[TriLUG] machine comparing... possibly OT

[Kevin Flanagan]

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