Can random numbers replace serial numbers?
Steve Gaskill
sgaskill at QNTM.COM
Tue Jun 3 16:26:30 PDT 1997
* From the SCSI Reflector (scsi at symbios.com), posted by:
* sgaskill at qntm.com (Steve Gaskill)
*
Pat ponders:
> On the third hand, for the purpose of such things as SCAM,
> I've sometimes wondered if something like a 64-bit random
> number would be, as a practical matter, indistinguishable
> from a distinct serial number.
If the device always returned the SAME random number then this might
work pretty well...up until a collision occurs between two like
devices. If the random number was different each time the device
powered up, the initiator might be unable to determine which device to
boot from. If you are lucky enough to boot, the O.S. may not be able
to distinguish among like devices (two CD-ROM drives of the same
model).
Windows NT writes a signature on each disk drive so that it can figure
out which drive is which, even after other drives have been added to
or removed from the system. However, this won't work on read-only
devices or on removable devices with no media installed.
After all of the hype about SCAM (from the device people), I'm pretty
disappointed that the operating system folks have yet to do anything
with it. For now it's just another buzzword on the marketing feature
list.
regards,
steve gaskill
sgaskill at qntm.com
*
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