available for running the software product on nodes of the data path, (ii)
identifying the current set of nodes with respect to which a license has
been granted to run the software product at a given time, and (iii)
determining whether at any given time any licenses remain to be granted
for permitting an additional node to run the software product; and
(c) a policy server database, maintained locally on each computer with
respect to which it is desired to enforce license terms applicable to
usage of the software product, containing data specifying conditions under
which usage of the software product is permitted on each computer on which
the database is maintained; and
(d) policy server means, maintained and operating locally as an independent
process separate from the software product, on each computer with respect
to which it is desired to enforce license terms applicable to usage of the
software product, and in association with the corresponding policy server
database, for (i) communicating with the license server, (ii) interfacing
with both (aa) the software product and (bb) the corresponding policy
server database, and (iii) making a permission-to-run availability
determination, with respect to local usage of the software product, on the
basis of applicable data from the license server and the corresponding
policy server database, so that enforcement of license terms applicable to
the software product at a given node is achieved on the basis of license
policy maintained locally at the given node as well as applicable data
from the license server.
13. A computer network according to claim 12, wherein the policy server
means includes means for maintaining a secure interface with each of the
software products.
14. A computer network according to claim 12, further comprising:
(e) log means, maintained locally in association with each policy server
means, for recording and maintaining a log file of recent software product
usage on the computer on which the log means is maintained, the log file
being accessible to the policy server means, and wherein the policy server
means includes means for making a permission-to-run availability
determination in the absence of data from the license server on the basis
of data from the policy server database and the log file, so that a
favorable determination is possible if the log file indicates a sufficient
level of recent usage of the pertinent software product on the computer on
which the policy server means is operating.
15. A computer network according to claim 14, wherein the policy server
database and the log file are encrypted.
16. A computer network according to claim 15, wherein the policy server
means includes means for maintaining a secure interface with each of the
software products.
17. An improved system operative on a computer network having a plurality
of digital computers, each computer at a node, in communication with each
other over a data path, for administration of license terms for use on the
network of a software product with respect to the running of which on
nodes of the network a number of licenses have been made available and
each of a set of nodes may be caused to seek a license to run the software
product, the system being of a type having usage tracking means,
associated with one of the computers acting as a license server, for (i)
causing storage of the number of licenses available for running the
software product on nodes of the network, (ii) identifying the current set
of nodes with respect to which a license has been granted to run the
software product at a given time, and (iii) determining whether at any
given time any licenses remain to be granted for permitting an additional
node to run the software product, so that the software product may include
instructions to cause enforcement of the license terms;
wherein the improvement comprises:
(a) a policy server database containing data specifying conditions under
which usage of the software product is permitted on any given node; and
(b) policy server means, maintained and operating locally as an independent
process, separate from the software product, on each computer, with
respect to which the license terms are to be enforced, in association with
the policy server database, for (i) communicating with the license server,
(ii) interfacing with both the software product and the policy server
database, and (iii) making a permission-to-run availability determination,
with respect to local usage of the software product, on the basis of
applicable data from the license server and the policy server database, so
that enforcement of license terms applicable to the software product at a
given local node is achieved on the basis of both license policy
maintained in the policy server database as well as applicable data from
the license server; and
(c) log means for recording and maintaining a log file of recent software
product usage on each computer at a node with respect to which license
terms are to be enforced, the log file being accessible to the policy
server means, and wherein the policy server means includes means for
making a permission-to-run availability determination in the absence of
data from the license server on the basis of data from the policy server
database and the log file, so that a favorable determination is possible
if the log file indicates a sufficient level of recent usage of the
pertinent software product on the computer on which the policy server
means is operating.
