Patent ID: 8781972

Claim:
A system for distributed license management, the system comprising: a primary licensing server programmed to manage a license for a plurality of users over a network, wherein the primary licensing server is designated as a master licensing server for the license and communicates heartbeat signals at periodic intervals to one or more other licensing servers in the network, wherein each heartbeat signal includes identities of the plurality of users that currently have valid access to the license; a tertiary licensing server programmed to: independently verify whether heartbeat signals have been received from the primary licensing server, and approve requests to assume the master designation when no heartbeat signals are received from the primary licensing server within a predetermined period of time; and a secondary licensing server programmed to: request approval from the tertiary licensing server to assume the master designation when the secondary licensing server determines that no heartbeat signals have been received from the primary licensing server within the predetermined period of time, receive a response from the tertiary licensing server regarding approval for the request, and assume the master designation based on the received response indicating approval of the request.