Patent ID: 8850607

Claim:
A method for capacity licensing for software comprising a plurality of features, the method comprising: receiving a capability request from a client device at a license server, the capability request indicating a license, a set of client-reported license rights, and capability information for the client device; executing instructions stored in a memory in the license server, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor: identifies a deduction record associated with the client device, the deduction record including a plurality of license rights, each license right associated with a different feature of the software, wherein different capability information for another client device results in a different deduction record with a different set of license rights, determines whether there is a mismatch between the set of client-reported license rights and a set of client device's license rights in the identified deduction record, wherein a mismatch leads to issuing a capability response to correct an error in the deduction report, and wherein a match between the set of client-reported license rights and the set of the client device's license rights in the identified deduction record is followed by determining whether there is a change in the set of client device's license rights at the license server: and if there is a change in the set of client device's license rights, selecting a new set of license rights for the client device from the plurality of available license rights associated with the license, the selection of the new set of license rights based on the capability information for the client device, sending a capability response to the client device, the capability response comprising the selected new set of license rights only, wherein subsequent exercise of the license by the client device is governed by the selected new set of license rights and features of the software associated with the selected new set of license rights, and updating the deduction record in memory, the deduction record reflecting that the selected new set of license rights has been provided to the client device from a license pool, wherein an information response to an information request acknowledges the stored deduction record; and if there is no change in the client device's license rights, renewing the set of the client device's license rights by extending the expiration time by a previously defined borrow interval included in a capability response sent to the client device.