Does anyone know where I can find out detailed information on how volume serial numbers are created and read?

I thought it was basically a somewhat unique ID number created when the disk was formatted or in my case burned. I am finding out it actually changes from OS to OS so the CD I burned has a Volume Serial Number of 5679681780 on my Windows XP machine but the same CD shows the number 4094724434 on my Windows 98 machine.

Any information would be helpful.

Thanks,

Ron