Method and system for managing license objects to applications in an application platform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9230068-B2
Application number	US-86689807-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2007
Priority date	Oct 3, 2006
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for managing license objects to applications in an application platform database system. The method includes associating an LMA with an application installed to the application platform by a developer, notifying a license manager to which the license manager application is installed of the installation of the application to the application platform, and managing subscriber access to the application using the license manager application.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
providing, by a system a platform shared by license managers, application developers, and subscribers;
installing, to the system by one of the license managers, a license manager organization for the license manager, the license manager organization allowing the license manager to access applications associated therewith;
receiving, by the system from the license manager, a license manager application allowing the license manager to manage the applications associated with the license manager organization;
creating, through the system by one of the developers, an application;
receiving, by the system from the developer, a specification of the license manager organization for the application;
associating, in the system, the license manager organization with the application;
storing, by the system, the application in an application exchange directory of the system;
retrieving, within the system by the license manager application, package information for the application stored in the application exchange directory;
installing, through the system by one of the subscribers, the application from the application exchange directory to an organization of the subscriber within the system;
storing, by the system through the license manager application, a record of the installing of the application to the organization of the subscriber; and
enabling the license manager to manage licensing properties of the application including access by the subscriber to the application using the license manager application.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to storing the application in the application exchange directory, sending a message to the license manager application so the license manager application can get the package information for the application.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein enabling the license manager to manage licensing properties of the custom application using the license manager application includes:
tracking the subscriber's installation of the application; and
enabling the license manager to specify at least a number of seats, a license status, or an expiration date of the installed application.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
tracking, by the license manager application, the subscriber's upgrade of the application;
tracking, by the license manager application, the subscriber's uninstallation of the application such that a message is sent to the license manager organization and a license object status is changed to uninstalled; and
tracking the subscriber's version of the application installed to the subscriber organization.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
notifying the license manager of a new version of the custom application being uploaded to the platform of the system; and
enabling the subscriber to update the application installed to the subscriber organization to the new version.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
notifying the license manager of upgraded versions of the application.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application is an unmanaged package that cannot be upgraded.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program code executable by a processor in a computer for:
providing, by a system a platform shared by license managers, application developers, and subscribers;
installing, to the system by one of the license managers, a license manager organization for the license manager, the license manager organization allowing the license manager to access applications associated therewith;
receiving, by the system from the license manager, a license manager application allowing the license manager to manage the applications associated with the license manager organization;
creating, through the system by one of the developers, an application;
receiving, by the system from the developer, a specification of the license manager organization for the application;
associating, in the system, the license manager organization with the application;
storing, by the system, the application in an application exchange directory of the system;
retrieving, within the system by the license manager application, package information for the application stored in the application exchange directory;
installing, through the system by one of the subscribers, the application from the application exchange directory to an organization of the subscriber within the system;
storing, by the system through the license manager application, a record of the installing of the application to the organization of the subscriber; and
enabling the license manager to manage licensing properties of the application including access by the subscriber to the application using the license manager application.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 wherein the program code is further executable by the processor in the computer for:
in response to storing the application in the application exchange directory, sending a message to the license manager application so the license manager application can get the package information for the application.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 wherein the program code is further executable by the processor in the computer for:
tracking, by the license manager application, the subscriber's installation of the application; and
notifying the license manager of a new version of the application being uploaded to the platform of the on system; and
enabling the subscriber to download or update the application installed to the subscriber organization to the new version.

Assignees

• Hess Ron
• Tamm Steven
• Brooks David
• Palke Amy
• Moses Evan
• Salesforce Com Inc

Inventors

• Hess Ron
• Tamm Steven
• Brooks David
• Palke Amy
• Moses Evan

Classifications

• G06F21/10 Primary

  Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material (protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16) {; Digital rights management [DRM]} · CPC title

• G06Q10/06 Primary

  Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title

• G06F21/12 Primary

  Protecting executable software · CPC title

• G06F8/61

  Installation · CPC title