CISC AS/400 LIC Tapes: Difference between revisions

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Older, '''CISC AS/400''' might have needed magnetic '''tapes''' with the hardware specific '''LIC''' saved to it. MULIC is a very small binary blob, less than 1 MB in size.
Older, '''CISC AS/400''' might have needed magnetic '''tapes''' with the hardware specific '''LIC''' saved to it.


At some point in time, there was information available which LIC-Tape to use for which group, or class, of machines. The following text is literally taken from the weblink provided at the end of this article.
These come in two flavors:
* '''M'''odel '''U'''nique '''L'''icensed '''I'''nternal '''C'''ode, and
* '''F'''eature '''U'''nique '''L'''icensed '''I'''nternal '''C'''ode, associated with the newer ''Advanced'' series models, most often featuring a black case.
 
These LIC are very small binary blobs, less than 1 MB in size, and have hard-coded the system type (e. g. 9406), model (e. g. 200), and serial number.
 
<blockquote>'''Note!''' It appears that the MULIC tape is needed only when the load source (aka: boot) disk is exchanged. A reinstall of LIC and OS does erase all of the disk's contents '''but''' MULIC. More evidence is required to support this claim, though. It has worked for a P02, and P03, so far. Sector-based backups of at least the load source disk is advised to not lose the MULIC part of a disk, along with the "personalized" parameters of the individual machine — aka. serial number.<p>
 
It's very likely that changing *ULIC from external sources forces a change of the system's serial number, and thus an invalidation of the system password. So far, this password is calculated from system components — kind of a hashing algorithm —, and up to today can only be calculated by IBM.</blockquote>
 
== LIC ==
According to Steve Bisel, the following RPQs were available for ordering from IBM:
{|class="wikitable"
!RPQ Number
!AS/400 Model and Tape Media
|-
|S40302
|9406 Bxx - Fxx models, MULIC tape, all media types except 8&thinsp;mm on B models
|-
|S40347
|9406 Bxx models, MULIC tape with 8&thinsp;mm media
|-
|S40370
|9402/9404 Bxx - Fxx models, MULIC QIC
|-
|S40371
|9404 Bxx - Fxx models, MULIC ½" cartridge
|-
|S40372
|9402/9404 Bxx - Fxx models, MULIC ½" reel
|-
|S40373
|9402/9404 Bxx - Fxx models, MULIC 8&thinsp;mm cartridge
|-
|843819
|9402/9404 3xx models, FULIC ½" cartridge
|-
|843820
|9402/9404 3xx models, FULIC ½" reel
|-
|843818
|9402/9404 3xx models, FULIC QIC
|-
|843821
|9402/9404 3xx models, FULIC 8&thinsp;mm cartridge
|-
|843817
|9402/9404 3xx models, FULIC all media types
|-
|}
 
The following text from around 2015 is literally taken from the weblink provided at the end of this article.


843916 - This RPQ is used to order a Bxx/Cxx ''All Models'' MULIC tape that has all the MULIC required for the B10, B20, B30, B35, B40, B45, B50, B60, B70, C06, C10, C20, and C25 models on one tape. MULIC is not required on the C04 model.
843916 - This RPQ is used to order a Bxx/Cxx ''All Models'' MULIC tape that has all the MULIC required for the B10, B20, B30, B35, B40, B45, B50, B60, B70, C06, C10, C20, and C25 models on one tape. MULIC is not required on the C04 model.
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So, from the above list, it can be devised which models do not require MULIC/FULIC. For example,  P03 models with processor 2115 and above need a tape, while P03 machines with CPU type 2114 do not.
So, from the above list, it can be devised which models do not require MULIC/FULIC. For example,  P03 models with processor 2115 and above need a tape, while P03 machines with CPU type 2114 do not.
<blockquote>'''Note!''' It appears that the MULIC tape is needed only when the load source (aka: boot) disk is exchanged. A reinstall of LIC and OS does erase all of the disk's contents '''but''' MULIC. More evidence is required to support this claim, though. It has worked for a P02, and P03, so far. Sector-based backups of at least the load source disk is advised to not lose the MULIC part of a disk.<p>
It's possible that changing MULIC triggers a change of the system's serial number, and thus an invalidation of the system password. So far, this password is calculated from system components — kind of a hashing algorithm —, and up to today can only be calculated by IBM.</blockquote>


== See also ==
== See also ==
* [[Copying disks with Linux]]
* [[Copying disks with Linux]]
* Steve Bisel, AS/400 Power Tips and Techniques, First ed. June 1995 covering OS/400 V3R1, ISBN 1-883884-13-6


== Weblinks ==
== Weblinks ==

Revision as of 14:50, 20 February 2022

Older, CISC AS/400 might have needed magnetic tapes with the hardware specific LIC saved to it.

