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Michael Valentine Jones
Yak DBA Kernel (pronounced Colonel)
7020 Posts |
 Posted - 2007-06-28 : 10:43:40
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| Does anyone know of something that is a unique identifier for a server at the hardware level; something that does not change when the OS is re-installed, but is available through some sort of API call? Maybe a BIOS serial number or something like that?I am trying to develop a database to hold information about servers, and for the hardware itself, I am having a hard time coming up with a natural key.CODO ERGO SUM |
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harsh_athalye
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker
5581 Posts |
Posted - 2007-06-28 : 10:48:31
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| Network Card # maybe?Harsh AthalyeIndia."The IMPOSSIBLE is often UNTRIED" |
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Michael Valentine Jones
Yak DBA Kernel (pronounced Colonel)
7020 Posts |
Posted - 2007-06-28 : 10:53:56
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| There are a few of problems with the network card:1. There can be multiple cards.2. They can be replaced.3. The active MAC address can be changed.CODO ERGO SUM |
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Kristen
Test
22859 Posts |
Posted - 2007-06-28 : 11:29:02
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| "There are a few of problems with the network card:1. There can be multiple cards."Store them all. Any of them present in the future represents the same machine (of course a card can be moved ...)But there again anything else with a UniqueID could be replaced - CPU, BIOS, ...Perhaps you should collect info about a number of bits of hardware, and assume that any future machine that has a majority of those bits is the same machine?Perhaps you need your own USB dongle!Kristen |
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Michael Valentine Jones
Yak DBA Kernel (pronounced Colonel)
7020 Posts |
Posted - 2007-06-28 : 12:13:27
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| For the utilities that I have looked at, the MAC address only shows up for the cards that are currently active, so if they plug it into a different card next week, the current mac address doesn't show up.Also, since the network card is one to many, it doesn't really make a very good key.I could live with something like a BIOS ID if it is available. There is only one as far as I know, and motherboard replacements are rare enough. Anyone know of a utility for getting that information?CODO ERGO SUM |
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Kristen
Test
22859 Posts |
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KenW
Constraint Violating Yak Guru
391 Posts |
Posted - 2007-06-28 : 13:28:43
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| Michael,There isn't any single item that will permanently identify a computer. That's why Microsoft forces a reactivation of Windows after you replace a hard drive or network card (and sometimes even adding memory); the activation is derived from a combination of hardware identifiers, and it becomes invalid when you change any one of the parts that makes up that combination.The BIOS isn't even reliable. A flash update can sometimes change the BIOS ID enough to invalidate Windows activation. |
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Michael Valentine Jones
Yak DBA Kernel (pronounced Colonel)
7020 Posts |
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jezemine
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker
2886 Posts |
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KenW
Constraint Violating Yak Guru
391 Posts |
Posted - 2007-06-29 : 13:58:31
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quote:
Originally posted by Michael Valentine Jones
It looks like the WMIC utility may be useful for looking at hardware info. If I can just figure out how to use it...
I have a HyperTextApplication (Internet Explorer application, written in HTML) that uses Windows Scripting to use WMI. I got it from the MS Scripting Guys. I don't have the URL where I got it, but you can probably find it by searching the Microsoft web site for "Scriptomatic".Scriptomatic will allow you to run WMI queries and will also write the VBA/JScript code. It's great to use the code to figure out how to do things via COM.Edit: Forgot to mention: If you can't find it on the MS site, drop me a note or leave one here and I'll email it to you (it's plain old text HTML). |
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Hardware