International Business Machines Corporation

Green Market Square Limited

Joachim Hagmeier

Timo Kussmaul

Joachim Bruchlos

Dietmar Kuebler

Thomas Spatzier

Gerd Breiter

Einar Lueck

Michael Man Behrendt

Steffen Rost

Ruediger Maass

Michael Kaisser

Provided are techniques for providing licensed access to application services based on a contract that specifies conditions for usage of the software application services by a service requester, access to the software application services being provided over a network under different license types, each license type defining a particular usage condition, including a service handler implementing a runtime environment, retrieving service requester profile data associated with the service request; retrieving an identified and validated contract associated with the service request by utilizing requester profile data; receiving license condition data corresponding to the identified contract; retrieving contract information corresponding to the identified and validated contract; receiving, by the licensing service component, usage data; comparing the received usage data with the received license condition data and determining availability of two or more licensing options to satisfy the service request and providing the service in accordance with one of the licensing options.

Automatic creation and configuration of license models and policies

The present invention refers to the field of networked computer telecommunication, and in particular to a method and system for processing services associated with a contract between a service requester (SC) and a service provider (SP) wherein said services are to be provided via a network, wherein at least one service contract is defined between said service requester and said service provider. In order to improve the processing of web services, license management facilities (A) are included into the prior art method cooperating closely with a Contract Management component (A) and a Service Metering Component (A). Preferably, a plurality of different license types are provided for selection to be used, which may further be combined also, in order to match best the needs of a customer.

Method for automatic creation and configuration of license models and policies

An order processing system can include an order processing container, a factory registry, a relationship registry, and synchronization function component. The order processing system can handle orders, which are build plans including a set of tasks. The tasks can specify programmatic actions which may include creation, deletion, and modification of resources and resource topologies. The order processing container can be central engine that programmatically drives order processing actions. The factory registry can support a creation and deletion of resource instances in a resource topology defined by at least one order. The relationship registry can maintain relationships among resources. The synchronization function component can permit transparent usage of shared resources in accordance with shared usage resource topology parameters specified within processed orders.

Synchronizing shared resources in an order processing environment using a synchronization component

The present invention refers to the field of networked computer telecommunication, and in particular to a method and system for processing contract data defining contracts between a service requester and a service provider for services like Web Services to be provided via a network. In order to improve the processing of web services in presence of a multitude of valid contracts between binding a Service Consumer (SC) it is proposed to include () said contract data into a request for said service in order to enable the Service provider to evaluate () and select () a particular contract out said multitude in order to match best the needs of the Consumer.

Web service contract selection

A utilization method and system within a communication network comprises at least one service provider and at least one service consumer. In particular, a there is license contract method and system for validating web services during runtime. At least one parameter is provided to define, if and how many meter event requests associated with service requests may be stored in a cache memory. The parameter is predefined and may be contained in the license contract. Further, a counter may be provided for counting the service requests. The actual status of the counter is sent to the service consumer and/or the service provider.

Licensed content utilization validation using cache parameters

The invention relates to a device and a method for administering, in particular for creating and changing, identifying characteristics. During input of the new identifying characteristic by a user a check of the identifying characteristic is performed. Depending on the result of the check, a facility for termination of input of the new identifying characteristic is activated or deactivated as appropriate. The present invention substantially improves user-friendliness in the creation and changing of identifying characteristics, as failed attempts to input the new identifying characteristics are avoided.

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Stuttgart, Germany

Joachim Hagmeier