In a Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) site database, the inventory has a hierarchical structure. An architecture is a standard structure for establishing inventory for a set of related objects, and is defined by the Architecture group and specified by a unique architecture name. An object is a specific item with a specific architecture that is stored in the inventory database.
Each object is composed of structures called groups, which define distinct parts of the object. A group combines a set of attributes into a single, identifiable entity. Finally, attributes are the properties of a group and are assigned values, which when considered in totality, make up the inventory for the object.
For example, a specific computer can be included in the inventory database as an object of the Personal Computer architecture. On this computer, you can define specific groups such as Processor, Disk, and Operating System. The Disk group may have attributes such as Drive Index, Storage Type, and Free Storage.