Patent ID: 7818735

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for controlling access to software features provided with software in a machine-readable storage medium for a data storage system, the method comprising the steps of: if an engine package including executable code providing selected software component features needs to be enabled, selecting exactly one of the following three available states for the selected software component features in the machine-readable storage medium using an enabler package that is separated from the engine package and controls access to the selected software component features: (i) enabled access to the selected software component features for users and other software component features on the data storage system, (ii) enabled access to the selected software component features by other software component features on the data storage system, or (iii) disabled access to the selected software component features; wherein the selected software component features use one or more software components of the software; and reusing the one or more software components from a version of a software package including the engine package and enabler package to another version of the software package while controlling access to the selected software component features by the selection of the one of the three available states for the selected software component features.