1 Topic by jvalenzuela

  • jvalenzuela
  • Initech programmer
  • Offline
  • From: Orlando, FL
  • Registered: 2007-10-10
  • Posts: 223

Topic: Conman activation

I'm pondering how I'm going to handle the frantic phone call if(when) the computer running Conman dies. Currently I have to load up another machine, send in the key and wait for Peavey to respond, during which there will be ever increasing quantities of 'suits' piling up in the rack room with scowls on their faces and cell phones in their ears. I was wondering if the method for activation could be changed to a hardware key approach, USB and/or parallel. This would allow a spare to come online with minimal delay; move key, start Conman, deploy. It would also avoid difficulties such as I found when I sent in the key for a new install, added a second NIC only to find that the key I originally sent to Peavey is now wrong.

2 Reply by tucan

  • tucan
  • NWare Pioneer
  • Offline
  • From: London
  • Registered: 2007-09-07
  • Posts: 64

Re: Conman activation

How about Coman being a hardware product, so as with any other hardware element you replace it with no worries about licenses.... this would encourage responsible clients to have a spare Conman and a spare Nion in the spares package!

3 Reply by JoshM

  • JoshM
  • JoshM
  • Recording Engineer at Burnt Orange Studio
  • Offline
  • From: Meridian, MS
  • Registered: 2007-08-13
  • Posts: 1,498

Re: Conman activation

Jason-

There is a 30 day trial period with a new installation of Control Manager. With this in mind, if your Control Manager computer were to fail, I would suggest downloading and installing  Control Manager on a different computer and connecting that to your system in place of the broken computer. This would allow you 30 days to repair the original computer and we can sort out the license issue. I should imagine that the computer could easily be repaired and a new activation key sent within that time frame.

That said, I too would like to see a different implementation of Control Manager, as currently it seems overly kludgey and obtuse.

Josh Millward
Burnt Orange Studios

JoshM's Website

4 Reply by jvalenzuela

  • jvalenzuela
  • Initech programmer
  • Offline
  • From: Orlando, FL
  • Registered: 2007-10-10
  • Posts: 223

Re: Conman activation

Tucan: That's one of the reasons I was asking about Conman for a *nix platform. I can cook up a 1RU rackmount appliance computer with a solid state HD, multiple NICs and running Linux pretty easily and cheaply. Even if I pay for a good Linux distro, we're talking like $40. For me, that would be the ideal Conman platform. Another benefit may occur due to that fact that NioNodes seem to share system time amongst themselves, if this also applies to ConMan nodes, I can run NTP on the Conman 'appliance' and now my system time will always be correct.

Josh: Good point about the 30 grace period. Somehow I didn't think of that. However I'd have to keep the installer around, but not installed as the 30 days starts counting after you install it. Downloading it off the web from the jobsite isn't an option(nazi IT department). I mean what good is a T3 if you can't download stuff and play games?

5 Reply by JoshM

  • JoshM
  • JoshM
  • Recording Engineer at Burnt Orange Studio
  • Offline
  • From: Meridian, MS
  • Registered: 2007-08-13
  • Posts: 1,498

Re: Conman activation

So what other features would you like to see in that 1RU box that Jason is talking about?

-NTP
-Scripting
-CAB Control

and???

Josh Millward
Burnt Orange Studios

JoshM's Website