Patent ID: 8712917

Claim:
A software execution management apparatus communicably connectable to a client, the software execution management apparatus being capable of acting as a first server managing software execution, the first server being replaced by a second server, the software execution management apparatus being capable of acting as a third server which replaces a fourth server managing software execution, the software execution management apparatus comprising: a license information storage for storing first license information and second license information, the first license information relating permission for executing a process for permitting execution of software, the second license information including an identification code for identifying a license to be invalidated; and a computer processor to execute: determining, in accordance with the first license information, availability of the process for permitting execution of the software, detecting when the software execution management apparatus acts as the third server, in accordance with the second license information, the fourth server which is still executing the process for permitting execution of the software, the software being permitted to be executed by the client in accordance with the license to be invalidated according to the second license information, transmitting when the software execution management apparatus acts as the third server, to the detected fourth server a first invalidation signal according to the second license information for limiting the process of the fourth server for permitting execution of the software by the client, and limiting when the software execution management apparatus acts as the first server, the process for permitting execution of the software by the client, regardless of the first license information, upon receiving a second invalidation signal from the second server.