i4target not receiving a valid hardware identification

[fbn]

Hi,

we are running some Virtual Machines on our ESX servers hosting a PDM application.

Unfortunately, the company behind the PDM application decided to use license keys in their new version of the software. To get such a license key, they are requesting hardware identification from the machine running the application with a tool from IBM called i4target.

On a Virtual Machine this tool gives me the following output:

C:\enovia\server\bin\winnt>i4target.exe -O -d {16D9A704-5DEC-4329-8E2C-4A3A60917

B6B}

LUM Target ID

-

---

ffffffff open Open

Which is not a valid hardware identification according to the company behind the PDM application, they say they don't yet support Virtual Machines ... bah

So my question now is if there is a way to create a workaround for the i4target tool to recieve a valid hardware identification? Forwarding the request to the physical network on the ESX machine or something like that?

Thanks,

Frank

[Texiwill]

Hello,

There is no method for this to work within a VM. I urge you to go to the PDM producer and ask them for the proper tools to work within the virtual environment. Using dongles, direct access to hardware for licensing is not the way to go within a VM. It generally does not work and the vendor needs to correct the problem. THere are other posts about this issue, not specifically i4target, on the forums.

Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator

====

Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education. CIO Virtualization Blog: http://www.cio.com/blog/index/topic/168354, As well as the Virtualization Wiki at http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Virtualization

[Ken_Cline]

As Edward suggested, I'd contact your application vendor and tell them that your organization has standardized on VMware Infrastructure to reduce operational costs and complexity. Tell them that all of your systems must operate in a VMware virtual machine - and if they're not willing to accommodate you (you're the one giving them the money!), then you will begin researching alternative vendors who will listen to their customers.

Ken Cline

Technical Director, Virtualization

Wells Landers[/url]

VMware Communities User Moderator

[fbn]

Hi,

thanks for your suggestions about my issue. I already purged the PDM company to support VMs again, but they told me that's a process for engineering which means I have to wait. A long time.

I thought that there would be a workaround for VMs until it's fixed by the manufacturer but I understand that it is not possible.

Frank

[estadler]

We have been working with IBM Japan regarding this issue, and there is now a solution. Their newest i4target.exe version 4.6.8 does produce a LUM Target ID.

[GRuano]

Has anyone found a workaround for this?

I recently virtualized a server and found that this i4target does not let the license service start properly.  I recieve this error:

*** Warning: i4target unable to generate targetId on virtual platform

I see that I am running i4target Version 4.6.8.15 for Windows.