Comments on: SonicWall server glitch leaves networks unprotected

Outage at licensing server disables subscription-based security services for at least several hours.

[tekwiz4u]

I'm not really a big fan for subscription based software. These type of software not only puts the customerat risk, but it brings forefront that customers are held hostage if anything were to happen with authentication servers. Same goes with Symantec, Trend Micro, and others that employ this type of technology. If you pay for a years license, it should be hardcoded into the customer product, and have it talk to the server when it nears the license expiration date. That way if they're offline, the network is still protected. Not to the other way around. This company is a EPIC fail.

[Dalkorian]

Exactly, I couldn't agree more.

[humanssssss]

The whole objective of every company is to hold their customers hostage. You want to get as much money from your customers as possible before they leave and never come back.

[gggg sssss]

same issues w saleforce, netledger, soon microsoft, google apps, amazon services. Never never never allow your clients to buy into one of these house of cards schemes. You dont want some server jockey to forget to plug it in and have your whole busness crash around your ears. And the new MS WGA seems to be an opportunity for disaster as well.

[Dalkorian]

WGA is the exact reason I'm a known hater of all things M$. Not only is there the issue you see (server down - computer denied to owner), but an update can do this as well when the update has a bug in it (that's what bit me).

I wouldn't use winblows for anything but a powerful game console if it was the last OS on the planet. Linux rules!

[Sausagebiscuit]

This is called DRM. Your software has to phone home in order to stay working. This is a prime example of why DRM is hated so much. It is not just games that have DRM, as you can see here. This might not be as bad as say SecuROM system-wise, but it still leaves you without access to a product you paid for because some server failed somewhere be it hardware issue or some whack job working on it and breaks it.

Any software that has to phone home to keep working is no software I will ever use.