Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!bbs!karl
From: karl@naitc.naitc.com (Karl Denninger)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.nfs
Subject: Re: Enduring PC-NFS Annoyances
Summary: Doesn't solve the problem
Message-ID: <1990Nov04.001340.20629@naitc.naitc.com>
Date: 4 Nov 90 00:13:40 GMT
References: <10083@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> <1990Oct31.213006.12428@naitc.naitc.com> <1430@travis.csd.harris.com> <3160@jaytee.East.Sun.COM> <1448@travis.csd.harris.com>
Reply-To: karl@bbs.naitc.com (Karl Denninger)
Organization: A.C. Nielsen Co.
Lines: 41

>In article <3160@jaytee.East.Sun.COM> geoff@east.sun.com (Geoff Arnold @ Sun BOS - R.H. coast near the top) writes:
>>Most of our large customers buy right-to-copy (RTC) kits, in which
>>we sell them a set of diskettes and a serialization kit. They are
>>free to use this to manufacture multiple full kits, or (more
>>commonly) to create a serialized PCNFS.SYS for each system. The
>>downside: documentation must be purchased separately.
>>some of what we're thinking about long-term, with no dates,

That doesn't help most of us.

You see, here's the classic problem:
1) You load PC/NFS on a machine, and give it a serial number.
2) The system crashes it's hard disk, losing the serialized copy.

Now, you have to have (1) the original diskettes, or (2) knowledge of which
copy was on that machine, or (3) you burn another copy (with the RTC kit).

If you don't do this, you end up with two that have the same serial number,
and they stop one another when they detect the "license violation". 

Solution (1) requires a huge filing cabinet, and also requires that people
not trade machines (lots of organizations move gear DAILY), while (2) also
requires record keeping on exactly which system and disk drive belongs to
who at all times.  If you have several hundred users this is a REAL pain.

Copy protection came off most major packages years ago.  I feel it should
come off PC/NFS too.  It was a major negative factor during my evaluation of
the product; for a one or two copy system it wouldn't be bad, but for a
major installation (multiple hundreds) the record keeping requirements are
rediculous.

One of the first questions I ask is "is the package copyprotected" when I am
evaluating something that is going to be used by hundreds of people at an
organization.  

--
Karl Denninger	AC Nielsen
kdenning@ksun.naitc.com
(708) 317-3285
Disclaimer:  Contents represent opinions of the author; I do not speak for
	     AC Nielsen on Usenet.