18. A digital storage medium encoded with instructions for a given computer
on a computer network, the instructions causing administration of license
terms for use on the network of a software product, the network of a type
having:
(i) a plurality of digital computers, each computer at a node, in
communication with each other over a data path, wherein with respect to
the running of the software product on nodes of the network a number of
licenses have been made available and each of a set of nodes may be caused
to seek a license to run the software product;
(ii) usage tracking means, associated with one of the computers acting as a
license server, for (i) causing storage of the number of licenses
available for running the software product on nodes of the network, (ii)
identifying the current set of nodes with respect to which a license has
been granted to run the software product at a given time, and (iii)
determining whether at any given time any licenses remain to be granted
for permitting an additional node to run the software product,
the instructions when loaded into the given computer establishing:
(a) data structure for a policy server database, maintained locally on the
given computer, containing data specifying conditions under which usage of
the software product is permitted on the given computer; and
(b) policy server means, maintained and operating totally, as an
independent process, separate from the software product on the given
computer, and in association with the policy server database, for (i)
communicating with the license server, (ii) interfacing with both (aa) the
software product and (bb) the policy server database, and (iii) making a
permission-to-run availability determination, with respect to local usage
of the software product, on the basis of applicable data from the license
server and the policy server database, so that enforcement of license
terms applicable to the software product at the given computer is achieved
on the basis of license policy maintained at the given computer as well as
applicable data from the license server. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to systems and methods for controlling and
monitoring the use, on computers and computer networks, of computer
programs.
BACKGROUND ART
As computers have proliferated in availability, the investment in computer
software has also grown, and there have been developed various methods for
charging the computer user for use of computer software products.
Typically computer software products are licensed, rather than sold, to
the computer user under various arrangements. The simplest common license
arrangement gives the user the right to use a software product on a single
computer, i.e., to employ only one central processing unit (CPU) in
connection with operation of the software product. Although many such
licenses are for indefinite periods of time, a license may also be for a
limited duration and extendable, so that the entity marketing the product
can charge a periodic fee (for example, annually) for use of the software
product. Or use may be absolutely time-limited (for example, one-day), so
that the user may evaluate the software product for possible purchase of a
regular license.
Since software can be copied and moved easily from one like machine to
another, companies have invented methods to prevent unauthorized use of
their software products. Some licensors require passwords to activate
software on a particular machine. The password may be keyed to the
hardware's identification number as a condition for operation of the
software. Such systems can effectively lock software to a particular
machine, but do not address software that is licensed for concurrent or
simultaneous use. Some licensors use hardware locks that attach to a
parallel printer port or a serial port on a machine; each time the
software is activated, it looks for a specified code, in the hardware
lock, as a condition for operation of the software. Using hardware locks
resolves the problem of unauthorized moving of software among machines;
however, hardware locks do not handle multiple software products on a
single machine, and they require time and expense to deliver to the end
user.
When computer software products are used in a network environment (which
may include computers running in various roles as workstations and servers
of various types linked together over a data path), additional licensing
challenges are present. For example, a network may permit a user at one
node (which may be a terminal or workstation, for instance) to utilize a
software product running at another node (which may be the network server
or even another workstation). Consequently, the terms of the
single-computer type of software license might not cover the usage of the
software product on the network, or worse still (from the point of view of
the licensor) might actually permit such a usage without additional
compensation to the licensor. One approach to network licensing is to
grant permission to use the program based on all of the nodes on the
network, and to require a license for each node. Then typically the
license fee may be increased as the number of nodes on the network
increases. Another approach bases the license fee for a software product
running on a network on the total number of individual users who might
actually run the software, regardless of the number of nodes either on the
network or running the software product at a given time. These approaches,
however, have usually required the cooperation of the licensee, because
additional nodes may be added to the network, or additional users may
utilize the software, without the knowledge of the licensor, who is
typically not present on the premises of the licensee. The licensor may
reserve the right to audit the licensee's site, but such an audit is
intrusive, expensive, and may alienate potential or actual customers for
licenses. Although other approaches exist under which one might charge a
single fee per server or per site or per entity, often on an individually
negotiated basis, these approaches are often impractical or inflexible, in
that they also typically do not take into account the possible wide
variation over time in the number of nodes or users and also require
reliance on licensee cooperation.
The same circumstances that make license enforcement difficult for the
licensors of software products for a network environment also make license
compliance difficult for the conscientious administrator, for example, of
a Management Information System (MIS) or Computer Aided Design (CAD)
department of a company using software products. The administrator may be
called upon to ensure that the number of workstations using a variety of
software products in a network environment complies with the terms of a
variety of license agreements. Such an administrator may have to develop
and promulgate a series of directives about the terms of permitted
workstation usage and must depend primarily upon the goodwill and
voluntary compliance of unit personnel with such directives.
