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Are Recovery Disks Brand Specific?
Stoic Joker:
And there's also a new issue that may become problematic down the road. HP has started a new policy of restricting free and open access to driver and BIOS updates for their servers. If you don't have a support subscription - no driver downloads for you! It will be interesting to see if other manufacturers follow suit - or if the practice spreads to desk and laptop models.-40hz (May 12, 2014, 08:28 AM)
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:huh: ...Are you talking about this error popping up on a driver search??
I've been running across it for a year or so, but generally found it to be an erroneous error that basically implied either the search was bad, or the site was flaking out (again..). Given that HP's site is always flaking out somewhere to some degree...the latter was the most popular assumption.
HP is also notoriously touchy about which number you use to lookup a device. If I try typing in ProLiant DL380, I get a bunch of scattered older generation stuff that is useless. If I try to be more specific and type ProLiant DL380 G8, I get one useless result for a riser card. However if I type in the (much preferred...) HP part number 670853-S01 what I'm after then magically appears with no restrictions. But HP has always been a bit funny that way.
Or did you read something else that said they were instating a policy shift? Dumping driver download onto the support staff sounds like a great way to inspire a revolt to me.
I'm just curious, because I've heard nothing about this ... And you'd think that kind of think would get mentioned in the news letter...Ya know?
40hz:
did you read something else that said they were instating a policy shift? Dumping driver download onto the support staff sounds like a great way to inspire a revolt to me.
I'm just curious, because I've heard nothing about this ... And you'd think that kind of think would get mentioned in the news letter...Ya know?
-Stoic Joker (May 12, 2014, 11:46 AM)
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Per PC World:
HP starts charging for server firmware updates
PC owners probably don’t give firmware updates much thought and rarely, if ever, seek them out directly. Enthusiasts and small businesses running low-end servers, on the other hand, have a keener interest in firmware since sometimes skipping an update can be fatal for their investment.
But getting those firmware updates for Hewlett-Packard’s servers are about to get a little more difficult. HP says that beginning next Wednesday, February 19, it will effectively start charging for access to firmware updates through the company’s support center. Only customers with an active warranty, an HP Care Pack subscription, or support agreement will be able to download the updates directly from HP.
Previously, HP firmware updates were freely available.
“This decision reinforces our goal to provide access to the latest HP firmware, which is valuable intellectual property, for our customers who have chosen to maximize and protect their IT investments,” HP’s Mary McCoy vice president for technology services said in a blog post.
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Here's McCoy's blog post mentioned in the above article.
And here's the official FAQ.
Apparently "safety & security" related patches will still be made freely available. At least for the time being according to the FAQ. But everything else (performance/enhanced features/etc.) is pay to play.
The official response from HP is:
“These changes will provide our customers with a consistent experience for downloading ProLiant firmware and SPP based on product level entitlement.”
Interesting that "based on product level entitlement" part. Guess HP figured they were leaving money on the table and decided to protect their authorized support partner channel members with that one. Looks like they feel too many non-authorized (and more cost effective) support orgs are poaching on their "rightful" turf.
It's been all over the web AFAICT:
Spoiler HP Restricting Access to Server Firmware Updates | LINDSAY HILL
Feb 9, 2014 ... HP Restricting Access to Server Firmware Updates ... So now when we go to download updates we are going to have to ensure that those ...
www.lkhill.com/hp-restricting-access-to-server-firmware-updates/ - View by Ixquick Proxy - Highlight
HP clampdown on 'unauthorised' server fixing to start in January ...
Dec 23, 2013 ... Exclusive Hewlett-Packard will start restricting who is allowed to fix its ... and Service Pack for ProLiant (SPP) access for ProLiant Servers that will protect ... will see HP "create a consistent customer experience for downloading ...
www.theregister.co.uk/2013/12/23/hewlett_packard_support_clampdown/ - View by Ixquick Proxy - Highlight
HP starts charging for server firmware updates | PCWorld
Feb 10, 2014 ... Hewlett-Packard says its firware updates for servers are valuable ... or support agreement will be able to download the updates directly from HP. ... It's not clear if HP will restrict access to critical firmware updates that are ...
www.pcworld.com/ article/ 2095434/ hp-starts-charging-for-server-firmware-updates.html - View by Ixquick Proxy - Highlight
HP Proliant Servers - Solutions to Common Download Problems
To access download files availabel on the HP Business Support Center web site, you .... See "What do I do if my company firewall restricts access to ftp" below.
h20564.www2.hp.com/ portal/ site/ hpsc/ template.PUBLIC_SP4TS_REDIRECTOR/ bizsupport/ TechSupport/ Document.jsp?objectID=c01844814 - View by Ixquick Proxy - Highlight
HP to begin charging for firmware updates and service packs - ZDNet
Feb 8, 2014 ... Beginning this month, HP is restricting access to firmware updates and .... But downloads for Cisco servers (the Cisco Unified Computing ...
www.zdnet.com/ hp-to-begin-charging-for-firmware-updates-and-service-packs-for-serve rs-7000026110/ - View by Ixquick Proxy - Highlight
HP to restrict access to ProLiant service packs and firmware updates ...
