Patent ID: 9576113
Date: 2017-02-21
CPC Classifications: G06F,G07C,H04L

Claim:
1. A method for user permissions based control of pooled feature-on-demand (FoD) activation keys, the method comprising: pooling in a memory of a computer data processing system multiple different authorization codes for access by different end users in activating different features of a set of hardware components of the computer data processing system using FoD; and, responding to an FoD request to activate one of the features by a particular one of the end users by determining whether or not a pre-defined code usage policy permits the particular one of the end users to use a pooled one of the authorization codes and, in response to a determination that the pre-defined code usage policy permits the particular one of the end users to use a pooled one of the authorization codes, determining if a FoD activation key already exists for activating the one of the features and if not, transmitting a request to a remotely disposed key server requesting generation by the key server of an FoD activation key using the pooled one of the authorization codes and activating the one of the features with the generated FoD activation key subsequent to receiving the generated FoD activation key from the key server.