Patent ID: 8738774

Claim:
A method for controlling session access within a cloud-based network license zone (NLZ), wherein the NLZ is a plurality of virtual machines that are operated by a single entity and are configured to permit session access according to a zone-wide session license, the method comprising: registering, by a cloud license manager within the NLZ, one or more virtual machines; modifying, by the cloud license manager, the zone-wide session license based upon the registration step and transmitting the modified zone-wide session license to the plurality of virtual machines within the NLZ; receiving periodically, by each of the plurality of virtual machines within the NLZ, a network access message from each of the other virtual machines within the NLZ, each network access message including a count of active sessions enumerated by service type currently processed by the other virtual machine; determining, by each of the plurality of virtual machines within the NLZ, a summation of active sessions within the NLZ, the summation based in part on the network access messages and a count of active sessions currently processed by the virtual machine; and enforcing, by each of the plurality of virtual machines within the NLZ, a total count of active sessions within the NLZ, each virtual machine configured to reject new session requests received at the virtual machine when the total count of active sessions within the NLZ exceeds a predetermined number of active sessions as defined in the modified zone-wide session license.