Method and system for the total decoupling of licenses from associated license protected configuration

1 . An operating method using at least one element having at least one license protected system feature, and further using a management tool, a management agent, and a license management element, the method comprising:

executing a configuration procedure and a license deployment procedure;

a) wherein the configuration procedure includes

sending commands for a configuration of a license protected system feature from a management tool to a management agent, and

executing the configuration of the license protected system feature by the management agent;

b) wherein the license deployment procedure includes:

sending a first command for a download of a license from the management tool to the management agent and downloading the license correspondingly,

sending a second command for validation of the license from the management agent to a license management element, and

executing a validation process for the license by the license management element which, in case of a positive validation, persistently stores the license and notifies the license protected system feature about the presence of a valid license;

c) wherein the configuration procedure and the license deployment procedure are independent of each other so that an order of execution is arbitrary; and

d) wherein the license protected system feature is enabled only if both the configuration procedure and the license deployment procedure have been duly executed.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said executing said validation process comprises observing the license management element for a status of the license, and in case of a negative validation, disabling the license protected system feature.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising enabling the license protected system feature after the due execution of a lastly executed procedure of the configuration procedure and the license deployment procedure.

4 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the disabling comprises disabling said license protected system feature immediately.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , further comprising keeping a configuration according to the configuration procedure effective and enabling the license protected system feature again after another license deployment procedure has been duly executed.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said executing the configuration comprises using a configuration management element for the execution of the configuration of the license protected system feature by the management agent.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the management tool comprises a first element and a second element, and wherein the first element executes the steps of the configuration procedure that are related to the management tool, and the second element executes the steps of the license deployment procedure that are related to the management tool.

8 . A managed system having a management agent, a license management element, and a configuration management element attending to at least one license protected system feature, and wherein

the management agent is configured to receive commands to distribute and to delete a license upon different triggers, to interrogate a status of the license and to configure a license protected system feature through a respective connection,

wherein the management agent is operably connected with the configuration management element and the license management element, and configured to validate or invalidate licenses stored in the license management element;

the license management element is configured to store the license persistently and to notify about a license validity; and

the configuration management element is configured to arrange for a configuration of the license protected system feature independent of the validity or a presence of the license, and to observe the license management element;

wherein the configuration management element and the license management element comprise an operable connection with each other which is configured so that the license protected system feature is notified about the status of the license and enabled only if the license is valid.

9 . A management system comprising a management tool and a managed system having a management agent, a license management element, and a configuration management element attending to at least one license protected system feature, and wherein

the management tool is operably connected with the management agent and configured to distribute and to delete a license upon different triggers, to interrogate a status of the license and to configure a license protected system feature through a respective connection;

wherein the management agent is operably connected with the configuration management element and the license management element, and configured to validate or invalidate licenses stored in the license management element;

the license management element is configured to store the license persistently and to notify about a license validity; and

the configuration management element is configured to arrange for a configuration of the license protected system feature independent of the validity or a presence of the license, and to observe the license management element;

wherein the configuration management element and the license management element comprise an operable connection with each other which is configured so that the license protected system feature is notified about a status of the license and enabled only if the license is valid.

10 . An operating method for a system, the method comprising:

executing a configuration procedure by

sending commands for a configuration of a license protected system feature from a management tool to a management agent, and

executing the configuration of the license protected system feature by the management agent;

executing a license deployment procedure by

sending a first command to download the license from the management tool to the management agent,

sending a second command for validation of the license from the management agent to a license management element, and

executing a validation process for the license by the license management element that persistently stores the license for a positive validation and notifies the license protected system feature about a presence of a valid license; and

enabling the license protected system feature if the configuration procedure and the license deployment procedure is executed.