Feb 10, 2014 ... HP server customers will need an active warranty, HP Care Pack or ... is required to access the latest firmware updates and SPP downloads.
www.v3.co.uk/ v3-uk/ news/ 2327963/ hp-to-restrict-access-to-proliant-service-packs-and-firmware-updates - View by Ixquick Proxy - Highlight
HP Adds Restrictions to Server Patching - Tom's IT Pro
Dec 26, 2013 ... HP plans to stamp out the under-cutting support services allowing only ... Service Pack for ProLiant (SPP) access for ProLiant Servers that will protect ... will see HP "create a consistent customer experience for downloading ...
www.tomsitpro.com/ articles/ hp-service-updates-proliant-servers, 1-1508.html - View by Ixquick Proxy - Highlight
hardware - HP plan to restrict access to ProLiant server firmware ...
Essentially, you must have active warranty and support on your servers in order to access firmware downloads (and presumably, the HP Service Pack for ...
www.serverfault.com/ questions/ 571933/ hp-plan-to-restrict-access-to-proliant-server-firmware-consequences - View by Ixquick Proxy - Highlight
HP Restricts ProLiant Firmware Updates to Warranty Customers ...
Feb 12, 2014 ... HP is restricting access to firmware and service pack upgrades for its ... HP's Mary McCoy says ProLiant server BIOS and other firmware updates are ... easily accessible way for our customers to download firmware updates.
www.thevarguy.com/ computer-technology-hardware-solutions-and-news/ 021214/ hp-restricts-proliant-firmware-updates-warranty-cust - View by Ixquick Proxy - Highlight
iTWire - Hewlett-Packard to restrict ProLiant firmware and driver ...
Feb 5, 2014 ... If your business is running HP ProLiant servers you'll know that HP makes ... To use these drivers you could either download stand-alone drivers or, ... Select server firmware and SPP on these products will only be accessed ...
www.itwire.com/ opinion-and-analysis/ the-wired-cio/ 63021-hewlett-packard-to-restrict-proliant-firmware-and-driver-update s - View by Ixquick Proxy - Highlight
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8)
Addendum: If I go to the support download page based on the p/n you gave, I see "Entitlement Required" for Smart Update, the Service Pack (SPP), the Maintenance Bundle for SPP, and BIOS. Most seem to still be capable of being downloaded however. (AFAIK the Smart-stuff always required a subscription, so that's no surprise.)
They do, however, have this language on some of the download pages:
These downloads are available for customers according to the terms in the HP Software License Agreement. Certain software may require a valid warranty, current support contract with HP, or a license fee.
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I wonder if maybe they've backed off on some of this in practice - even though not officially?
Stoic Joker:
Well, shit. I never generally pay much attention to news about HP, as most of it's marketing crap and I figure if it's really that important they'll tell us. But this would have been handy to know back before the deadline so a few things could have been saved while still accessible. :-\
...Then again I could have just missed it. I do have a tendency to reflexively gloss past certain - draconian corporate - terms that conflict with my definition of fair use... That and I make it a policy not to trust anyone that uses terms like synergistic fiscal lubrication.
But thus is the appeal of the dark side, where things really do just work...because that's the way they were made - or remade as the case may by.
40hz:
Note: the license for that OEM copy of Windows that ships with a PC is not transferable and is legally for use only on the machine it originally shipped with. That's why it cost much less than the full retail version Microsoft would be happy to sell you. Not to say an OEM licensed copy of Windows can't be physically installed and validated on another machine. But it is a EULA violation to do do.
Just sayin' ;)
-40hz (May 12, 2014, 08:28 AM)
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For the record - this is not fully true in Germany:
from an(y) ebay.de reseller of OEM Windows 7 -
Lizenzbestimmung: Durch das Urteil des Bundesgerichtshofs wurde der Verkauf von OEM-Versionen und DSP-Versionen ohne zugehörige Hardware erlaubt. Daher dürfen Sie diese Lizenz auf jedem xbeliebigem Rechner einsetzen. Dies ist im Bundesgerichtshof Urteil vom 06.07.2000 - I ZR 244/97 auch eindeutig dokumentiert.
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roughly: the courts ruled that OEM versions may be sold without related hardware.
FWIW, they usually resell Dell OEM's
-tomos (May 12, 2014, 10:03 AM)
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Most interesting! More on that here.
Glad to see the EU courts aren't falling for the arguments used in the US to abrogate a buyer's 'first sale' rights.
Thx for sharing that. :Thmbsup:
40hz:
But this would have been handy to know back before the deadline so a few things could have been saved while still accessible. :-\
...Then again I could have just missed it.
-Stoic Joker (May 12, 2014, 01:48 PM)
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I doubt it. They seemed to be trying to keep it off the radar as much as possible without being too obvious about it. I do read most of the HP propaganda and I don't recall seeing it talked up in any of the normal pubic announcements. They probably only really gave it significant mention in the partner channel communiques. (And I don't get those any more.)
I do have a tendency to reflexively gloss past certain - draconian corporate - terms that conflict with my definition of fair use...
-Stoic Joker (May 12, 2014, 01:48 PM)
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Yup. And I'm sure they're hoping most people will continue to do just that... :-\
Because the devil is in the details. And the rabbit punches and "liver jabs" are often found in the fine print. Usually somewhere halfway down on page 88 of 173. :tellme:
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