Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!watmath!iuvax!cica!gatech!prism!scott From: scott@prism.gatech.EDU (Scott Holt) Newsgroups: comp.sys.next Subject: Re: NeXT Software Distribution Summary: host id based licensing, floating license server, minor Frame bashing Message-ID: <2246@hydra.gatech.EDU> Date: 3 Oct 89 16:57:54 GMT References: <32739@cornell.UUCP> <2235@hydra.gatech.EDU> <33442@srcsip.UUCP> Reply-To: scott@prism.gatech.EDU () Distribution: comp Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology Lines: 51 In article <33442@srcsip.UUCP> mnkonar@gorby.UUCP (Murat N. Konar) writes: > >If the hostid is not hardcoded into the machine, I guess it would be >ok. What really sucks is something like what Mentor Graphics does >which is setup authorization codes that are dependent on the hard- >wired nodeID of the Apollo workstation. When that workstation >breaks down, your software is unusable on any other node! > Well, it is hard coded - on the Suns (I may be wrong, someone correct me if I am), the value is in ROM...I would imagine that its the same for the NeXT. On their Sun Floating License server, Frame allows you to define a backup server so that if the primary server ever goes down, you can start up the license process on the back up. When the license server starts, it first tries to find out if other license servers are running - if one with the same serial number is, it won't start...thus, both the primary and backup cannot be active at the same time. Alas, no "hot" backup, but at least some sort of safety net. Another problem with hostid based copy protection is that when you swap the CPU board, your hostid can change. On Suns this is avoided by replacing the ROM from the dead board in the replacement - that way, even though its essentailly a different system, the hostid remains the same. I don't think, however, this saves you when you upgrade to a new system or do something else which makes the old ROMS unusable. All this generate one very important question to ask when dealing with vendors (like Frame) who use hostid/ethernet based copy protection: "what does it take to transfer the license." This is important becuase you don't want to get stuck with software that becomes obsolete when your hardware does. Of course, the whole floating license server concept is designed to prevent problems like the one you have with Mentor Graphics. You purchase licenses which are not keyed to a particular machine - the license server doles them out on a first come first served basis and makes sure that no more than x copies of the product are in use at one time. Only the license server software is keyed to a particular machine (which hopefully is a more reliable one). I really (hint hint hint Frame) wish Frame had implemented this for their NeXT product - especially since many NeXTs are going to be incorporated in academic and corporate networks...the fact that they didn't implement it indicates a certain level of PC think - that is, treating the NeXT as a PC rather than the networked workstation that it is. -- This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine. Scott Holt, Systems Analyst Internet: scott@prism.gatech.edu Georgia Tech BITNET: CCUSESH@GITNVE2 Office of Computing Services 404-894-6168