METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RESTRICTING ACCESS TO AN ELECTRONIC PRODUCT RELEASE WITHIN AN ELECTRONIC SOFTWARE DELIVERY SYSTEM
The invention provides a method and apparatus for limiting access to a selected release of a software Product and/or associated License Keys to a subset of the manufacturer's customers who are entitled to receive the software Product or digital good, within an electronic software delivery and management system. A Product release is transmitted to the system for storage and limited distribution to a subset of entitled customers. A user interface enables the manufacturer, or partner such as a reseller, to specify distribution parameters that restrict distribution of the product version to specified customers. At least one customer is selected, such as, for example, one or more customers authorized to receive the product version. The product version is further designated as a restricted product version for the selected customers. Finally, the customer restriction information is stored in appropriate tables within a database.
1 - 24 . (canceled)
25 . A computer implemented network-connected electronic software delivery and management (ESDM) apparatus, operated by one party on behalf of multiple different third party entities for customers of the entities to retrieve files corresponding to the entities via the ESDM apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a library programmed to receive and store multiple files comprising any one or more of software modules, updates, bug repairs, patches, and release notifications;
a database programmed to store information including information from the third party entities including: (1) product-file information establishing which of the files are associated with different digital products, (2) catalog information establishing which of the digital products are associated with different catalog items; (2) entitlement information specifying which customers are designated to have access to which of the catalog items;
a web server programmed to perform operations comprising:
responsive to receiving a request from one of the entities to input restriction parameters, the web server providing a web accessible interface structured to receive input of said restriction parameters by the requesting entity;
via the interface, the web server permitting the requesting entity to designate any one or more of digital products of the requesting entity as being restricted;
via the interface, for any digital products designated as restricted, the web server permitting the requesting entity to designate which customers shall have access to, or be restricted from access to, said restricted digital product; and
conducting authentication of customers requesting access to digital products in the library; and
a processing server coupled to the library, the database, and the web server, the processing server programmed to perform computer-implemented operations to manage customer access to digital products in the library, comprising:
receiving from the web server restriction information indicating which customers are restricted from accessing which digital products, and storing said received restriction information in the database;
responsive the web server receiving a request from an authenticated customer to access a digital product from the library, providing access only if the authenticated customer is designated for access to the requested digital product as indicated in the entitlement information as constrained by the restriction information for the digital product.
26 . The apparatus of claim 25 , where said operation of limiting access comprises:
responsive to a request from an authenticated customer to access a digital product from the library, limiting access to any of the requested digital product or a license key associated with the digital product to the customers designated to have access to the requested digital product as indicated in the entitlement information as constrained by the restriction information for the digital product.
27 . The apparatus of claim 25 , where the operation of the web server permitting the requesting entity to designate which customers shall have access to, or be restricted from access to, said restricted digital product comprises the requesting entity designating a named group or class or subset of customers.
28 . The apparatus of claim 25 , the operation of presenting metadata pertaining only to the digital products corresponding to the requesting entity, and permitting the requesting entity to designate digital products as being restricted comprises:
the web server presenting a searchable list of customers, and permitting the requesting entity to designate whether customers from the presented list shall have access to, or to be restricted from, said restricted digital product.
29 . The apparatus of claim 25 , the web server further programmed to perform operations comprising:
responsive to receiving a request from one of the entities, the web server providing a web accessible interface structured to receive changes to said restriction parameters by the requesting entity.
via the interface, for any products designated as being restricted, the web server permitting the requesting entity to amend which customers shall have access to, or be restricted from access to, said restricted digital product.
30 . The apparatus of claim 25 ,
the processing server further programmed to perform operations comprising, responsive to the web server receiving designation of any one or more customers restricted from access to a digital product, making a representative entry in an account-product restriction table stored in the database;
where the operation of limiting access to each requested digital product comprises:
searching the account-product restriction table to determine whether there are one or more entries pertaining to the requested digital product;
responsive to the search failing to find any of such entries, permitting access to the requested digital product only if the authenticated customer is designated for access to the requested digital product as indicated in the entitlement information;
responsive to the search finding one or more of such entries, permitting access to the requested digital product only if (1) the authenticated customer is designated for access to the requested digital product as indicated in the entitlement information and (2) the entries do not restrict the authenticated customer from accessing the digital product.