JP2006059164A - License management terminal, license management system, license management program, and license management method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable many employees in a customer enterprise to inexpensively use many kinds of software commodities to be used in their terminals for an arbitrary period and to simply realize a license management in a license management terminal, a license management system, a license management program, and a license management method for managing the licenses of many software commodities for every customer. <P>SOLUTION: Each customer's terminal is provided with an agent for starting a software commodity installed in the terminal on the basis of a unique license key to enable the software commodity and transmitting a license key issue request to a management center for managing the number of customer's issued licenses to prepare, return and store the unique license key for the terminal. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a license management terminal, a license management system, a license management program, and a license management method for managing licenses of a large number of software products for each customer.

  Conventionally, software products have been purchased in batches for a number of licenses to be used by employees at customer companies, installed on each employee's terminal (PC) connected to the in-house LAN, and used individually.

Also, there is a technology to notify the server when software activation is requested, permit execution when the current number of users is less than the number of licenses, and activate the software when the permission is received (See Patent Documents 1 and 2).
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-200492 JP 2004-38247 A

  As mentioned above, since the customer company purchased the software product and installed it on the employee's computer, it is necessary to purchase the maximum number of licenses used by the employee. Each employee used a software product, but at this time, there was a problem that a lot of unused licenses were generated because the software products for the maximum number of purchased licenses were not used and was wasted. .

  In addition, there is a problem that a customer company that has purchased a software product is required to perform complicated management such as not to use more than the maximum number of purchased licenses.

  In addition, in the technology for starting the software when the current number of users is less than the number of licenses at the time of starting the software described above, the process of inquiring the server via the network every time the software is started It is very difficult to manage a large number of software licenses for each customer, and it takes time to make inquiries, which makes it impossible to start up quickly.

  In order to solve these problems, the present invention provides an agent for managing licenses at each of a large number of terminals for each customer, and also provides a management center for managing the number of licenses of software products and issuing keys for each terminal. The purpose of the management center is to collectively manage the issuance and revocation of unique keys for each customer terminal or medium, and to purchase and distribute licenses for each software product at low cost and redistribute them.

  Therefore, many kinds of software products used by a large number of employees of customer companies on their own terminals can be used at a low cost for an arbitrary period, and license management can be easily realized.

  The present invention provides an agent for managing licenses at each of a large number of terminals for each customer, and also provides a management center for managing the number of licenses of software products and issuing keys for each terminal. In addition to managing the issuance and revocation of unique keys for each medium at the same time, licenses for each software product are purchased in bulk, and distributed and redistributed at low cost, so that many employees at customer companies can use them on their own terminals. It is possible to use various types of software products at low cost and for any period of time, and to easily realize license management.

  The present invention provides an agent for managing licenses at each of a large number of terminals for each customer, and also provides a management center for managing the number of licenses of software products and issuing keys for each terminal. In addition to managing the issuance and revocation of unique keys for each medium, the software licenses can be purchased all at once and distributed and redistributed at low cost.

FIG. 1 shows a system configuration diagram of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, a client (terminal) 1 is a terminal (personal computer) connected to a LAN in a customer company, which installs and activates software products and performs business processing. An agent 11 and an IC card adapter 12 Etc.

  The agent 11 activates the software product based on the key (license key) when the installed software product is activated. Based on the key, the agent 11 encrypts the unique ID of the client 1 (for example, the unique ID of the hard disk, the unique ID of the CPU) or the unique ID of the medium (for example, the IC card 13) connected to the client 1 ( The software product is activated when the value matches the stored value that cannot be rewritten (described later with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5).

  The IC card adapter 12 is for connecting a medium such as the IC card 13 and for reading an ID unique to the medium of the IC card 13. When the unique ID read from the IC card 13 matches the encrypted ID included in the key, the agent 11 can activate the corresponding software product of the client 1 connected to the IC card 13. Is for.

  The IC card 13 is an example of a medium connected to the client 1, and is for reading a unique ID of the medium as described above. In addition to the IC card 13, the medium includes various external attachment devices such as an HD (hard disk device) and a communication adapter for communication.

  The vendor center 2 is a center that sells various software products and their licenses. Here, the vendor center 2 is composed of a use permission means 21, a software product 22, and the like.

  The use permission means 21 sells the software product 22 and its license.

The software product 22 is a software product targeted for license sales.
The shipping source management center 3 is connected to a client (terminal) 1 of a customer via a network to collectively manage software product licenses for each customer. Here, a license issuing means 31 and a license management means 32 are used. The software transaction table 33, the customer management table 34, the license management table 35, the license key table 36, and the like.

