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XXCOPY TECHNICAL BULLETIN #35
From: Kan Yabumoto tech@xxcopy.com
To: XXCOPY user
Subject: How XXCOPY-Pro manages the site license.
Date: 2009-11-18 (Revised)
===============================================================================
Introduction:
The major design feature that differentiates XXCOPY-Pro from its
Freeware package is its behavior in a network environment.
====== For those who don't have time to read the entire page =======
The Freeware is designed primarily for a stand-alone computer,
whereas other packages work better in network environments.
Besides, there are many other enhanced features in XXCOPY-Pro
that most of which available in the Freeware for demonstration.
In such a case, the function performs normally after the user
dismisses the initial user prompt.
Please note that the Freeware license agreement prohibits its use
by corporate users for purposes other than product evaluation.
====================================================================
XXCOPY's license is always sold as a site license. In order to
simplify the customers work in administering the XXCOPY license,
we even allow users to operate XXCOPY on multiple sites as long
as the same contact person oversees the deployment and usage. We
simply call it "site license" that has a "Host Count" that specifies
the total number of computers for XXCOPY operations.
Determining the Host Count:
XXCOPY's license fee is determined by the Host Count (and also
by the length of the update subscription). So, you should know
how XXCOPY determines the Host Count before purchasing your
XXCOPY license.
1. Count *ALL* computers that you intend to access using
XXCOPY, regardless of how you characterize them:
Servers, Clients, Workstations, Terminals, Hosts, etc.
2. Also count disk drives that are attached to your network
(e.g., NAS, SAN, SNAP, etc.) that are to be accessed by
XXCOPY. These disks behave literally like a computer
that are attached to the network even though they lack
their own keyboard, mouse or monitor.
3. The computers that launch the XXCOPY.EXE program must
also be counted.
4. Include any device that behaves like a computer on a
network (including VPN) with a unique NetBIOS ID (the
first element of UNC path) is counted as a computer as far
as XXCOPY's site license is concerned. (If you assign two
or more IDs to a computer and use them interchangeably
in XXCOPY commands, they will be counted multiple-times.)
Note that you need not count the computers on your network
that will never be accessed by XXCOPY. You count only the
ones that are involved with XXCOPY operations.
We no longer sell a XXCOPY-Pro license for a stand-alone
configuration. Therefore, the smallest XXCOPY-Pro license
is for two computers.
You may increase the host count of an existing site license
by ordering a Quantity Upgrade at any time.
The remainder of this article explains how the XXCOPY-Pro keeps
track of the number of unique computers it encounters using
an example of administering a site license for ten computers.
Automated Management of the Registered Hosts:
XXCOPY-Pro implements a rudimentary counting scheme where it
maintains a list of computers that have been accessed by XXCOPY.
The record is kept inside the XXCOPY entry of the system registry.
1. Installation
When you acquire a site licence for 10 computers, you will
receive a special license file (XXCOPY.LIC) which is custom-
made for you. The license file is typically delivered to
you as a small zipped file which is attached to an Email.
To properly install XXCOPY-Pro, place the unzip XXCOPY.LIC
file in the same directory as the XXCOPY.EXE file
(separately downloaded from Pixelab's server).
The first section of the license file is a text which is
terminated with a Ctrl-Z (End-of-File) marker. It is
suitable for direct parroting. You can examine the contents
of a license file by simply running the following command
line at the console:
type xxcopy.lic
And you will get a print out like the following:
------------------------------------------------------------
XXCOPY License
Serial Number: 67-8901-2345 License Code: 98-7654-3210
License Granted to: Pixelab, Inc. of Naperville, IL
The maximum number of installations at this site: Ten (10)
-------------------------------------------------------------
To install, execute the following command line:
xxcopy /install
To display the current license status:
xxcopy /license
2. The Record in the System Registry
XXCOPY then creates an entry in the system registry and
sets up a table for 10 computer names to be stored
(likewise, a site license for 50 computers creates a
table good for 50 entries). The first slot in the table
always keeps the name of your computer (the network name
for "My Computer").
XXCOPY keeps track of all remote computer names (UNCs) it
encounters. We call them "Registered Hosts". The name of the
most recently accessed computer will always be placed to the
second position in the table immediately below the host computer.
If your XXCOPY activities are limited within the registered hosts,
the entries in the table will remain the same (but the order
of the entries will be altered by each access).
3. Listing the Registered Hosts
At any time, you may examine the current contents of the list
of registered hosts by running the following command line:
xxcopy /hosts
4. When you run XXCOPY and exceed the Host Count?
Say, you run an XXCOPY command and access a new machine whose
name is not in the list for registered hosts in the system
registry, and the list is full. With 10 computer names that
XXCOPY has encountered, and there is no more room in the table.
This happens from time to time. It is not always a violation
of the license terms. As a matter of fact, we expect from time
to time that computer names are changed. For example, when an
employee leaves the company, his computer is often renamed. Or,
a computer is upgraded and renamed. XXCOPY is designed with the
anticipation that network environments are always in constant
change. And, the site license management is designed to
accommodate the evolution of the network.
So, when an 11th computer is accessed by XXCOPY, it will
display the following user prompt:
-----------------------------------------------------------
\\MyServer, a server (networked computer) volume is being
accessed. The server is not in the list of 10 computers
that you are authorized to access using XXCOPY. In order
to avoid this warning message in the future, you should
upgrade the license so that more server names (at least
11 computers) can be maintained.
Do you wish to add the server name in the list now (Y/N)?
-----------------------------------------------------------
If you answer Y(es), the new computer name will be recorded
(at the second spot immediately below the host computer's
entry) in the table. That will push away the computer name
in the bottom of the list (the least recently accessed one).
On your next access to the remote computer by XXCOPY, you
will not see the user prompt again.
On the other hand, you may answer N(o) to the prompt. In
that case, the name of the new computer will not be saved
in the list --- no changes in the table takes place.
But, when you access the same machine the next time, you
will have to see the same prompt once again. If you get
tired of this, it is probably time to upgrade your site-
license with a larger limit.
Adding a Computer as a Registered Host:
As an alternative to the automated management of registered hosts
by XXCOPY, you may explicitly add a computer name to the list.
xxcopy /addhost:<computer_name>
You may even create a batch file with the current list of
computer names for the registered hosts,
For example,
register_hosts.bat (edit the host name portions)
--------------------------------------------------
xxcopy /addhost:Server_John
xxcopy /addhost:Server_Pete
xxcopy /addhost:Server_Mary
xxcopy /addhost:Server_Greg
xxcopy /addhost:Server_Mike
xxcopy /addhost:Server_Kate
xxcopy /addhost:Server_Alex
xxcopy /addhost:Server_Rich
xxcopy /addhost:Server_Zach
--------------------------------------------------
Note that this (or similar batch file with a /ADDHOST function)
batch file instigate user prompts. This batch file is not for
unattended operation. It still provide a convenient way to
specify the contents of the registered hosts list maintained by
XXCOPY in the system registry.
With the use of the /ADDHOST function and specifying all members
of the desired roster when your network environment is being
changed, you can prevent an unanticipated user prompt due to
an unregistered host.
© Copyright 2010 Pixelab, Inc. All rights reserved.
