Computer system identification

Borut Lesjak (2008) Computer system identification. EngD thesis.

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Abstract

The concept of computer system identity in computer science bears just as much importance as does the identity of an individual in a human society. Nevertheless, the identity of a computer system is incomparably harder to determine, because there is no standard system of identification we could use and, moreover, a computer system during its life-time is quite indefinite, since all of its regular and necessary hardware and software upgrades soon make it almost unrecognizable: after a number of components have been replaced, it becomes increasingly more difficult to state that we are dealing with the same computer at all. IN THIS WORK WE TOOK AN ANALYTICAL APPROACH. FIRST WE PROPERLY DEFINED WHAT IS IT THAT REALLY DETERMINES THE IDENTITY OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM. WE PRESENTED BASIC IDENTIFIERS. A CONCLUSION HAS BEEN REACHED THAT NO INDIVIDUAL IDENTIFIER BY ITSELF CAN SUCCESSFULLY DETERMINE THE IDENTITY OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM, BUT THAT WE NEED A COOPERATION AMONG THEM. WE INTRODUCED THE CONCEPT OF A COMPOUND IDENTIFIER. WITH THAT WE FOLLOWED A SIMPLE PREMISE: TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE. IN THIS CASE, A NUMBER OF IDENTIFIERS, THAT ARE NOT VERY DETERMINING EACH BY ITSELF, TOGETHER COMBINE TO A GREATER LEVEL OF DEPENDABILITY AND COME CLOSER TO THE IDEAL OF UNIVERSALLY UNIQUE IDENTIFIER. The result of our work is a program library, which is completely adaptable and upgradeable. Our research has, in fact, shown that a solution to this problem lies not in a final and static "perfect" product, but instead in a dynamic and adaptable structure that can by modified by the users with respect to the demands of their domain. THE ESSENTIAL POINT OF OUR WORK IS THE CORE OF THE LIBRARY, WHICH THOUGHTFULLY IMPLEMENTS THE NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR CREATING THE INDIVIDUAL IDENTIFIERS AND FOR COMBINING THEM INTO THE HIERARCHICAL COMPOUND ENTITIES. AT THE SAME TIME, THE LIBRARY IS FULLY OPERATIONAL AND READY TO BE USED WITH PREPARED HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE IDENTIFIERS THAT ARE ABLE TO DETERMINE THE IDENTITY OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM WITH GREAT RELIABILITY.

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