  The license issuing means 31 issues a license key unique to the client 1 of the customer company (see FIGS. 2 to 5).

  The license management unit 32 collectively manages licenses (number of licenses) issued and revoked to the client 1 of the customer company for each customer (see FIGS. 2 to 5).

  The software transaction table 33 is a table for registering the contents of software commodities collectively from manufacturers (see (a) of FIG. 5).

  The customer management table 34 registers and manages software products contracted for each customer, contract period, opening key, medium key, maximum number of contracts, and the like (see FIG. 5B).

  The license management table 35 manages license information (user terminal name, contract type, contract period, operation record, etc.) for each client 1 (see FIG. 5C).

  The license key table 36 registers and manages a unique license key issued to the client 1 of the customer (see (d) of FIG. 5).

  Next, the operation of the configuration of FIG. 1 will be described in detail in the order of the flowcharts of FIGS. 2 to 4 with reference to the table of FIG. Here, the agent 11, the shipping source management center 3, and the vendor center 2 correspond to the agent 11, the shipping source management center 3, and the vendor center 2 of FIG.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the present invention (part 1).
In FIG. 2, in S1, the shipping source management center 3 requests purchase of an application (lot). This is because the shipping source management center 3 makes a purchase request for an application (software product) to the vendor center 2 of the manufacturer (for example, sends a contract to the manufacturer via the network to make a purchase request, or separately contracts in writing. Mail the certificate to the manufacturer for a purchase request).

  In S41, it is determined whether the vendor center 2 is a lot purchase request. This determines whether the purchase request of S1 is a lot sale. In the case of YES, since it has been found that the purchase request according to the present embodiment, the process proceeds to S42. In the case of NO, since it has been found that it is not a purchase request according to the present embodiment, S41 is repeated.

  In S42, an application (lot) is sent. In this case, the application (software product) that has received a lot purchase request in YES in S41 is sent to the shipping source management center 3 of the purchase request source.

  In S43, it is determined whether or not the lot purchase has been added. It is determined whether this is an addition request when the number of purchased licenses is insufficient (or surplus) by the shipping source management center 3. In the case of YES, the use permission is notified in S44 (Since the shipping source management center 3 has already received the application (lot) in S42, the use permission (number of added licenses or reduced licenses) is received. Only the shipping source management center 3 is notified, and the number of licenses permitted to be used is increased or decreased, and S41 and subsequent steps are repeated, whereas if NO in S43, S43 is repeated.

  Through the above S1, S41 to S44, when the shipping source management center 3 receives a lot purchase request for an application to be distributed to a plurality of customers, the vendor center 2 manages the application (software product) and the number of licenses. It is sent to the center 3. Further, when the vendor center 2 is notified of an increase or decrease in the number of licenses of an application (software product) that has already been purchased from the shipping source management center 3, the permission is returned and the number of licenses licensed for the lot is increased or decreased. It becomes possible.

  In S2, it is determined whether or not the application (lot) requested to be purchased in S1 by the shipping source management center 3 is received. If YES, the process proceeds to S3. If NO, repeat S2 and wait.

  S3 WRITEs to the software transaction table 33. This is because the software received in S2 YES is registered in the software transaction table 33 in FIG. 5A (to be described later, for example, the software name, version number, license number, contract period, contract amount, etc. shown in the figure are registered). And manage.

  By the above S1, S2, and S3, the shipping source management center 3 purchases the software to be distributed to a plurality of customers in a lot, registers it in the software transaction table 33 in FIG. 5A, and distributes the license to the plurality of customers. You are ready.

In S21, the agent 11 of the customer terminal 1 requests licensed application software.
In S4, it is determined whether the shipping source management center 3 exceeds the maximum number of contracts. This is because the shipping source management center 3 that has received the notification of the request for the licensed application software in S21 has been found to exceed the maximum number of licenses to which the license is granted, so an additional purchase request is made for the number of licenses in S15 to S17. Do not exceed. That is, in S15, an additional request is made to the vendor. When an additional request is made, it is determined whether the vendor center 2 has already purchased the lot as described above in S43, and if YES, the use permission is notified in S44. The transaction table 33 is written (overwritten with the number of licenses increased by the additional purchase amount). Then, the process proceeds to S5. On the other hand, in the case of NO in S4, it has been found that the number of contracts is within the maximum number of contracts, so in S5, the WRITE (the software name to be used, the version number, the user name, the media key, etc. are newly created in the customer management table 34. Stored).

