Extending the SMS Administrator

The Microsoft® Systems Management Server (SMS) Administrator assists the user in identifying objects in a list and in differentiating between various properties. This functionality is provided through a rich graphical interface and can be extended or overridden using resource-only DLLs.

Specifically, when the SMS Administrator displays an object of a particular architecture (such as a computer with the Personal Computer architecture) within a window, it displays identifying graphics for that object and architecture. Inventoried objects can be displayed within the Sites, Machine Groups, and Query Results windows.

In addition, the detailed properties of an object can be viewed by using a machine properties window. In the SMS Administrator, the user can view the properties of an inventoried object by selecting the object in a Sites, Machine Groups, or Query Results window, and then choosing Properties from the File menu. The properties of the object are displayed in a machine properties window. The properties are represented as attributes that have a name and a value. Related attributes are grouped together into groups. The user can view the attributes by group by selecting the group to view in the Properties pane; the attributes for the group are then displayed in the right pane. Each group has a graphic that represents it within that particular architecture.

For example, a computer object in an SMS site database is displayed according to its architecture, system type, and role. So, a computer with a Personal Computer architecture, Macintosh system type, and Workstation role would be displayed in the Sites window using the graphic for that particular architecture, system type, and role. The same graphic would also be displayed if the Macintosh workstation were displayed in a Query Results window. The properties of a Macintosh computer would be displayed in a Personal Computer Properties window and the Identification group would be represented in the Properties pane by the graphic for that particular group in that particular architecture.

When new architectures, new types of objects, or new properties are added to the SMS inventory, the SMS Administrator uses the default graphic to display these items if no resource-only DLL is supplied. For example, the sample MIF file for a printer object with the Printer architecture is represented by the default icon when it is displayed in the Sites window if no resource-only DLL is supplied. In addition, the groups for a custom Printer object are represented in a Printer Properties window by the default graphic if no resource-only DLL is supplied.

The following topics provide an overview of resource-only DLLs, as well as detailed information you would need to develop applications that take advantage of resource-only DLL functionality. For more information about these topics, see the Microsoft Systems Management Server documentation in the "Setup and Systems Management Services" section of the Microsoft Platform SDK.