Stanford Software Librarian Package
The Stanford Software Librarian Package is a copy protection and licensing
program for the Macintosh computer. Its purpose it to prevent users from
copying software from cluster machines to run on their own machines, and to
prevent more than the licensed number of copies of a program from running.
Features:
- License and copy protection of Macintosh applications over the network
- Unix based supervisor/administrator program
- Drag-and-drop tagging (protection) of applications
- Log file generated of application usage
- Use of tagged applications can be restricted to a specific
set of Macintoshes based on hardware ethernet address and/or AppleTalk
net number
- Compatible with 680x0, PowerPC, and "Fat" applications
Possible Future Features (not yet implemented):
- Implement a time limit feature so that tagged applications can only
be run for a specified amount of time
- Write a usage profile application to extract usage information from
the log file
- Include event-driven kerberos user authentication
We would be interested in hearing which of the possible future features above,
or any other possible features, you feel would be a worthy addition to
the product. Please send comments to
[email protected].
Contents:
The Software Librarian Package consists of three parts:
- Software Librarian - a Macintosh extension
- Library Tagger - a drag-and-drop application for tagging applications
- libsup.c - The Library Supervisor program (UNIX)
System Requirements:
- Apple Macintosh computer running System 7.0 (or higher)
- EtherNet or LocalTalk network connection
- A networked UNIX machine running CAP (Columbia AppleTalk Package)
Operational Overview:
As the title of the package suggests, the Stanford Software Librarian package
was built around a library metaphor. Applications to be protected by the
Software Librarian are first "tagged", and the resulting tag file is put in
the Library Supervisor directory. If someone wishes to run a tagged application,
they must have the Software Librarian extension installed on their Macintosh
(and a network connection). When the tagged application is launched, the
Software Librarian contacts the Library Supervisor program running on a Unix
machine and checks to see how many other applications are running, and if the
machine requesting to run the program is authorized to do so.
The goal therefore is to ensure that all of the software in use at any moment
in time has been properly paid for, by enforcing the usage patterns of a
conventional library, without relying on any assumptions about the physical
location of the information or the physical form it takes.
Sales Information:
The Stanford Software Librarian Package is now available for purchase
with a free 30-day trial period.
You may use it free of charge for 30-days. If, after the 30-day
trial period, you continue to use it, the price is $500 per server
(machine running the Library Supervisor program). There is no limit to the
number of clients can be run from a server. (Here at Stanford, we are
currently serving over 300 clients from a single server). Other licensing
schemes are negotiable if this is not acceptable/feaseable for your institution.
Requests for the fully-functional 30-day trial product should be sent to:
[email protected]
Purchase fees should be sent to:
Residential Computing
2nd Floor, Wilbur Hall
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305
Payment may be either a check made out to "Stanford University", or an
institutional Purchase Order form.
For further information, please send e-mail to [email protected],
or call Stanford Residential Computing at (415) 723-4800.
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UNIVERSITY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.