Recently it has become practical in some network environments to determine
and limit the number of nodes that may access a software product at a
given time, and to charge a license fee based on the maximum number of
nodes that are permitted to use the software product concurrently. This is
called "concurrent licensing". In these environments, a computer program,
acting as "librarian" and running on a computer node designated as a
license server, is typically used to distribute license keys (sometimes
called "tokens") over the network to nodes requesting access to run a
software product; the number of keys is tracked by the librarian; and if
at a given time, the permitted maximum number of keys would be exceeded by
usage of the software product on a requesting node, the node can be
denied, at such time, access to invoke the software product.
Examples of software-based concurrent licensing arrangements may be found
in Unix applications running in connection with software products sold
under the trademarks NetLS (available from Gradient Technologies, Inc.,
577 Main Street, Suite 4, Hudson, Mass. 01749), and SunLic (available from
Sun Microsystems, Inc., Mountain View, Calif.), and Flexible License
Manager (available from Highland Software, Inc., 1001 Elwell Court, Palo
Alto, Calif. 94303). However these arrangements suffer from a number of
disadvantages. NetLS, for example, includes mechanisms for tracking which
nodes have been given keys to run a given software product and the number
of keys available for running such software product. However, it is up to
the designers of each software product to program such product to
implement the terms of any license agreement, and, in particular, to
program into the product calls to the NetLS software to provide
information to the computer running the software product and to write code
in the applicable product to prevent use of the product when the license
terms have not been obeyed. Thus a computer system utilizing ten different
software products that rely on NetLS for license enforcement will
generally have ten different substantial software portions (one in each
computer product) to achieve license enforcement. In addition to this
complexity, if the license server running NetLS fails, of if the network
itself fails, then a workstation loaded with the software product cannot
run the software product, since the product requires NetLS interaction to
be activated.
The foregoing difficulties are applicable generally not just to NetLS but
to "metering software" generally. The Microcomputer Managers Association
has issued a White Paper (Oct 2, 1991), reprinted in Infoworld, pages
46-42 (Oct. 14, 1991) on the problems of network licensing, Commenting on
the problem that each software product requires its own interface to the
metering software (as well as possible input of administrative
information), the White Paper suggests that "[i]t makes much more sense to
have a single package provide the metering for all application software on
the network." Infoworld (Oct. 14, 1991), supra, at page 51, column 4. Such
an approach has its own difficulty, however. Each application would still
have to interface with the single metering package, and the interface to
such a package must somehow deal with the varying licensing terms of each
software product. Moreover, with the metering package running on the
license server, a failure of the server or the network would prevent all
software applications from running anywhere on the network.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides an improved
system for administration, on a computer network, of license terms for a
software product on the network. The improved system is of the type having
an arrangement, such as NetLS, for tracking software product usage,
associated with one of the computers acting as a license server. This
arrangement permits the license server (i) to identify the current set of
nodes that are using the software product at a given time, (ii) to handle
license data concerning conditions under which usage of the software
product is permitted at any given node, and (iii) to determine whether at
any given time the conditions would still be satisfied if a given node is
then added to this set of nodes. The software product may thus include
instructions to interface with the license server to cause enforcement of
the license terms. The improvement, in one embodiment, to the system
includes a policy server database maintained on each node, containing data
specifying conditions under which usage of the software product is
permitted on such node. Each node also has a policy server "daemon" (which
may be implemented in software) in association with the corresponding
policy server database, for (i) communicating with the license server,
(ii) interfacing with both the software product and the corresponding
policy server database, (iii) making a permission-to-run availability
determination, with respect to local usage of the software product, on the
basis of applicable data from the license server and the corresponding
policy server database, so that enforcement of license terms applicable to
the software product at a given local node is achieved on the basis of
both license policy maintained at such local node as well as applicable
data from the license server.
In a further embodiment, each policy server database contains data
specifying conditions under which usage of each of a plurality of software
products is permitted on the node on which the database is maintained.
