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vrf Number Of Runs For VXE

Question asked by VRFuser on Nov 25, 2003

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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"><HTML><HEAD><META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"><META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR><STYLE></STYLE></HEAD><BODY bgColor=#ffffff><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi,</FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I think I'll do it like Stefan would do:</FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>NO MONEY OR SIGNED CONTRACT --> NO CODE.</FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks for the inputs</FONT> <FONT face=Arial size=2>on DLL and TIME TERMINATION, the last being a very interesting idea, because it's easy to do!</FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Nevertheless I found, that Stefan's approach is the best without having to worry!</FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks again</FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Peter</FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A href="http://www.pcmess.com">www.pcmess.com</A></FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Birkenweg 8</FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>D-87677 Stoettwang</FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>+49-8345-482</FONT></DIV>---<BR>You are currently subscribed to vrf as: rsb@soco.agilent.com<BR>To subscribe send a blank email to "join-vrf@it.lists.it.agilent.com".<BR>To unsubscribe send a blank email to "leave-vrf@it.lists.it.agilent.com".<BR>To send messages to this mailing list, email "vrf@agilent.com". <BR>If you need help with the mailing list send a message to "owner-vrf@it.lists.it.agilent.com".</BODY></HTML>

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VRFuser Nov 24, 2003 11:06 PM
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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"><HTML><HEAD><META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"><META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR><STYLE></STYLE></HEAD><BODY bgColor=#ffffff><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi,</FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>since I'm mainly writing programs, which are useable only for the specific customer, it is often necessary to send -what I call preliminary vxe-files- to the customer to check:</FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>- if this is ok, if he wants something done better and so forth.</FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>These programs are always NO DEMOS, but real executables.</FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>To prevent customers from using only the preliminary vxe-files and not buying the real ones, which is from my point of view to be understood, I'd like to set a certain NUMBER OF RUNS for that specific program. </FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I know that this can only be done by writing "something to a certain file elsewhere", because the vxe can't change itself (?).</FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>(Maybe this is a problem for SHAWN !)</FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Has anybody an idea how to do it?</FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My idea is to write a new file into i.e. ../bitmaps of vee-runtime-folder (i.e. instr.ico, which in fact is a text-file containing the number of runs so far). But this is so easy to be detected, because the date of change will be shown !</FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Still any GOOD ideas ?</FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'll be very glad if...!</FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Peter</FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A href="http://www.pcmess.com">www.pcmess.com</A><BR>Birkenweg 8<BR>D-87677 Stoettwang<BR>Tel: +498345482</FONT></DIV>---<BR>You are currently subscribed to vrf as: rsb@soco.agilent.com<BR>To subscribe send a blank email to "join-vrf@it.lists.it.agilent.com".<BR>To unsubscribe send a blank email to "leave-vrf@it.lists.it.agilent.com".<BR>To send messages to this mailing list, email "vrf@agilent.com". <BR>If you need help with the mailing list send a message to "owner-vrf@it.lists.it.agilent.com".</BODY></HTML>
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PacoLopez Nov 24, 2003 11:22 PM
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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"><HTML><HEAD><META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><TITLE>Message</TITLE><META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1264" name=GENERATOR><STYLE></STYLE></HEAD><BODY bgColor=#ffffff><DIV><DIV><SPAN class=351151814-25112003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Hi,</FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV><SPAN class=351151814-25112003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV><DIV><SPAN class=351151814-25112003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2> In the past, in my VB programs I used a silly DLL that had to be in the same directory of the application. I did a binary writing in a position of the DLL with the number, maintaining the creation, modification and access dates, so the user had to do a binary comparison from the original DLL (with no runs recorded) with the current DLL. Another posibility: use the registry, if possible a key of a program that you already know installed in the system (Internet Explorer), so the user cannot easily check for a new entry called 'YourVEEProgramName".</FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV><SPAN class=351151814-25112003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV><DIV><SPAN class=351151814-25112003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2> Best regards,</FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV><SPAN class=351151814-25112003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV><DIV><SPAN class=351151814-25112003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2> Paco</FONT></SPAN></DIV></DIV><BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV></DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> P.Weber-pcmess [mailto:p.weber@pcmess.de] <BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, November 25, 2003 3:07 PM<BR><B>To:</B> VRF<BR><B>Subject:</B> [vrf] Number Of Runs For VXE<BR><BR></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>since I'm mainly writing programs, which are useable only for the specific customer, it is often necessary to send -what I call preliminary vxe-files- to the customer to check:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>- if this is ok, if he wants something done better and so forth.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>These programs are always NO DEMOS, but real executables.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>To prevent customers from using only the preliminary vxe-files and not buying the real ones, which is from my point of view to be understood, I'd like to set a certain NUMBER OF RUNS for that specific program. