Delayed validation for software licensing and activation

Abstract

According to some embodiments, a method, an apparatus and a system perform delayed validation for software licensing and activation. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving a request to execute a software application having a license. The method also includes permitting execution of the software application. The method includes validating the license subsequent to the permitting of the execution of the software application.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A method comprising:
 performing the following operations, in a server, subsequent to a current activation of a software application:
 determining a total number of activations of the software application; 
 determining an activation time period for activation of the software application, the activation time period being a period of time from a time of the current activation or a deactivation back for a predetermined period; 
 determining a number of activations and deactivations in the activation time period; 
 allowing activations, greater than an allowed number of activations, outside of the activation time period; and 
 updating an activation counter for the software application if the total number of activations is not equal to the number of activations in the activation time period or if more than one activation of the number of activations in the activation time period is for activation on a same client device. 
   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the total number of activations of the software application are from on an activation request from one or more client devices. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising performing the following operations upon receiving an activation request for the software application from a client device:
 determining the total number of activation of the software application;   determining a maximum number of allowed activations for the software application;   performing the following operations if the total number of activations of the software application is less than or equal to a maximum number of allowed activations for the software application:
 incrementing the activation counter for the software application; and 
 transmitting a communication to allow activation back to the client device. 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein performing the following operations upon receiving an activation request for the software application from a client device further comprises transmitting a communication to deny activation back to the client device if the total number of activations of the software application is greater than a maximum number of allowed activations for the software application 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein performing the following operations, in the server comprises performing the following operations at an off-peak time of day for the server. 
     
     
         17 . A method comprising:
 receiving, from a first machine, a request to activate software on the first machine;   activating the software on the first machine in response to a determination that a number of activations for the software is less than a maximum number of allowed activations for the software, the activating of the software including incrementing an activation counter;   allowing activations, greater than an allowed number of activations, outside of the activation time period; and   updating the activation counter, at a later time relative to the activating of the software, based on a number of activations in an activation time period for the software, the activation time period being a period of time from a time of the activating or a deactivating of the software back for a predetermined period.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 receiving a request to remove activation of the software from a second machine as part of an uninstall operation of the software from the second machine; and   deactivating the software on the second machine, wherein the deactivating of the software includes decrementing the activation counter.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the updating of the activation counter based on the number of activations in the activation time period for the software is a later time relative to deactivating the software on the second machine. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 receiving a request from a second machine to deactivate a first copy of the software that is activated on second machine based on installation of a software suite that includes a second copy of the software on the second machine; and   deactivating the first copy of the software on the second machine, wherein the deactivating of the first copy of the software includes decrementing the activation counter.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the updating of the activation counter based on the number of activations in the activation time period for the software is a later time relative to deactivating the first copy of the software on the second machine. 
     
     
         22 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . An apparatus comprising:
 a non-transitory machine-readable medium to store an activation data structure, an entry in the activation data structure being associated with a serial number of a software product and including an activation counter;   an activation logic executed by a processor of the apparatus to receive a request to activate a software product on a device, the activation logic allowing activation of the software product based on a total number of activations of the software product not being greater than a number of allowed activations of the software product, the activation logic to increment the activation counter as part of the activation of the software product, the activation logic allowing activations greater than the allowed activations outside of the activation time period; and   a counter update logic executed by the processor of the apparatus to recalculate the activation counter, subsequent to the activation of the software product based on an activation time period, the activation time period being a period of time from a time of the activation or a deactivation of the software product back for a predetermined period.   
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the counter update logic is to update the activation counter subsequent to the activation of the software product, if the total number of activations is not equal to the number of activations in the activation time period. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the counter update logic is to update the activation counter subsequent to the activation of the software product, if more than one activation of the number of activations in the activation time period is for activation on a same client device. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the counter update logic is to recalculate the activation counter at an off-peak time of day. 
     
     
         30 - 39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that provides instructions which, when executed by at least one processor of a machine, cause said machine to perform operations comprising:
 performing the following operations, in a server, subsequent to a current activation of a software application:
 determine a total number of activations of the software application; 
 determine an activation time period for activation of the software application, the activation time period being a period of time from a time of the current activation or a deactivation back for a predetermined period; 
 determine a number of activations and deactivations in the activation time period; 
 allow activations, greater than an allowed number of activations, outside of the activation time period; and 
 updating an activation counter for the software application if the total number of activations is not equal to the number of activations in the activation time period or if more than one activation of the number of activations in the activation time period is for activation on a same client device. 
   
     
     
         41 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 40 , wherein the total number of activations of the software application are from on an activation request from one or more client devices. 
     
     
         42 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 40 , wherein the total number of activations of the software application include an activation by a customer service representative. 
     
     
         43 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 40 , further comprising performing the following operations upon receiving an activation request for the software application from a client device:
 determining the total number of activation of the software application;   determining a maximum number of allowed activations for the software application;   performing the following operations if the total number of activations of the software application is less than or equal to a maximum number of allowed activations for the software application:
 incrementing the activation counter for the software application; and 
 transmitting a communication to allow activation back to the client device. 
   
     
     
         44 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 43 , wherein performing the following operations upon receiving an activation request for the software application from a client device further comprises transmitting a communication to deny activation back to the client device if the total number of activations of the software application is greater than a maximum number of allowed activations for the software application. 
     
     
         45 . A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that provides instructions which, when executed by at least one processor of a machine, cause said machine to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, from a first machine, a request to activate software on the first machine;   activating the software on the first machine in response to a determination that a number of activations for the software is less than a maximum number of allowed activations for the software, the activating of the software including incrementing an activation counter;   allowing activations, greater than an allowed number of activations, outside of the activation time period; and   updating the activation counter, at a later time relative to the activating of the software, based on a number of activations in an activation time period for the software, the activation time period being a period of time from a time of the activating or a deactivating of the software back for a predetermined period.   
     
     
         46 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 45 , further comprising:
 receiving a request to remove activation of the software from a second machine as part of an uninstall operation of the software from the second machine; and   deactivating the software on the second machine, wherein the deactivating of the software includes decrementing the activation counter.   
     
     
         47 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 46 , wherein the updating of the activation counter based on the number of activations in the activation time period for the software is a later time relative to deactivating the software on the second machine. 
     
     
         48 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 45 , further comprising:
 receiving a request from a second machine to deactivate a first copy of the software that is activated on second machine based on installation of a software suite that includes a second copy of the software on the second machine; and   deactivating the first copy of the software on the second machine, wherein the deactivating of the first copy of the software includes decrementing the activation counter.   
     
     
         49 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 48 , wherein the updating of the activation counter based on the number of activations in the activation time period for the software is a later time relative to deactivating the first copy of the software on the second machine. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising determining whether any activations occur outside of the activation time period, a number of activations occurring outside of the activation time period to be removed from the total number of activations. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the updating the activation counter comprises:
 determining whether more than one activation of the number of activations in the activation time period is for activation on a same client device; and   based on the determining, marking the more than one activation as a single activation.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the determinable time is a present time. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein any number of activations are allowed outside of the activation time period. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the activation is a last activation and the performing occurs offline in the server, subsequent to and delayed from the last activation.