IP Library Granted Patent US 11,799,641
Granted Patent B2
US 11,799,641 · App. 17/152,043 · Granted Oct 24, 2023

System functionality activation using distributed ledger

Inventors: Shibi Panikkar (Bangalore, IN); Teja Madhukar Manakame (Bangalore, IN)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
H04L9/0866G06F21/10H04L9/3236H04L9/50G06F2221/0742G06F2221/0757
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,799,641
App. No.
17/152,043
Granted
Oct 24, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Techniques for managing activation of functionalities in an information processing system are provided. For example, a method generates, at a first node in a distributed ledger network, at least one data object comprising data associated with a system and one or more unactivated functionalities of the system, and the data object further comprises one or more parameter fields configured for one or more other nodes in the distributed ledger network to subsequently insert data therein. The method obtains the at least one data object after data is inserted in the one or more parameter fields by the one or more other nodes. The method sends the at least one object to an additional node in the distributed ledger network for use in activating the one or more unactivated functionalities of the system.

Claims (40)

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processing device comprising a hardware processor coupled to a memory, the at least one processing device, when executing program code, is configured to:

generate, at a first node in a distributed ledger network, at least one data object comprising data associated with a system and one or more un-activated functionalities of the system, and the at least one data object further comprising one or more parameter fields configured for one or more other nodes in the distributed ledger network to subsequently insert data therein;

obtain the at least one data object after data is inserted in the one or more parameter fields by the one or more other nodes; and

send the at least one data object to an additional node in the distributed ledger network for use in activating the one or more un-activated functionalities of the system;

wherein the at least one data object obtained after data is inserted in the one or more parameter fields by the one or more other nodes comprises a private value generated from information about the system and inserted by one of the one or more other nodes;

wherein the first node is associated with an entity providing the system, the additional node is associated with an entity receiving the system, and the one or more other nodes are associated with at least one of an entity manufacturing the system and an entity supplying at least a part of the system; and

wherein the at least one processing device, when executing program code, is further configured to encrypt the at least one data object using the private value generated from information about the system and inserted by one of the one or more other nodes prior to sending the at least one data object to the additional node in the distributed ledger network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the information about the system used to generate the private value comprises one or more unique identifiers associated with the system.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more parameter fields in the at least one data object comprise one or more placeholders, for subsequent insertion by a node of the one or more other nodes associated with the entity manufacturing the system, the one or more placeholders including a service tag of the system, a serial number of the system, and a cryptographic value generated from at least the service tag and the serial number.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more parameter fields in the at least one data object comprise one or more placeholders, for subsequent insertion by a node of the one or more other nodes associated with the entity manufacturing the system, of a hash value of identities of devices that constitute the system manufactured by the entity, wherein the hash value of the identities of devices that constitute the system are usable to verify originality of the devices in the system when received.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more parameter fields in the at least one data object comprise one or more placeholders, for subsequent insertion by a node of the one or more other nodes associated with the entity supplying at least a part of the system, of information for activating the part of the system supplied by the entity.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the distributed ledger network comprises a blockchain network wherein the first node, the one or more other nodes, and the additional node are respective compute nodes of the blockchain network.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the at least one data object comprises one or more data blocks and wherein the one or more data blocks are in a standardized data format to enable uniform enforcement of the activated one or more functionalities of the system.

8. A method comprising:

generating, at a first node in a distributed ledger network, at least one data object comprising data associated with a system and one or more un-activated functionalities of the system, and the at least one data object further comprising one or more parameter fields configured for one or more other nodes in the distributed ledger network to subsequently insert data therein;

obtaining the at least one data object after data is inserted in the one or more parameter fields by the one or more other nodes; and

sending the at least one data object to an additional node in the distributed ledger network for use in activating the one or more un-activated functionalities of the system;

wherein the at least one data object obtained after data is inserted in the one or more parameter fields by the one or more other nodes comprises a private value generated from information about the system and inserted by one of the one or more other nodes;

wherein the first node is associated with an entity providing the system, the additional node is associated with an entity receiving the system, and the one or more other nodes are associated with at least one of an entity manufacturing the system and an entity supplying at least a part of the system;

