Planning the Infrastructure Implementation › Infrastructure Component Considerations › Computer Identification in Client Automation

Computer Identification in Client Automation

Client Automation assigns each managed computer a CA Technologies-specific Universal Unique Identifier (UUID). It is stored on each computer at the following locations:

Windows registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\ComputerAssociates\HostUUID

Linux/UNIX:

/etc/cadmuuid

The CA ITCM application framework (CAF) checks the locations for a CA Technologies-specific UUID periodically. If a UUID is found, CAF assumes that this asset has already been registered in the database. If the UUID is not found, CAF creates a new UUID and registers the asset to the database.

If you have copied an installation (physical dump of the hard disk using an imaging tool such as GHOST or image file of a virtual machine using a tool such as VMware) to install on another computer or to use as a backup, the copied installation contains a CA-specific UUID of the original computer. If you start the copied installation on a computer other than the original one, the CA-specific UUID would appear twice.

To prevent the duplication of CA-specific UUID, Client Automation performs the following actions:

1. When CAF starts or when the “caf register” command is issued, an algorithm that verifies if the target computer is the original computer or another computer is executed.
2. If the target computer is the original computer, the original CA-specific UUID is used; else, a new CA-specific UUID is created.

To detect the need for a unique CA-specific UUID, CA ITCM can use either the default algorithm (recommended) or the legacy algorithm. The algorithm checks for the following characteristics of the target computer against the values in the database:

Virtual machine

System ID (a system BIOS attribute) is the only characteristic checked by the algorithm.

Physical computer

• MAC address compliance

  If one of the MAC addresses matches with one of the original MAC addresses of the target, this criterion is fulfilled.

• Hard disk serial number compliance

  If one of the hard disk serial numbers matches with one of the original hard disk serial numbers of the target, this criterion is fulfilled.

• System ID compliance

  If the System ID matches with the original System ID of the target, this criterion is fulfilled.

A change in the values of the preceding characteristics does not necessarily require a change in the CA-specific UUID. The following are the considerations for the algorithm to initiate a change in the CA-specific UUID:

• A change in the value occurs only if the original value of the characteristic exists in the database and the new value is different from the original value.

  For example, if the old list of MAC addresses is not available in the database for comparison, a change in the CA-specific UUID will not be initiated.

• A change in the value occurs only if the new values of MAC addresses or disk serial numbers match with the existing values in the database.