Distributing and sharing licenses across network devices in a virtual private network (VPN)
View Patent ↗A device creates a pool of available licenses for secure network resources, and receives an unused license from a network device. The device also provides the unused license in the pool of available licenses, and receives a request for a license from another network device. The device further provides, to the other network device, the unused license from the pool of available licenses.
1. A method comprising:
providing, by a network device and to a client device, access to a requested resource based on a license received by the network device from a license broker device;
after providing access to the requested resource, determining, by the network device, that the license is no longer being used by the network device;
surrendering, by the network device, the license to the license broker device based on the determination that the license is no longer being used by the network device; and
before an initiation of contact by the broker device with the network device after the surrendering of the license by the network device, contacting, by the network device, the license broker device to renew the surrendering of the license to prevent the license broker device from releasing the license back to the network device.
2. The method of claim 1 , where the license enables the network device to securely provide the requested resource to the client device.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
making the license inactive in the network device after surrendering the license to the license broker device.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
recalling the license from the license broker device; and
making the license active in the network device after recalling the license from the license broker device.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
deleting the license from the network device; and
deleting the license making the license unavailable to be distributed by the license broker device.
6. The method of claim 1 , where contacting the license broker device to renew the surrendering of the license includes:
contacting the license broker device to renew the surrendering of the license within a particular time period after which the license is to be released when the surrendering is not renewed.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
making the license active in the network device after failing to renew the surrendering of the license to the license broker device within a particular time period from a time of the renewing of the surrendering of the license.
8. A network device comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable computer instructions for: providing access to a requested resource to a client device based on a license received by the network device from a license broker device;
after providing access to the requested resource, determining that the license is no longer being used by the network device;
surrendering the license to the license broker device based on the determination that the license is no longer being used by the network device; and
before an initiation of contact by the broker device with the network device after the surrendering of the license by the network device, contacting the license broker device to renew the surrendering of the license to prevent the license broker device from releasing the license back to the network device; and
a processor for executing the instructions.
9. The network device of claim 8 , where the license enables the network device to securely provide the requested resource to the client device.
10. The network device of claim 8 , the instructions further comprising instructions for:
making the license inactive in the network device after surrendering the license to the license broker device.
11. The network device of claim 8 , the instructions further comprising instructions for:
recalling the license from the license broker device; and
making the license active in the network device after recalling the license from the license broker device.
12. The network device of claim 8 , the instructions further comprising instructions for:
deleting the license from the network device; and
deleting the license making the license unavailable to be distributed by the license broker device.
13. The network device of claim 8 , where contacting the license broker device to renew the surrendering of the license includes:
contacting the license broker device to renew the surrendering of the license within a particular time period after which the license is to be released when the surrendering is not renewed.
14. The network device of claim 8 , the instructions further comprising instructions for:
making the license active in the network device after failing to renew the surrendering of the license to the license broker device within a particular time period from a time of the renewing of the surrendering of the license.
15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a network device to perform steps comprising:
providing, to a client device, access to a requested resource based on a license received by the network device from a license broker device;
after providing access to the requested resource, determining that the license is no longer being used by the network device;
surrendering the license to the license broker device based on the determination that the license is no longer being used by the network device; and
before an initiation of contact by the broker device with the network device after the surrendering of the license by the network device, contacting the license broker device to renew the surrendering of the license to prevent the license broker device from releasing the license back to the network device.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , where the license enables the network device to securely provide the requested resource to the client device.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the network device to perform further steps comprising:
making the license inactive in the network device after surrendering the license to the license broker device.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the network device to perform further steps comprising:
recalling the license from the license broker device; and making the license active in the network device after recalling the license from the license broker device.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the network device to perform further steps comprising:
deleting the license from the network device; and
deleting the license making the license unavailable to be distributed by the license broker device.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the network device to perform further steps comprising:
making the license active in the network device after failing to renew the surrendering of the license to the license broker device within a particular time period from a time of the renewing of the surrendering of the license.