DrivePool data reported to Covecube?

[Matt H.]

I've recently purchased DrivePool to start replacing MS StorageSpaces and have been playing with it in various forms to get used it it's features. I setup a simple 3 drive USB pool, loaded it with a few files, and attempted to transfer it to a test laptop running a trial version to see how the pool moves in practice.

 

Within a period of time it told me I had to transfer my license to said machine to continue to use the trial. If I blocked all communication via the firewall, the message would not pop up.

 

While I have no issue wanting to protect the trial and keep people from mis-using it, it made me wonder what DrivePool (my purchased copy) is reporting back? Is my pool uniquely identified and stored somewhere offsite that is referenced for other uses? I ask this mostly for a security/privacy standpoint.

[Christopher (Drashna)]

Straight from Alex:
 

Regarding license validation, the current behavior is as follows:
 
StableBit DrivePool:

• A license transfer will be offered, if for example you update your BIOS/UEFI firmware. That will change one of your system's hardware factors and will allow you to re-marry your license with the new factor. No communications with the StableBit server need to take place in order to offer a license transfer. The existing cryptographically signed license blob (which was retrieved from the server when you activated your license) is simply validated against your existing system.
• Periodic background license validation with the StableBit server is not currently enabled for this product.

StableBit CloudDrive:

• License transfers are offered as described above.
• Your license will be validated weekly with the StableBit server. If the server cannot be contacted, your license is put into a "grace period" for 30 days, which will give you the chance to restore communications with the StableBit server. After 30 days, if your license cannot be validated, it will go into a deactivated state (no transfers are involved here).

As far as:
"Within a period of time it told me I had to transfer my license to said machine to continue to use the trial. If I blocked all communication via the firewall, the message would not pop up."
 
The only thing that I can think of is that it was simply a coincidence due to timing, or somehow blocking Internet access is preventing one of the machine's hardware factors from changing periodically (although I can't think of how this is possible).

 

[Christopher (Drashna)]

The only thing it should be reporting back is the hardware profile, which is used for activation. 

 

This includes things like the motherboard/BIOS info, system disk info, and host name.  

 

Nothing else is collected or used, and this information is ONLY used for activation information. 

 

 

As for the message, that is odd. Even in the trial, that should only happen if the system has changed. Or possibly if the system time has been changed. 

 

 

 

 

But let me verify with Alex about the communication. 

https://stablebit.com/Admin/IssueAnalysis/27107

 

However, if you're familiar with WireShark or the like, you can see exactly what's going on. Alternatively, you can use Fiddler to log and see it as well. 

 

 

 

I ask this mostly for a security/privacy standpoint.

And we take security and privacy very seriously. it's part of the entire design philosophy behind StableBit CloudDrive.  

[Matt H.]

Straight from Alex:

 

Thanks for the info! I'm going for just random back luck and timing that it showed then. I'm happy so far and am in the processes of migrating from Windows SS to DrivePool.