IP Library Granted Patent US 11,321,206
Granted Patent B2
US 11,321,206 · App. 16/749,727 · Granted May 3, 2022

Cluster feature activation and update system

Inventors: Adam Marshall Seungshik Thompson (Bremerton, WA); Carter Smithhart (Renton, WA)
Assignee: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
G06F11/3006G06F9/44505G06F9/451G06F11/3034G06F21/105
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,321,206
App. No.
16/749,727
Granted
May 3, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Described herein are systems and techniques to manage activation of software features deployed at computing clusters. Features can be initially activated at a cluster using cluster licensing management components and processes described herein. After initial activation, the disclosed cluster licensing management components and processes can update licenses for the features as may be desired in view of changes to the cluster configuration.

Claims (54)

1. A method, comprising:

generating and sending, by a first node device comprising a processor, at least one cluster activation file to a licensing server, wherein the cluster activation file identifies multiple cluster features for activation at a cluster, the cluster comprising at least the first node device, a second node device, and a storage device;

receiving, by the first node device from the licensing server, at least one activation token for use in activating the multiple cluster features at the cluster, wherein the activation token is digitally signed and comprises expiration information associated with the activation token;

storing, by the first node device, the at least one activation token at the storage device; and

first using the at least one activation token to temporarily activate, by the first node device, the multiple cluster features at the cluster; and

subsequent to temporarily activating the multiple cluster features, second using the at least one activation token to activate the multiple cluster features at the cluster, wherein the second using the at least one activation token to activate the multiple cluster features comprises:

polling the licensing server to determine whether a license file is ready;

sending the at least one activation token to the licensing server; and

receiving the license file from the licensing server, wherein the license file activates the multiple cluster features for a longer duration than a duration based on the expiration information associated with the activation token.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the licensing server comprises a remote licensing server that is remote from the cluster.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending, by the first node device, a cluster feature activation request that identifies cluster features for activation at the cluster, and receiving, by the first node device, an approved cluster feature set comprising information identifying multiple approved cluster features, wherein the multiple approved cluster features are selected from among the cluster features in the cluster feature activation request, and wherein the multiple cluster features identified in the at least one cluster activation file comprise cluster features of the approved cluster feature set.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

receiving, by the first node device, via a user interface, identifications of cluster features for the cluster feature activation request;

providing, by the first node device, via the user interface, the approved cluster feature set; and

receiving, by the first node device, via the user interface, at least one acceptance of an approved cluster feature from the approved cluster feature set.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting, by the first node device, at least one cluster configuration property, and including, by the first node device, the at least one cluster configuration property in the at least one cluster activation file.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least one cluster activation file is at least one first cluster activation file, and further comprising:

detecting, by the first node device, a change of the at least one cluster configuration property; and

generating and sending, by the first node device, a second cluster activation file comprising the change of the at least one cluster configuration property.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one cluster configuration property comprises a cluster node count, and wherein the change of the at least one cluster configuration property comprises an addition or a subtraction of a node from the cluster node count.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the detecting the change of the at least one cluster configuration property comprises comparing cached cluster configuration information to stored cluster configuration information.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least one cluster configuration property comprises at least one of a cluster node count, a cluster storage capacity, and a cluster encrypted node count.

10. A first node device, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

detecting a cluster configuration property of a cluster, the cluster comprising the first node device, a second node device, and a storage device;

including the cluster configuration property in a cluster activation file to activate a cluster feature at the cluster;

sending the cluster activation file to a remote licensing server;

receiving, from the remote licensing server, an activation token to activate the cluster feature at the cluster, wherein the activation token is digitally signed and comprises expiration information associated with the activation token;

first using the activation token to temporarily activate the cluster feature at the cluster, resulting in a temporary activation of the cluster feature; and

subsequent to the temporary activation of the cluster feature, second using the activation token to activate the cluster feature at the cluster, wherein the second using the activation token to activate the cluster features comprises:

polling the remote licensing server to check whether a license file is ready;

sending the activation token to the remote licensing server; and

receiving the license file from the remote licensing server, wherein the license file activates the cluster feature for a longer amount of time than an amount of time based on the expiration information associated with the activation token.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the cluster configuration property comprises a cluster node count.

12. The device of claim 10 , wherein the cluster configuration property comprises a tier associated with a node device in the cluster, and wherein the tier is indicative of capabilities of the node device in the cluster.

13. The device of claim 10 , wherein the cluster configuration property comprises at least one of a cluster storage capacity and a cluster encrypted node count.

14. The device of claim 10 , wherein the detecting the cluster configuration property comprises detecting a change of the cluster configuration property.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise periodically comparing current cluster configuration properties with previously stored cluster configuration properties in order to detect the change of the cluster configuration property.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

receiving information identifying multiple cluster features for activation at a cluster, the cluster comprising at least a first node device, a second node device, and a storage device;

monitoring for and detecting at least one cluster configuration property of the cluster, the at least one cluster configuration property comprising at least a cluster node count;

generating a cluster activation file comprising the information identifying multiple cluster features for activation at the cluster and the at least one cluster configuration property of the cluster;

sending the cluster activation file to a remote licensing server;

receiving, from the remote licensing server, at least one activation token to activate the multiple cluster features at the cluster, wherein the activation token is digitally signed and comprises expiration information associated with the activation token;

first using the activation token to temporarily activate the multiple cluster features at the cluster, resulting in a temporary activation of the multiple cluster features; and

subsequent to temporarily activating the multiple cluster features, second using the activation token to activate the multiple cluster features at the cluster, wherein the second using the activation token to activate the multiple cluster features comprises:

polling the remote licensing server to check whether a license file is ready;

sending the activation token to the remote licensing server; and

receiving the license file from the remote licensing server, wherein the license file activates the multiple cluster features for longer than a duration associated with the temporary activation.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise monitoring for and detecting a change of the at least one cluster configuration property of the cluster.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise generating a second cluster activation file comprising the change of the at least one cluster configuration property, and sending the second cluster activation file to the remote licensing server.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the at least one cluster configuration property comprises a cluster node count, and wherein the change of the at least one cluster configuration property comprises an addition or a subtraction of a node from the cluster node count.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the at least one cluster configuration property comprises at least one of a cluster node count, a cluster storage capacity, a cluster encrypted node count, or a tier associated with a node device in the cluster.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053311/0169) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060438/0742 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (052216/0758) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060438/0680 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AF REEL 052243 FRAME 0773 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0152 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053311/0169 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 26, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 052243/0773 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Mar 24, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052216/0758 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 23, 2020
From: SEUNGSHIK THOMPSON, ADAM MARSHALL; SMITHHART, CARTER
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 051593/0502 →
Continuity (1)
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