wherein the method further comprises encrypting the at least one data object using the private value generated from information about the system and inserted by one of the one or more other nodes prior to sending the at least one data object to the additional node in the distributed ledger network; and

wherein the generating, obtaining, and sending are performed by at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory executing program code.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the information about the system used to generate the private value comprises one or more unique identifiers associated with the system.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more parameter fields in the at least one data object comprise one or more placeholders, for subsequent insertion by a node of the one or more other nodes associated with the entity manufacturing the system, the one or more placeholders including a service tag of the system, a serial number of the system, and a cryptographic value generated from at least the service tag and the serial number.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more parameter fields in the at least one data object comprise one or more placeholders, for subsequent insertion by a node associated with the entity manufacturing the system, of a hash value of identities of devices that constitute the system manufactured by the entity, wherein the hash value of the identities of devices that constitute the system are usable to verify originality of the devices in the system when received.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more parameter fields in the at least one data object comprise one or more placeholders, for subsequent insertion by a node of the one or more other nodes associated with the entity supplying at least a part of the system, of information for activating the part of the system supplied by the entity.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the distributed ledger network comprises a blockchain network wherein the first node, the one or more other nodes, and the additional node are respective compute nodes of the blockchain network, and further wherein the at least one data object comprises one or more data blocks in a standardized data format to enable uniform enforcement of the activated one or more functionalities of the system.

14. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored therein program code of one or more software programs, wherein the program code when executed by a processing device causes said processing device to:

generate, at a first node in a distributed ledger network, at least one data object comprising data associated with a system and one or more un-activated functionalities of the system, and the at least one data object further comprising one or more parameter fields configured for one or more other nodes in the distributed ledger network to subsequently insert data therein;

obtain the at least one data object after data is inserted in the one or more parameter fields by the one or more other nodes; and

send the at least one data object to an additional node in the distributed ledger network for use in activating the one or more un-activated functionalities of the system;

wherein the at least one data object obtained after data is inserted in the one or more parameter fields by the one or more other nodes comprises a private value generated from information about the system and inserted by one of the one or more other nodes;

wherein the first node is associated with an entity providing the system, the additional node is associated with an entity receiving the system, and the one or more other nodes are associated with at least one of an entity manufacturing the system and an entity supplying at least a part of the system; and

wherein the program code when executed by the processing device further causes said processing device to encrypt the at least one data object using the private value generated from information about the system and inserted by one of the one or more other nodes prior to sending the at least one data object to the additional node in the distributed ledger network.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14 , wherein the information about the system used to generate the private value comprises one or more unique identifiers associated with the system.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 14 , wherein the one or more parameter fields in the at least one data object comprise one or more placeholders, for subsequent insertion by a node of the one or more other nodes associated with the entity manufacturing the system, the one or more placeholders including a service tag of the system, a serial number of the system, and a cryptographic value generated from at least the service tag and the serial number.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 14 , wherein the one or more parameter fields in the at least one data object comprise one or more placeholders for subsequent insertion by the node associated with the entity manufacturing the system of a hash value of identities of devices that constitute the system manufactured by the entity, wherein the hash value of the identities of devices that constitute the system are usable to verify originality of the devices in the system when received.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 14 , wherein the one or more parameter fields in the at least one data object comprise one or more placeholders, for subsequent insertion by a node of the one or more other nodes associated with the entity supplying at least a part of the system, of information for activating the part of the system supplied by the entity.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 14 , wherein the distributed ledger network comprises a blockchain network wherein the first node, the one or more other nodes, and the additional node are respective compute nodes of the blockchain network.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19 , wherein the at least one data object comprises one or more data blocks and wherein the one or more data blocks are in a standardized data format to enable uniform enforcement of the activated one or more functionalities of the system.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (055479/0342) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0460 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (055479/0051) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0663 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (056136/0752) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0771 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 055408 FRAME 0697 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0553 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056136/0752 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055479/0051 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055479/0342 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 25, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 055408/0697 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 19, 2021
From: PANIKKAR, SHIBI; MANAKAME, TEJA MADHUKAR
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 054952/0734 →
Continuity (1)
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