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I know that this can only be done by writing "something to a certain file elsewhere", because the vxe can't change itself (?).</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>(Maybe this is a problem for SHAWN !)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Has anybody an idea how to do it?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My idea is to write a new file into i.e. ../bitmaps of vee-runtime-folder (i.e. instr.ico, which in fact is a text-file containing the number of runs so far). But this is so easy to be detected, because the date of change will be shown !</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Still any GOOD ideas ?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'll be very glad if...!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Peter</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A href="http://www.pcmess.com">www.pcmess.com</A><BR>Birkenweg 8<BR>D-87677 Stoettwang<BR>Tel: +498345482</FONT></DIV>---<BR>You are currently subscribed to vrf as: paco.lopez@hp.com<BR>To subscribe send a blank email to "join-vrf@it.lists.it.agilent.com".<BR>To unsubscribe send a blank email to "leave-vrf@it.lists.it.agilent.com".<BR>To send messages to this mailing list, email "vrf@agilent.com". <BR>If you need help with the mailing list send a message to "owner-vrf@it.lists.it.agilent.com". </BLOCKQUOTE>---<BR>You are currently subscribed to vrf as: rsb@soco.agilent.com<BR>To subscribe send a blank email to "join-vrf@it.lists.it.agilent.com".<BR>To unsubscribe send a blank email to "leave-vrf@it.lists.it.agilent.com".<BR>To send messages to this mailing list, email "vrf@agilent.com". <BR>If you need help with the mailing list send a message to "owner-vrf@it.lists.it.agilent.com".</BODY></HTML>
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jatkin Nov 25, 2003 9:12 PM
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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"><html><head><META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10 (filtered)"><title>Message</title><style></style></head><body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=blue><div class=Section1><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Hi Peter,</span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>There is a product I have used in the pastfor exactly this purpose; a Hardware dongle produced by a company calledMicrocosm. The 'Dinkey2' version allows you to secure up toseveral applications to it and is remote updatable via a long update code -features include time expire, no or runs etc.... </span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Now, the only problem with a Dongle solutionsuch as this one is that you need to link an Object file into your compiledapplication or secure a packaged DLL for applications that are not compiled(such as VEE). The DLL method is Ok, but it does leave some security holes -such as someone could rewrite the DLL with the same function names to emulatethe security DLL, and simply return 'Ok'!</span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I found that the best way (and prettysecure) is to write your own DLL in a language such as C/C++ and staticallylink the Object file. The 'security Check' call could then not bea simple "Secure Yes/No", but maybe pass a random Key to thesecurity library for it to encode and return back. Based on the key returned,you could ascertain whether or not the library has returned a Secure/No Secureanswer. This way, without knowing how the encryption algorithm is performed,it would be VERY difficult to emulate the Library.</span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>By the way, I am not associated withMicrocosm in any way, I just spent quite some time trying to find an economicalsolution to security of VEE applications. With the Dinkey range at prices ofbetween 10 and 17 per dongle (depending on how upgradeable you want them) I couldn'tfind any better alternatives!</span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I hope this helps,</span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>James</span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:36.0pt'><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> P.Weber-pcmess[mailto:p.weber@pcmess.de]
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> </span></font><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>Tuesday, November 25, 2003</span></font><font size=2 face=Tahoma><spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> </span></font><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>3:07 PM</span></font><fontsize=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> </span></font><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>VRF</span></font><fontsize=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [vrf] Number Of Runs ForVXE</span></font></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Hi,</span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=3face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>since I'm mainly writing programs,which are useable only for the specific customer, it is often necessary to send-what I call preliminary vxe-files- to the customer to check:</span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>- if this is ok, if he wantssomething done better and so forth.</span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>These programs are always NO DEMOS,but real executables.</span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>To prevent customers from using onlythe preliminary vxe-files and not buying the real ones, which is from my pointof view to be understood, I'd like to set a certain NUMBER OF RUNSfor that specific program. </span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=3face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>I know that this can only be done bywriting "something to a certain file elsewhere", because the vxecan't change itself (?).</span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>(Maybe this is a problem for SHAWN!)</span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=3face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Has anybody an idea how to do it?</span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=3face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>My idea is to write a new file intoi.e. ../bitmaps of vee-runtime-folder (i.e. instr.ico, which in fact is atext-file containing the number of runs so far). But this is so easy to bedetected, because the date of change will be shown !</span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=3face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Still any GOOD ideas ?</span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=3face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>I'll be very glad if...!</span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=3face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Peter</span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><spanstyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><a href="http://www.pcmess.com">www.pcmess.com</a>
Birkenweg 8
D-87677 Stoettwang
Tel: +498345482</span></font></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=3face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>---
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