Patent ID: 7231370
Filing Date: 2007-06-12
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: providing a pool of software licenses across an organization, wherein the organization is composed of a plurality of divisions; determining a number of reserved licenses, the reserved licenses being reserved in the pool of software licenses, wherein each division in the plurality of divisions is associated with at least one corresponding reserved license, the at least one reserved license being reserved for use by that division; determining a size of a set of shared licenses for meeting workload needs of the organization, wherein determining the size includes: determining, for each division in the plurality of divisions, a projected minimum number of licenses needed by that division and a projected maximum number of licenses needed by that division; subtracting the minimum number from the maximum number to obtain a difference for that division; summing differences over all of the plurality of divisions to obtain a total; and multiplying the total by a fractional value to obtain the size of the set of shared licenses; wherein the fractional value is calculated based on empirical data regarding software license usage over time and degree of overlap in division activities; in response to receiving a license request from a requesting division, determining whether the requesting division has exhausted its corresponding reserved licenses; and in response to a determination that the requesting division has exhausted its corresponding reserved licenses and based on the size of the set of shared licenses, granting the requesting division a license an available license from the set of shared licenses, wherein the set of shared licenses form a distinct subset of the pool of software licenses with respect to the reserved licenses within the pool of software licenses.