[TriLUG] machine comparing... possibly OT

Fri Jul 14 10:51:00 EDT 2006

Kevin,

By your description, it sounds like if I run VMWare Server I can only
run 1 virtual machine??  I was hoping to be able to run 3-4 VMs (on
some appropriate hardware):  Linux as host OS, then 3 or 4 VMs, 3 w/
Linux and 1 with winXP.  As I have yet to touch the VMWare Server that
I downloaded or any VMWare from the past, I'm not yet familiar with
limitations.  Certainly the ESX product would allow me to allocate
hardware more specifically and even assign more than 1 cpu to a VM but
I'm not concerned with that (yet).  I've learned that much so far...

thanks,
David

On 7/13/06, Kevin Flanagan <kevin at flanagannc.net> wrote:
> You really don't need a load of hardware for a VM solution, or money for
> that matter.
>
>
> VMware has released VMWare server for Windows or Linux as free, as in
> beer, not speech, but we'll take the small victories. In a VMWare
> session you can run only one Virtual machine, that shouldn't take a lot
> of overhead.  I'm guessing that a system with 512 MB RAM can run a host
> os, say Fedora, and a VM with Windows XP fairly well, not under any real
> load, but it doesn't sound like that's an issue.  You can map physical
> serial ports to VM instances so they present as if they are real hardware.
>
> Perhaps you can't go there today, but I'd work that angle hard.  Invest
> today, about $1K and not spend $500 later if the system needs to be
> reloaded again.  Not to mention that it would take just a couple of
> minutes to bring up a new instance of the VM from saved files.
>
> Any way you go, good luck.
>
> Kevin
>
> David McDowell wrote:
> > Your virtual machine idea is a keen one... though I don't "yet" have
> > the resources for doing such... I will before the year is out.  My
> > only problem is location... it has a 9pin serial connection to the
> > physical system it monitors... sounds like COM1 will work in the
> > virtual machine scenario, but I won't have any hardware close enough
> > to it that could do that and other things as well (so as not to waste
> > the hardware).  *sigh*
> >
> > Here we are presented with a perfect example of what sucks about
> > purchased, non open sourced software.  The vendor used to give new
> > license keys on re-installs without having to collect money (as well
> > they should)... now they "claim" they changed their policies and wrote
> > their end users about such change and are essentially holding us
> > hostage with the software... meaning if we don't give them money, they
> > won't run their keygen.  We never received such notification, and even
> > our reseller wasn't informed.  Imagine that!
> >
> > Someone offered to try to write a FOSS package ... however,
> > considering the nature of this software, I don't know if it would be
> > possible to get the white papers on how to talk to the keycard
> > hardware.  I've not the time to research right now anyway.  I see
> > Glenn has a possible item for me to consider, so if I can get the
> > setup the way I want, maybe I can run that and see.
> >
> > thanks everyone,
> > David
> >
> >
> >
> > On 7/13/06, Kevin Flanagan <kevin at flanagannc.net> wrote:
> >> That's my point, if you have a Virtual Machine with everything installed
> >> then snapshot it off to DVD you don't ever reinstall the software.  So
> >> long as you only need the one copy running at a time you won't need to
> >> install the software again.
> >>
> >>
> >> The only catch I see with this, so far, is hardware support, if it's
> >> standard serial, parallel, or USB you should do fine, if it's some
> >> special card, you may have a challenge there.
> >>
> >>
> >> Kevin
> >>
> >> Barry Gaskins wrote:
> >> >   I dont think that any of these solutions are going to work.  The
> >> > program
> >> > is building a magic number using things that will be different on each
> >> > piece
> >> > of hardware.  Things like the mac address of the ethernet card, the
> >> bios
> >> > version number, the checksum from the ROM, ... and who knows what
> >> > else. I am
> >> > willing to bet that even if you figure out EXACTLY what changed on the
> >> > machine from before you install the key and after you install the key,
> >> > doing
> >> > the same thing on a different piece of hardware will not make the
> >> program
> >> > work.  The same thing will probably be true with a virtual machine
> >> (mac
> >> > address on the ethernet will still be different etc...)
> >> >
> >> >   It might work if you need to reinstall the software on the exact
> >> same
> >> > hardware, but if your hardware dies then you will be out of luck.
> >> >
> >> >   - Barry Gaskins
> >> >
> >> > On 7/12/06, Kevin Flanagan <kevin at flanagannc.net> wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> Have you looked at a Virtual Machine solution?  You could snapshot it
> >> >> every now and then, if the hardware fails, just bring the new virtual
> >> >> machine up on a new server.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> David McDowell wrote:
> >> >> > Let me elaborate... I have a WinXP system (yup, this might be
> >> the OT
> >> >> > part) which has software on it that interfaces with our keycard
> >> >> > system.  This software is ours, we own it.  However, when you
> >> install
> >> >> > the software, somewhere, someplace there is a "Reference Code"
> >> created
> >> >> > (a different one each time you install the product) and you must
> >> call
> >> >> > the software vendor to have them put that code into their keygen to
> >> >> > get your "License Key" so that your software operates as
> >> registered.
> >> >> > In the past, we have called tech support and they have given us
> >> this
> >> >> > without question... well, today, as we moved this software to a new
> >> >> > piece of hardware... we are approached with this situation
> >> again, BUT
> >> >> > the software vendor now claims they will only generate license
> >> keys if
> >> >> > you maintain a $560/yr support contract with them (or a per
> >> incident
> >> >> > fee)... what crap I say!!!
> >> >> >
> >> >> > So, maybe there is an open source tool for this... maybe not,
> >> but my
> >> >> > question comes down to this.  We OWN this piece of software.  If I
> >> >> > choose to pay the per incident fee or at least pickup a contact
> >> for 1
> >> >> > year, I want to be able to do this.  I want to take a snapshot
> >> of the
> >> >> > machine PRIOR to entering in the license key, then I want a
> >> snapshot
> >> >> > of the machine AFTER entering the license key.  I want something to
> >> >> > compare these snapshots and tell me every file and every registry
> >> >> > entry which has changed.  My hope is that I will discover where
> >> their
> >> >> > hidden changes are occurring and if I have to re-install this
> >> software
> >> >> > again, I will be able to force an old "Reference Code" in place
> >> of the
> >> >> > automatically generated one by either replacing files or registry
> >> >> > entries and then enter the License Key which I know works for that
> >> >> > Reference Code OR simple replace all the files/reg entries that
> >> exist
> >> >> > AFTER the license key has been given such that the code and key
> >> are in
> >> >> > concurrance together.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > At any rate, this really upsets me what this vendor is doing.
> >> We OWN
> >> >> > the piece of software and they are holding us hostage by forcing
> >> us to
> >> >> > pay to get a new license key just b/c we had to re-install the
> >> product
> >> >> > on a new machine (the old one crashed).  I know this kind of
> >> tool must
> >> >> > exist as virus, worm and spyware companies must use them to
> >> determine
> >> >> > what a particular item does to a system.  I'm hoping something
> >> exist
> >> >> > in the FOSS world that can help me even though this system is WinXP
> >> >> > and would need files and the registry snapshot and compared.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Thanks!!
> >> >> > David McD
> >> >> --
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