  In S22, following the request for the licensed application software in S21, the singular point of the operating device is read. This is because the agent 11 of the client 1 reads the hardware unique ID (for example, CPU ID, hard disk ID, or medium ID of the IC card 13 connected to the IC card adapter 12 of FIG. 1).

  S23 creates a media key. This creates a media key based on the unique ID read in S22 (usually creating the unique ID as it is as the media key). As a result, a medium key that uniquely identifies the client 1 can be generated.

  In S24, the medium key and the requested application name are sent. The agent 11 sends the media key created in S22 and S23 and the requested application name to the shipping source management center 3.

  In S6, it is determined whether the shipping source management center 3 notifies the user. In this case, the shipping source management center 3 determines whether the agent 11 is notified of the medium key and the requested application name. If YES, the process proceeds to S7. If NO, repeat S6 and wait.

  In S7, the medium key is written to the customer management table 34. This is an entry in the customer management table 34 shown in FIG. 5B (to be described later) that matches the requested application name (software name) and user name that received the notification among the entries newly created and written in S5. The received media key is written in the media key field.

  In S8, a license key is created and sent. This is because a publicly known HASH for preventing falsification is created based on the software name, the contract period, the opening key, and the medium key among the data of the customer management table 34 in which the medium key is written in S7. (See license key table 36 in FIG. 5D) is sent to the requesting agent 11 (S24).

In S9, the requested application is sent.
In step S25, it is determined whether the agent 11 has received the license key sent in step S8. If YES, the process proceeds to S26. If NO, repeat S25 and wait.

  In S26, it is determined whether the requested application has been received. In the case of YES, it progresses to S27 of FIG. If NO, repeat S26 and wait.

  In S27 in FIG. 3, the agent 11 installs the application confirmed to be received in S26 YES.

  Thus, the license key and the application are acquired, and the application is ready to be installed and started.

  In S28, it is determined whether the application is activated. In this case, it is determined whether or not a user has requested to start an application. If YES, the process proceeds to S29. If NO, repeat S28 and wait.

  In S29, HASH check of the key is performed. This is determined by checking whether the license key has been tampered with HASH in the license key of the application activated in YES of S28. If YES, the process proceeds to S30. If NO, it is determined that the license key has been tampered with, so an error message is displayed in S37 and the process is terminated.

  In S30, it is determined whether it is a valid period. This is based on the contract period included in the license key to determine whether the current period is within the valid period. If YES, the process proceeds to S31. In the case of NO, since it is determined that the contract period is outside, an error message is displayed in S37 and the process ends.

  In step S31, it is determined whether or not they match with the medium key. This is because the media key included in the license key and the media key of the client 1 in which the agent 11 is installed (CPU ID, hard disk device ID, or media ID of the IC card 13 inserted in the IC card adapter 12). Are compared to determine whether they match. If YES, the process proceeds to S32. In the case of NO, the media key included in the license key and the media key of the client (terminal) 1 in which the agent 11 is installed do not match, and it has been found that the client (terminal) 1 does not have the correct media key. In step S37, an error message is displayed and the process ends.

  In S32, the application is activated. This is YES in S28, S29, S39, S31, application activation, HASH check OK, within the validity period, OK in accordance with the media key, all checks are OK, so the application is activated, Perform business processing.

  In S33, it is determined whether a predetermined period has elapsed. For example, it is determined whether one month has elapsed. In the case of YES, since a predetermined period (for example, one month) has elapsed, it is time to report the operation, and it is time to check whether or not it has expired, the process proceeds to S34. If no, return to S28 and repeat.

  In S <b> 34, the operation report is transmitted to the shipping source management center 3. This transmits the operating status (the operating status such as the name of software started by the agent 11 on the client 1, the startup date / time, the number of startups, and the execution time) to the shipping source management center 3 and reports it.

  In S10, it is determined whether or not there is a report on the operation status in S34. If YES, the process proceeds to S11. In the case of NO, the process returns to S33 of FIG.

  In step S11, an operation status is created. This creates the usage status of each client's software (a list of the number of activations during one month, the last activation date, etc.) for each customer.

  S12 notifies the customer administrator. This transmits the operating status created in S11 to the terminal (email destination) of the customer's manager and reports the operating status of the software of the client 1.

