Re: System passwords / Software keys ?

["Keith Carpenter" <CarpCon@xxxxxxx>]

Jim,

Are you talking about software license keys ?

Pre-V4 systems require licensing the OS to a new owner.  With V4 and on, a
system can be transferred or sold with the base OS (not the LPPs).

Tracking transfers made sense for pre-V4 systems and inactivity detection
works well when a system is likely to be used in the active operation of a
business.  Now that these pre-V4 systems are old and probably get occasional
use at best, the inactivity check is now a major nuisance.

Having to "excercise" an old system each week increases the odds of hardware
failure.


Keith


> The system passwords are still used, and needed.  Mainly in the used
> machine market where a serial number will change hands.  IBM attempts to
> keep track of who is using its licensed property partly in this way.
>
> When you buy your new machine, there will be a paper with the system
> password on it in the paperwork.  Easy to find when the system comes
> without SLIC and i5 OS on it, but with preloaded machines they bury it.
> It's one of the more important pieces of paper they send.
>
> Jim Oberholtzer