Patent ID: 8769703
Filing Date: 2014-07-01
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
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.