  In S13, it is determined whether the contract is continued. The administrator looks at the list of software operating statuses of each client 1 sent in S12, and determines, for example, whether or not to continue the license contract for software that has not been activated once a month. In the case of YES, since the administrator has decided to continue the license contract, the subsequent steps are repeated in S3 of FIG. On the other hand, in the case of NO, since it is found that the administrator does not continue the license contract, the key revocation is accepted in S14, and the corresponding entry in the customer management table 34 in FIG. 1 to the corresponding agent 11, and the process proceeds to S35.

  In S35, it is determined whether the agent 11 has expired. In the case of YES, the administrator determines that the license of the app has expired in YES of S13, accepts the expiration in S14, and the corresponding entry (license) has been revoked from the customer management table 34. The agent 11 also invalidates the license key of the application and keeps synchronization.

  As described above, when the application is activated, the agent 11 checks whether it has been tampered by performing a HASH check based on the license key of the application, checks whether it is within the contract expiration date, and checks whether it matches the media key. By activating the application, it becomes possible to activate the application (software product) only on the client 1 holding the regular license. Further, the agent 11 reports the operation status such as the number of times the application has been activated for a predetermined period (for example, one month) to the shipping source management center 3 and notifies the customer administrator of the operation status list, so that the application license does not need to be continued. When it is determined that the license is expired, the number of licenses of the customer can be reduced by 1, and the other client 1 can reuse it.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the present invention (part 3). FIG. 3 shows S10 to S14 and S33 to S36 in FIG. 3 in detail.
In FIG. 4, S62 determines whether a predetermined period has elapsed. This determines whether a predetermined period (for example, one month) during which the agent 11 constituting the client 1 reports the operation has elapsed. In the case of YES, an operation report is transmitted to the shipping source management center 3 in S63, and the process proceeds to S65. If NO, the process proceeds to S64 and the process is continued.

  In S65, the operation status is recorded. This is recorded by the shipping source management center 3 that has received the operation report. Specifically, the last operation date in the operation status (for example, operation day) in the client 1 reported from the agent 11 of the client 1 is extracted and registered in the license management table 35 in FIG. .

  In S68, it is determined whether the shipping source management center 3 is a closing date. It is determined whether the shipping source management center 3 is a closing date (for example, a closing date once a month) for managing the operation status of the application of the client 1. If YES, the process proceeds to S70. If NO, the process continues in S69.

  In S70, an operation status is created. This creates the operating status (starting count, last startup date, etc.) for each client 1 (and for each application).

  S71 notifies the customer administrator. This is notified by presenting the list of operating conditions created in S70 to the customer administrator.

  In step S72, it is determined whether there is an application operation record. In this case, it is determined whether the application has been activated during a predetermined period (for example, one month) during the operation status notified in S71. If YES, the process continues at S73. If NO, the process proceeds to S74.

  S74 asks the administrator for confirmation. If the administrator specifies not to use, the process proceeds to S76. If the administrator specifies that it will be used, the process continues in S75.

  In S76, the contract is updated (the number of licenses is changed). This is because the application (software) installed on the client 1 was not used and the administrator specified that it was not used, so the license for the application became unnecessary. Is reduced by one).

  S77 accepts key revocation. This is because it is determined in S76 that the license is unnecessary, and the expiration of the key of the license is accepted. Then, the accepted key is revoked (the key is revoked by deleting the corresponding entry in the customer management table 34 in FIG. 5B).

  In step S78, an agent key revocation process is performed. As a result, the agent 11 constituting the client 1 invalidates the corresponding key (the license key that is not used and designated as unnecessary by the administrator).

  As described above, the agent 11 of each client (terminal) 1 notifies and records the operation status of the application (software) to the shipping source management center 3 every predetermined period (for example, every month), and is not used on the closing date. When it is specified that it is not used when presented to the administrator, the agent 11 constituting the client 1 is notified and the key is revoked and the corresponding entry is deleted from the customer management table 34 The key can be revoked. The expired license can be reused when there is a key issuance request from another client 1.

FIG. 5 shows an example table of the present invention.
FIG. 5A shows an example of a software transaction table. The software transaction table 33 registers and manages information purchased from a software developer (vendor) (vendor center 2). Here, the following information shown in FIG. To do.

・ Software name:
・ Version number:
・ Number of licenses:
·Contract period:
・ Contract amount:
・ Other:
Here, the software name is a unique name for distinguishing software. The version number is the version number of the software. The number of licenses is the maximum number of software that can be licensed. The contract period is a contract period during which software can be licensed. The contract amount is the contract amount for which the license has been acquired.