Additionally, each policy server daemon interfaces with each software
product. In this manner, enforcement of license terms applicable to each
software product at a given node is achieved on the basis of both locally
maintained license policy and applicable data from the license server.
In a further embodiment, each node has a log file maintained, in
association with each policy server daemon, to record recent software
product usage on that node. The policy server daemon is accordingly
configured to handle instances when data from the license server is
unavailable--for example, when the computer acting as the license server
is non-operational or when the network is non-operational. In particular,
the policy server daemon may permit a node to run a software product, in
the absence of license server data, if the node's log file indicates a
sufficient level of recent usage of the software product on the node. The
circumstances under which such a permission-to-run availability
determination is favorable may be established by the node's policy server
database.
In yet further embodiments, the policy server database and the log file may
be encrypted. Furthermore the interface between the policy server daemon
and each software product may be made secure. When one or more of the
software products are subject to concurrent licensing restrictions
specified in the policy server databases, the policy server daemon may be
permitted to reserve a predetermined time interval over which the
applicable node has a guaranteed opportunity to utilize a given software
product. The reservation is accomplished by having the node's policy
server daemon communicate to the license server over the predetermined
time interval that the node is using the given software product,
regardless whether the software product is actually being used.
It can be seen that the present invention permits a single database at each
node to specify all of the conditions under which the node may access any
of the software products on the network. Furthermore, as described in
further detail below, in order to invoke the licensing administration
function carried out in accordance with the present invention, each
software product need contain only a simple and short segment including
the instruction:
ILic-get.sub.-- license
followed by parameters identifying license details for the particular
software product. A branching routine (which may made available to all the
software products, and called by the particular software product after
this instruction) then specifies program flow depending on whether a
license is available (the remainder of the program can be run) or not (the
program operation is terminated and a message is displayed to the user).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing features of the invention will be more readily understood by
reference to the following description taken with the accompanying
drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing operation of a preferred embodiment of
the invention in a network;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the interrelation of important
modules of the embodiment;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the main logical flow of the computer program
used in the embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the main processing of a validated "get
license" message;
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the manner in which the policy server database
is structured;
FIG. 6 is a block diagram providing more detail than FIG. 4 of the logical
flow of the processing of a "get license" message;
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of license acquisition processing referred to as
item 623 in FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of clock message processing for licenses on the
main list of licenses that have been established; and
FIG. 9 is a block diagram of clock message processing for licenses moved to
the recovery list by item 88 of FIG. 8.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
The invention is applicable to computer networks of the type having an
arrangement, such as NetLS, for tracking software product usage,
associated with one of the computers on the network acting as a license
server. The present embodiment is described with respect to a Unix
network; however, the software used by the license server in implementing
such an arrangement, and the particular network type, are a matter of
design choice.
FIG. 1 shows the manner in which a preferred embodiment of the invention
may be implemented on a Unix network. Each computer node 11 of the network
may be running a variety of software products, such as PDS (item 12a), EMS
(item 12b), and so forth (shown through item 12j). Each of these products
includes a call "get.sub.-- license" to the local policy server daemon 16
for a determination whether a license is available to run the product in
question. As used in this detailed description, the term "license" refers
not to a written document between the licensor and the licensee, but
rather to the availability of permission to run the software product. The
local policy server daemon 16 operates at the computer node 11 and makes
the permission-to-run availability determination by reference to its
associated policy server database 14, also located at the node, to
identify the rules specifying the circumstances under which a license
would be granted. The daemon 16 also communicates over the network with
the applicable license server. In this figure, three separate license
servers are shown: one (item 18a) running NetLS; another (item 18b),
SunLic; and another (item 18c), Highlands. The license server communicates
with the daemon 16 using the applicable license software NetLS (item 17a),
SunLic (item 17b), or Highlands (item 17c), and informs the daemon whether
usage of the software product on the network is such that a license may be
granted in accordance with the policy established by the database 14. If
so, the daemon 16 reports the license to the applicable software product
12, and to the applicable license server 18. If there is no successful
communication with the applicable license server 18, if the database 14 so
permits, the daemon 16 will consult a log file 15 recording instances of
recent software product usage, and if there has been a sufficient level of
recent software product usage that has been licensed, the daemon will
grant a temporary user license (TUL) to run the software product.
