[geeks] generating unique systemids

[Brian Dunbar]

Doug McLaren wrote:
> On Mon, Aug 27, 2007 at 02:57:00PM -0400, Dave K wrote:
> 
> | On 8/27/07, Charles Shannon Hendrix <shannon at widomaker.com> wrote:
> | > Does anyone know a decent way to generate a unique system ID
> | > for a PC server running FreeBSD?
> | 
> | First thought that popped into mind:
> | 
> | MAC Address of the primary interface?
> 
> That is the answer used by most commercial software that creates and
> uses system IDs for licensing purposes.
> 
> Of course, the problems tend to be --
> 
>   -- which interface is the primary?  You might think you know, but
>      often you just don't, or the smallest system change will change
>      the order of the interfaces.
> 
>   -- MAC IDs are easy to change.

At some point you have to trust your customers.

Being treated as a thief is a huge turn-off.  One of our vendors insists
on putting their keys on a USB dongle because with a software key we
could (potentially) install a new server and not pay for it.

Which isn't a big deal except this is a specialized print server doing
print jobs across the world, 24x7.

Part of our disaster recovery plan reads "drive to the data center,
switch the dongle to the backup server .... ".  Rrrrr.


-- 
Brian Dunbar
System Administrator
Liftport - The Space Elevator Company

brian.dunbar at liftport.com
aim: bdunbar1967

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