Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!uwmcsd1!ig!agate!ucbvax!VENUS.YCC.YALE.EDU!LEICHTER
From: LEICHTER@VENUS.YCC.YALE.EDU ("Jerry Leichter ", LEICHTER-JERRY@CS.YALE.EDU)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: Software protection (+ Ethernet query)
Message-ID: <8807061749.AA02586@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 4 Jul 88 19:31:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 44

[In response to a message asking about methods of identifying a CPU for soft-
ware protection, the author writes:]
	> - How can we get the cpu identification (F$GETSYI("SID")??) from
	     within

	    With the system service SYS$GETSYI.

TRUE.

	>   the program and is this  a secure method?

	This is reasonably secure, provided you LINK/DEBUG.  

Presumably, you mean LINK/NODEBUG, though it's beside the point.

							     However, the
	format of the SID register is different for different processors (in
	the case of the 11/78x, I know that in addition to the serial number
	the register also contains the ECO/FCO level, so you have to be
	carefull to look at only the serial number portion unless you want
	your software to stop working every time the machine has a field
	upgrade), also all microVAX IIs have the same serial number.

FALSE.  The ONLY VAX CPU ever to have a serial number in the SID was the 780
(and, of course, the 785).  Even then, there were only 12 bits of serial
number, and there were a lot more than 4096 780's produced!

	> - How can we get the HW Ethernetadress from within the program.

	I'm sure there is a $QIOW call to get this

Yes.  A SENSEMODE QIO to the interface.

						   ****** By the way, does
	anyone know of any documentation on the ethernet device drivers--and
	why are they not included in the I/O user's guide? ******

They are fully, if sometimes cryptically, documented.  Be sure you check the
right manual:  The I/O User's Guide comes in two parts.  The Ethernet drivers
are documented in Part 2.  (Older manuals may call the chapter "DEUNA and
DEQNA Drivers", but it applies equally well to all DEC Ethernet interfaces.
Also, the V5 version of the documentation is considerably clearer and easier
to understand.)
							-- Jerry