  As described above, the shipping source management center 3 purchases a large number of software licenses from the vendor center 2 at a low cost in a lump and manages them in a table, and this range does not exceed the number of licenses. Thus, the number of licenses can be increased and the number of licenses can be subdivided into a large number of client clients and license keys can be assigned to use and manage the software under the license.

  FIG. 6B shows an example of a customer management table. The customer management table 34 registers and manages keys (license keys) issued by each customer (for each user), the maximum number of contracts, and the like. Here, the following information shown in FIG. To manage.

・ Software name:
・ Version number:
-User name (customer name):
·Contract period:
・ Opening key:
・ Media key:
・ Maximum number of contracts:
・ Other:
Here, the software name is a unique software name to be licensed. The version number is the version number of the software. The user name (customer name) is the customer (customer company) to whom the software is licensed. The contract period is a contract period for licensing the software. The opening key is a key for opening the software. The medium key is a medium key of the user terminal 2 that has requested software issuance after installing software (a unique ID of hardware of the client 1 and an ID of a medium such as the IC card 13 connected to the client 1). The maximum number of contracts is the maximum number of licenses contracted by the customer.

  FIG. 6C shows an example of a license management table. The license management table 35 registers and manages license information of a key (license key) issued to the client 1, and here registers and manages the following information shown in association with each other. .

・ Terminal type:
·Contract type:
·Contract period:
・ Operation records:
・ Other:
Here, the terminal type is a registered type of the client 1 of the customer who issued the license key. The contract type is the name of the software that issued the license key. The contract period is the contract period of the software license that issued the license key. The operation record is a record of the last start date of the software that issued the license key.

  FIG. 6D shows an example of a license key table. The license key table 36 registers and manages information related to the license key of the software. Here, the license key table 36 registers and manages the following information shown in FIG.

・ Contract software:
·Contract period:
・ Opening key:
・ Media key:
・ HASH:
・ Other:
Here, the contract software is the name of software that issues a license key. The contract period is the license contract period. The opening key is a key used when opening the software. The medium key is an ID unique to the apparatus of the client 1 in which the software is installed or an ID unique to a medium such as the IC card 13 connected to the client 1. HASH is a falsification preventing HASH for preventing falsification of contract software, contract period, opening key, and media key.

  The present invention makes it possible to use various types of software products used by a large number of employees of a customer company on their own terminals at a low cost for an arbitrary period of time and to easily realize license management.

It is a system configuration diagram of the present invention. It is operation | movement explanatory flowchart (the 1) of this invention. It is operation | movement description flowchart (the 2) of this invention. It is operation | movement description flowchart (the 3) of this invention. It is an example table of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1: Client 11: Agent 12: IC card adapter 13: IC card 2: Vendor center 21: Use permission means 22: Software product 3: Shipment source management center 31: License issuing means 32: License management means 33: Software transaction table 34: Customer management table 35: License management table 36: License key table

Claims (7)

In a license management system that manages licenses for many software products for each customer,
At each terminal of the customer, the software product is installed and enabled on the terminal where the software product is installed.
A license management terminal comprising an agent for transmitting a license key issuance request to a management center that manages the number of licenses issued by the customer, causing the terminal to create a unique license key, returning it, and storing it.   The license key is unmodifiable including at least one of software product information, an opening key for opening the software product, and a unique media key of the terminal or connected medium that can activate the software product. The license management terminal according to claim 1, wherein the license management terminal is one.   2. The management center according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the management center deletes and reuses the license when it is notified that the total number of licenses issued to the user terminal for each customer is managed and expired. 2. The license management system according to 2.   The management center manages the number of licenses issued to all customers, and displays a message to that effect when the number of licenses exceeds the maximum number of licenses for software products. The license management system according to any one of the above.   The agent provided in each terminal of the customer manages the usage status of the software product used by the terminal every predetermined period or sequentially, and presents an unused terminal when an invalidation instruction is issued from an administrator. The license management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the license of the terminal is revoked by notifying the management center. In a license management program that manages licenses for many software products for each customer,
At each terminal of the customer, the software product is installed and enabled on the terminal where the software product is installed.
A license management program for causing a computer to operate as an agent unit that transmits a license key issuance request to a management center that manages the number of licenses issued by the customer, causes the terminal to create a unique license key, return it, and store it. In a license management method for managing licenses for many software products for each customer,
Installed on each customer terminal, sends a license key issuance request to the management center that manages the number of licenses issued by the customer, creates a unique license key on the terminal, sends it back and stores it, and software products are installed Starting the software product on the terminal based on the unique license key and making it usable,
A license management method.

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