Understanding Basic Concepts

Computer Fingerprints and Locking Codes

Many applications are licensed to run on specific computers. Any restrictions on which computers may run the application are stored in the license code. When an application is purchased, a license code must be created which includes the information needed to identify a specific computer.

Information that can be used to identify a computer is called its fingerprint. This information might include the computer’s network address or attached Computer ID key. Your vendor can select how much of this information is required to establish a computer’s identity. The first step in creating a license code that is restricted to a particular computer is to run a utility that collects the information your vendor requires for computer identification. This utility collects this information and outputs a locking code that is a number based upon the collected information.

You provide this locking code to your vendor using a telephone or the Internet and your vendor produces a license code that specifies all authorized uses and includes the locking code.

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