securing a web appliance

[Shailesh Humbad]

An Windows 2000 server will be installed at a client site, and it will
function as a web appliance with our software running in IIS. Is
there any way to secure the ASP code files that are running on the server?

I am under the impression that all bets are off when physical security
to the machine is not possible. For example, even if I withold the
administrator password from the client, if they were malicious, they
could boot the computer from another hard drive and then recover
access to the system and all its contents.

Am I correct to assume that only legal agreements will serve as
protection from copyright violations? If that is the case, then
should I even bother 'locking down' the server to make it a tiny bit
harder to access the code?

Regards,
Shailesh

 

[Blare Sutton]

You are pretty much correct there. If they are hosting the server, they've
got access to the complete ASP code. Get yourself a lawyer and start
drafting agreements. Alternatively, make your agreement restricted open
source, agreeing that they can view the source and even use it within their
organisation, but not share it or onsell it, and charge them more.