[rescue] needed: u1 NVRAM chip

[Mike Hebel]

Brian Deloria wrote:
> On Wed, Sep 24, 2008 at 4:18 PM, Carl R. Friend <crfriend at rcn.com> wrote:
> 
>>   On Wed, 24 Sep 2008, Bill Bradford wrote:
>>
>>  On Wed, Sep 24, 2008 at 04:37:19PM -0400, Carl R. Friend wrote:
>>>> [...]  We've got an SS-10 from the Jurassic Era that runs a
>>>> license-manager, including licenses that we can't get re-cut
>>>> because the original vendor no longer exists.
>>>>
>>> Can't you do the "hostid" trick on a newer machine and run them on
>>> something newer (if they're locked to the hostid), or does this also
>>> have software that you don't have the reinstallation media for?
>>>
>>   I haven't tried resetting the hardware type in an NVRAM and
>> seeing what happens.  Does Solaris query this NVRAM/config value
>> for anything important?
>>
>>
> 
> 
> Macromedia's FLEXlm License Manager is what we use at work to serve licenses
> up for a particular piece of software.  From what I understand this was also
> used by SGI as well for various software options.
> 
> When we moved from the U60 to a v240 I can't remember whether we had to
> generate a file first or simply give the vendor the hostid to get a new
> license file.  But it was a neccessity to say the least.

Usually most vendors - like PTC and such - have an automated generation 
system in place that can send you a new license file.  In the case of 
PTC you click on a web shrinkwrap-EULA that says that under penalty of 
law you will remove the software from the old machine before installing 
it on the new machine.

However flexlm in a lot of cases is tied to the MAC address and you can 
either move the ethernet with that machine if possible or re-write the 
MAC on the new machine in a pinch.  Same with re-writing the hostid on 
'nix machines.

However these should be used as a last resort for "OMG! The server just 
died!" problems.  And even then the vendor will likely generate you a 
license faster than you can re-write your MAC.

-- 
Mike Hebel

In the end the journey only matters if you've helped someone along the way.