Patent ID: 8639561

Claim:
A method for managing a software program installed on a first computer, the software program being subject to a software license indicating a permitted number of installations of copies of the software program and permitted amounts of processor power of computers in which the copies of the software program are installed, the method comprising the steps of: retrieving, by one or more processors, (a) data indicating actual usage of the software program on the first computer, (b) data indicating processor power of the first computer, and (c) licensing data from the software license indicating the permitted number of installations of copies of the software program and the permitted amounts of processor power of computers in which copies of the software program are installed; and determining and reporting, by the one or more processors, that the software program should be removed from the first computer and one of (a) installed on a second computer which does not currently have a copy of the software program installed or (b) workload of the software program from the first computer transferred to a third copy of the software program currently installed on a third computer based on: the actual usage of the software program on the first computer, a projected amount of future usage requirements for the software program, compliance with the license as to the permitted number of installations of copies of the software program and the permitted amounts of processor power of computers in which copies of the software program are installed, and a projected future need for one or more additional, future installations of copies of the software program on one or more additional respective computers with requisite processor power to satisfy the projected future usage requirements and a corresponding need to have fewer than the permitted number of installations of copies of the software program under the license before the projected future need to allow these additional, future installations of copies of the software program without exceeding the permitted number of installations of copies of the software program under the license.