Software licensing question

[Ed Lawrence_1]

Mac/ether addresses are usually stored on a chip on the motherboard. Some software packages use the Mac address in the software licensing.

If you change a mother board in an HP9000 system, does the new one arrive with a different Mac address? Is there a way to use the old Mac address?

Has anyone encountered this scenario?

[Bryan D. Quinn]

The MAC address cannot be changed it is hardware specific.

-Bryan

[Bryan D. Quinn]

Ooops a little too quick on my SUBMIT.

I just wanted to add that I have a K box that has had the processor board and back plane changed, as well as the network card and I did not run into any software issues. I can't say that that would be the case for every situation. I can only tell you that we were running HP-UX 11.0 with Oracle and SAP on top.

Hope this helps!
-Bryan

[Ed Lawrence_1]

I have some customers who are especially concerned about 'software licensing' issues.
They are concerned that if a motherboard went bad and they had to get a new motherboard, that some sort of 'software licensing' violation could occur. They have asked me what they would do in this case. (I have no idea).

[Pete Randall]

You can't change the hardware MAC address but you can change the software MAC address in /etc/rc.config.d/netconf. That will probably be sufficient for your needs.


Pete

[Jeff Schussele]

Hi Bryan,

Yes they will change. There are several ways to deal with this.

1) HP personnel (only) have the authority to set the MAC on the new board to match the old. Then you as the customer have to do nothing.

2) The SW can be relicensed to the new MAC - usually at no charge.

If you don't have any SW tied to the MAC, BUT you still want the old MAC back, you can set the MAC in the appropriate /etc/rc.config.d/?????conf file. Filename is based on just what type of NIC it is. For example let's say this is a base 100 NIC, then in /etc/rc.config.d/hpbase100conf you set the field
HP_BASE100_STATION_ADDRESS=
to the MAC you want.

HTH,
Jeff

[Bryan D. Quinn · Accepted solution]

Hey Ed,

We run SAP which is tied to our CPU serial number. I just asked our SAP BASIS admin what would happen if we lost a CPU and he said we would just have to re-install our license. He said it was not a big issue. You might want to touch base with your clients' application vendors and see what their feelings are on that kind of scenario. I am sure you would not be the first one to pop that question on them.

Hope this helps!
-Bryan

[Pete Randall]

Sorry, not netconf. Jeff's got it.


Pete

[V. Nyga]

Hi,

one more annotation to Jeff's no.1:

The MAC address can only be changed once shortly after the motherboard is changed!
This will be made by the technican.
But you have to know your old MAC address before disassembling the old motherboard!

And don't interchange your memos, I could tell you ...

Regards
Volkmar

[Ed Lawrence_1]

Thank you.