These come in two flavors:

  • Model Unique Licensed Internal Code, and
  • Feature Unique Licensed Internal Code, associated with the newer Advanced series models, most often featuring a black case.

These LIC are very small binary blobs, less than 1 MB in size, and have hard-coded the system type (e. g. 9406), model (e. g. 200), and serial number.

Note! It appears that the MULIC tape is needed only when the load source (aka: boot) disk is exchanged. A reinstall of LIC and OS does erase all of the disk's contents but MULIC. More evidence is required to support this claim, though. It has worked for a P02, and P03, so far. Sector-based backups of at least the load source disk is advised to not lose the MULIC part of a disk, along with the "personalized" parameters of the individual machine — aka. serial number.

It's very likely that changing *ULIC from external sources forces a change of the system's serial number, and thus an invalidation of the system password. So far, this password is calculated from system components — kind of a hashing algorithm —, and up to today can only be calculated by IBM.

LIC

According to Steve Bisel, the following RPQs were available for ordering from IBM:

RPQ Number AS/400 Model and Tape Media
S40302 9406 Bxx - Fxx models, MULIC tape, all media types except 8 mm on B models
S40347 9406 Bxx models, MULIC tape with 8 mm media
S40370 9402/9404 Bxx - Fxx models, MULIC QIC
S40371 9404 Bxx - Fxx models, MULIC ½" cartridge
S40372 9402/9404 Bxx - Fxx models, MULIC ½" reel
S40373 9402/9404 Bxx - Fxx models, MULIC 8 mm cartridge
843819 9402/9404 3xx models, FULIC ½" cartridge
843820 9402/9404 3xx models, FULIC ½" reel
843818 9402/9404 3xx models, FULIC QIC
843821 9402/9404 3xx models, FULIC 8 mm cartridge
843817 9402/9404 3xx models, FULIC all media types

The following text from around 2015 is literally taken from the weblink provided at the end of this article.

843916 - This RPQ is used to order a Bxx/Cxx All Models MULIC tape that has all the MULIC required for the B10, B20, B30, B35, B40, B45, B50, B60, B70, C06, C10, C20, and C25 models on one tape. MULIC is not required on the C04 model.

843917 - This RPQ is used to order a Dxx All Models MULIC tape that provides all the MULIC required for the D06, D10, D20, D25, D35, D45, D50, D60, D70, and D80 models on one tape. MULIC is not required on the D02 and D04 models.

843953 - This RPQ is used to order a Exx/Fxx All Models MULIC tape that provides all the MULIC required for the E04, E06, E10, E20, E25, E35, E45, E50, E60, E70, E80, E90, E95, F04, F06, F10, F20, F25, F35, F45, F50, F60, F70, F80, F90, F95, F97, P01, P02, 100, 135, and 140 models all on one tape. MULIC is not required on the A02, E02, and F02 models.

843954 - This RPQ is used to order an All Models FULIC tape that provides all the FULIC required for the P03, 10S, 20S, 200, 300, 310, 320, and 30S models. The All Models FULIC tape will have the FULIC for the 2010, 2031, 2032, 2040, 2041, 2042, 2043, 2044, 2050, 2051, 2052, 2115, 2116, 2117, 2411, and 2412 processor feature codes. FULIC is not required for processor feature codes 2030 and 2114.

So, from the above list, it can be devised which models do not require MULIC/FULIC. For example, P03 models with processor 2115 and above need a tape, while P03 machines with CPU type 2114 do not.

See also

  • Copying disks with Linux
  • Steve Bisel, AS/400 Power Tips and Techniques, First ed. June 1995 covering OS/400 V3R1, ISBN 1-883884-13-6

Weblinks

Retrieved from "http://try-as400.pocnet.net/index.php?title=CISC_AS/400_LIC_Tapes&oldid=1066"