The communication between the applicable software product 12 and the local
policy server daemon 16 is handled as an interprocess communication in
Unix. Here the Unix "message" is used as the means of communication, but
this is a matter of choice, and other means of communication, such as
pipes or shared memories, may be used. In order to reduce to risk of
tampering by the licensee with the license availability determination made
by the policy server daemon 16, the rules database 14 and the log file 15
may be encrypted using techniques known in the art. Similarly, the message
communication from the application to the policy server daemon 16 can be
subject to validation using techniques known in the art to assure that the
message is indeed from the pertinent software product.
The embodiment described herein has been implemented for use with a variety
of types of licenses. (Numerous license types may be created and enforced
by the invention, but the following types are illustrative.) One type is
the concurrent use license. A concurrent use license is issued, from the
server running the Licensing System (sometimes called the "license server"
in this description and the claims following), with respect to a software
product being used on a node in a network. The license server controls the
levels of concurrent usage of the software product. Concurrent use
licenses are returned to the license server when they are no longer
needed. For example, if the Licensing System on the server permits five
concurrent licenses for a given software product, then five users on the
network can run the software product concurrently.
The concurrent use license is actually implemented as part of a two-tier
structure. The first tier is a "base license," and the second tier is a
"version-specific" license. The base license controls the number of
simultaneous users of a software product. The version license controls the
version of the software product that may be utilized by the user. The base
license typically expires at the end of each year, and may be renewed. The
version license typically never expires. The version license provides a
mechanism for controlling how many base licenses are for a software
product that is under a maintenance agreement. As an example, a user may
have purchased a license to five copies of version A of a software
product, but kept maintenance on only three copies. In such a case the
user would receive five base licenses (which expire each year and were
replenished unless the applicable computers were sold), plus five version
A licenses that never expire. This user would subsequently receive only
three version B licenses for the three copies under maintenance. Under
such an arrangement, the user could still run five copies of version A of
the software product, or a mix of version A and version B software as long
as the mix does not exceed five copies in total and does not exceed three
copies of version B.
The policy server database file 14 of a computer node stores the license
requirements for each software product to be run at that node. For each
software product, the database may identify the number of base license
"tokens" and version license "tokens" obtained from the server running the
Licensing System, that are necessary for operation of that software
product on the particular computer consituting the node. (The particular
computer, for example, may be particularly fast in processing, and
therefore a higher license fee may be required for running the software
product on such computer, resulting here in a larger number of tokens
required for the base and version licenses.)
Another type of license is a node-locked license, which is tied to a
particular computer node and cannot be used by other nodes. The
node-locked license token is designated for a particular node when
created. In a further variation of the node-locked license, a "reserved"
license may be established, that is, the policy server daemon may be
permitted to reserve a predetermined time interval over which the
applicable node has a guaranteed opportunity to utilize a given software
product. (The reservation is accomplished by having the node's policy
server daemon communicate to the license server over the predetermined
time interval that the node is using the given software product,
regardless whether the software product is actually being used.)
A single use license can be used only for one invocation of the software
product. Single use licenses are useful for emergency situations, peaks in
usage, or demonstrations. A day use license is similar to a single use
license, except that a day use license remains available on the computer
node that acquired it for 24 hours after the time of acquisition.
A temporary user license (TUL), described above, is issued on a temporary
basis when the server running the Licensing System becomes unavailable. A
TUL is designed for emergency situations and is grated on a per user, per
node, per software product, per usage history basis.
FIG. 2 illustrates the structure of a program implementing the embodiment
of FIG. 1 for a single license server running one or more Licensing
Systems, such as NetLS. The program is written in standard C. A
communication module 21 handles communication with the various software
products, one of which is here shown as item 26. If the software product
includes the "get.sub.-- license" instruction, the communication module 21
refers to the licensing dispatch module 22. The licensing dispatch module
22, by reference to the policy server database 14 and the applicable
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