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.