Method and system for controlling use of software programs

摘要

A method ( 300 ) and system for controlling use of software programs on a client workstation; the programs (such as an operating system or a network stack) are started before completion of a bootstrap process. Each program requests ( 311 ) an execution authorization to a system agent of a licensing management system, which grants ( 318-324 ) the authorization according to a verification of a (simplified) local license certificate for the program stored on the client workstation before completion of the bootstrap. A full-function agent of the licensing management system revises ( 342-351 ) the granted authorization according to a verification of a license certificate stored on a server workstation after completion of the bootstrap. Preferably, an execution environment of the programs (such as a power of the CPU on the client workstation) is monitored ( 333 ) in order to revise ( 336,360-384 ) compliance of the conditions of use of the programs with the respective license certificates dynamically.