Patent ID: 7373497

Claim:
A method of activating a previously inactive component in a computer system comprising: receiving a request for activating said previously inactive component; ascertaining whether there exists a first right for activating said previously inactive component; if said first right exists, activating said previously inactive component in accordance with said first right; if there is no first right for activating said previously inactive component, ascertaining whether there exists a second right for activating said previously inactive component, said second right being more restricted than said first right; and if said second right exists, activating said previously inactive component in accordance with said second right, wherein said first right represents an acquired right and said second right represents a pending right granted based on a provisional license that is shorter in duration than a duration of said first right, wherein said first right is represented by an expected inactive component variable, said expected inactive component variable representing the number of inactive components having the same type as said inactive component that should be present in said computer system to be in compliance with said first right, said second right is represented by a pending expected inactive component variable, said expected inactive component variable representing the number of inactive components having the same type as said inactive component that should be present in said computer system to be in compliance with both said first right and said second right, wherein said pending expected inactive component variable is decremented by an application of a codeword, said second right being deemed to exist if a value of said pending expected inactive component variable is smaller than a value of said expected inactive component variable in said computer system, said pending expected inactive component variable and said expected inactive component variable pertaining to the same component type in said computer system, wherein said value of said pending expected inactive component variable is incremented when said second right expires.