Patent ID: 7058972

Claim:
A network element having a plurality of features wherein at least one of the features may be optionally enabled or disabled, the network element comprising: a service module that provides a first network features that may be optionally enabled or disabled; a system processor that is operable to receive a softkey value inputted from outside of the network element, wherein the softkey value is received by the network element via a network connection; and a softkey validation system that is operable to enable the use of the first network feature when the received softkey value is the same as a first valid softkey value, the softkey validation system also being operable to enable the use of the first network feature a second time, after the first network feature has been deactivated, when the received softkey value is the same as a second valid softkey value, wherein the first valid softkey value is not the same as the second valid softkey value and the first and the second softkey values are machine generated and can be used only once in relation to the first network feature, the softkey validation system comprising memory for storing information related to the service module and code that when implemented causes the softkey validation system to confirm whether the received softkey value is a valid softkey value, the softkey validation system enabling the use of the network feature after confirmation that the received softkey value is valid.