HELP me access a VAX CPU serial number from UNIX

[peters at cubsvax.UUCP]

Does anyone out there know how to access the serial number of a
VAX from UNIX?  (For the purpose of maintaining security of proprietary
software.)  Please reply by mail, since I don't subscribe to this
newsgroup.  (Don't consider myself a wizard!)

By the way, some people claim that **every** cpu has such a facility
as a machine instruction.  Is this a myth?

{philabs,cmcl2!rocky2}!cubsvax!peters
(Peter S Shenkin; Dept of Biol Sci; Columbia Univ; NY, NY 10027; 212-280-5517)