System and method for providing a mechanism to virtualize a perpetual, unique system identity on a partitioned computer system
A computing system using a persistent, unique identifier may be used to authenticate the system that ensures software and configurations of systems are properly licensed while permitting hardware components to be replaced. The persistent, unique system identifier may be coupled to serial numbers or similar hardware identifiers of components within the computing system while permitting some of the hardware components to be deleted and changed. When components that are coupled to the persistent, unique identifier are removed or disabled, a predefined time period is provided to update the coupling of the persistent, unique identifier to alternate hardware component in the system.
1. A method for providing a persistent, unique identifier associated with authorizing an operational configuration of a computing system, the computing system having a server control module, a plurality of cells each having at least one processor, a system ID, a licensing cell serial number, and a list of hardware component serial numbers, the method comprising:
generating a system ID key based upon the system type, the system ID, and the licensing cell serial number;
installing the system ID key within the server control module, the server control module decrypts the system ID key to extract the system type, the system ID and the licensing cell serial number, and stores the system ID and licensing cell serial number within the server control module when the system type and cell serial number match the system type and a corresponding cell serial number associated with the operational configuration of the computing system;
installing a software partition within one or more cells, the software partition corresponding to an instance of an operating system executing within the one or more cells;
maintaining the list of hardware component serial numbers currently present within the computing system within the server control module;
periodically validating permitted operation of the software partition by the software partition during execution of the software partition comparing the licensing cell serial number stored within the server control module against the list of hardware component serial numbers currently present within the computing system within the server control module to validate the system ID stored within the server control module.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprising:
permitting continued operation of the software partition when the software partition validates the system ID by determining that the stored licensing cell serial number is present within the list of hardware component serial numbers present within the computing system.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprising:
starting a countdown timer against the system ID when the software partition determines that the stored licensing cell serial number is not present within the list of hardware component serial numbers present within the computing system.
4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the software partition operates at a degraded performance level when the countdown time has counted down a predetermined length of time.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the predetermine length of time corresponds to seven days.
6. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the method further comprising: stopping the countdown timer and resetting the countdown timer against the system ID when the software partition determines that the stored licensing cell serial number is present within the list of hardware component serial numbers present within the computing system.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the server control module corresponds to a separate computing system in communications with the plurality of cells via a communications network.
8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein each of the cells within the plurality of cells corresponds to one or more processors, a block of memory, and communication interconnection with all of the other cells within the plurality of cells.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the software partition executes within one cell of the plurality of cells.
10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the software partition executes within at least two cells of the plurality of cells.
11. A non-transitory computer readable storage media, having encoded thereon program code, wherein, when the program code is executed by a machine, the machine implements a method for providing a persistent, unique identifier associated with authorizing an operational configuration of a software partition executing within a computing system, the computing system having a server control module, a plurality of cells each having at least one processor, a system ID, a licensing cell serial number, and a list of hardware component serial numbers, the method comprising:
generating a system ID key based upon the system type, the system ID, and the licensing cell serial number; and
stores the system ID and licensing cell serial number within the server control module when the system type and cell serial number match the system type and a corresponding cell serial number associated with the operational configuration of the computing system;
installing the software partition within one or more cells, the software partition corresponding to an instance of an operating system executing within the one or more cells;
installing system ID key information within the server control module, the server control module decrypts the system ID key to extract the system type, the system ID and the licensing cell serial number;
retrieving the list of hardware component serial numbers currently present within the computing system from the server control module;
periodically validating permitted operation of the software partition by the software partition during execution of the software partition comparing licensing cell serial number stored within the server control module against the list of present hardware component serial numbers in order to validate the system ID stored within the server control module.
12. The non-transitory computer readable storage media according to claim 11 , wherein the method further comprising:
permitting continued operation of the software partition when the software partition determines that the validated system ID matches the corresponding system ID imbedded with each performance license and resource license installed within the computing system.
13. The non-transitory computer readable storage media according to claim 11 , wherein the method further comprising:
starting a system ID countdown timer when the software partition determines that the licensing cell serial number stored within the server control module does not exist in the list of hardware component serial numbers present within the computing system.
14. The non-transitory computer readable storage media according to claim 13 , wherein the software partition operates at a degraded performance level when the system ID countdown time has counted down a predetermined length of time.
15. The non-transitory computer readable storage media according to claim 14 , wherein the predetermine length- of time corresponds to seven days.
16. The non-transitory computer readable storage media according to claim 13 , wherein the method further comprising:
stopping an active system ID countdown timer when the software partition determines that the licensing cell serial number stored in the server control module exists within the list of hardware component serial numbers present within the computing system.
17. The non-transitory computer readable storage media according to claim 13 , wherein the method further comprising:
resetting a system ID countdown timer when a countdown timer reset key is installed that restores the original countdown timer period.
18. The non-transitory computer readable storage media according to claim 13 , wherein the method further comprising:
resetting a system ID countdown timer when a new system ID key is installed that updates the licensing cell serial number stored in the server control module to match one of the hardware component serial numbers present within the computing system.
19. The non-transitory computer readable storage media according to claim 11 , wherein the server control module corresponds to a separate computing system in communications with the plurality of cells via a communications network.
20. The non-transitory computer readable storage media according to claim 19 , wherein each of the cells within the plurality of cells corresponds to one or more processors, a block of memory, and communication interconnection with all of the other cells within the plurality of cells.
21. The non-transitory computer readable storage media according to claim 11 , wherein the software partition executes within one cell of the plurality of cells.
22. The non-transitory computer readable storage media according to claim 11 , wherein the software partition executes within at least two cells of the plurality of cells.