Patent ID: 7885896

Claim:
A method, operable at a software provider's server, for temporarily replacing a customer's failed host license server, which is assigned a unique host identification and a plurality of application file software licenses for authorizing usage of said plurality of application files in response to receipt of application file usage requests, comprising the steps, performed at a software provider's server, of: receiving a substitution request from the customer of the failed host license server to authorize the customer to use a designated host processor that is presently unused as a license server as a substitute license server for the failed host license server; comparing the information provided in said substitution request with a record of host license servers authorized to be used by said customer; authorizing substitution of the failed host license server with the customer's designated host processor as a substitute license server for a length of time; and downloading the necessary application software and a temporary authorization, including the license management software and a substitute license file comprising a plurality of software licenses having the temporary identification, from a software provider server to the substitute license server.