Where does uname -i come from ?

[Speedware]

Hi,

I need to where does the "Unique ID" reported by uname -i come from.
Is it from the "main motherboard" or is it from the CPU ?
If this was already answer before, forgive me and point me to the link

Thanks.

[Kent Ostby · Accepted solution]

You're forgiven :-)

It's on the motherboard ...

See this thread for some discussion on the issue:
http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=701382

[Speedware]

Would you happen to know a Document on hp Web site that confirm this ?

[Deoncia Grayson_1]

uname -i displays the machine identification number or the node name if the machine identification number cannot be identified... you can do a man on uname to get this information

[Bill Hassell]

uname -i pulls the current machine ID number from the processor board (as documented in the uname command). This vakue is set by the factory or by an HP repair person when a main processor board is replaced. uname -i is used for licensing by many vendors so it is unique to a specific machine. If the number is a small value (1 or 2 digits) or negative, then a replacement board was installed without the mandatory setup of the machine ID. This cannot be done by anyone except HP since it is a licensing feature.

[Speedware]

When you say for example Processor board ? you mean the each CPU ? or for the board that hold the CPU (like a cell board).

[A. Clay Stephenson]

It's tied to the systemboard (motherboard) not to the individual processors. On the older boxes, the HP tech runs a program called ss_config to set this value. This allows licenses which are in effect to remain valid when the systemboard is replaced.

[Speedware]

If for example I am using nPar (hardware partition) should the uname be different on all my nPar system or it should be the same for the all the nPar system ?

[Dave Hutton]

It should be the same for both NPARs.

[Anand Sreenivasan]

YOu will see different numbers in the Npar but you will see the same numbers if it is Logical Partition.

[Dave Hutton]

The 4 npared servers I checked. In each server both NPAR's did have have the same uname -i.

[Speedware]

What do you mean by Logical Partition in a nPar configuration ?