Microsoft® Systems Management Server (SMS) includes the Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) SMS program, SMSVIEW (SMSVIEW.EXE), which you can use to create database views on a site database. Using the Microsoft® ODBC Driver Kit, you can use these views in other applications (such as Microsoft® Word) to view the computer inventory and generate reports.
The SMS SDK provides samples for viewing, extracting, and using the computer inventory and other information in the site database. Samples are provided for Microsoft® Word for Windows version 6.0, Microsoft® Excel version 5.0, and Microsoft® Access version 2.0.
The SMS system database stores computer inventory in multiple tables for efficiency. However, this efficient design can make it difficult to view the computer inventory directly from other applications.
The inventory for each computer is stored in the MachineDataTable table. However, the specific inventory data (such as group names, attribute names, and the values for groups and attributes) is stored in other tables. The MachineDataTable table has keyed pointers to these other tables.
The SMSVIEW program creates views based on a dynamic table in the SMS database that lists all groups and attributes currently in the database. The inventory reported by the Inventory Agent (which runs at each SMS computer and reports the computer's inventory to the site database), and custom Management Information Format (MIF) files, determine which groups and attributes are contained in the database.
As a result, SMSVIEW can create additional views (or views with additional fields) based on the groups and attributes that have been reported to your particular site database. Or SMSVIEW can create a set of views that does not include the common views or fields listed in the table because inventory information for those groups or attributes has not been reported to your site database.
It is strongly recommended that you run the SMSVIEW program periodically to generate views that reflect the current groups and attributes in the site database. This is particularly important if a new attribute or group has been reported or if a group has been deleted.
For more information about using the SMSVIEW program to access the SMS site database, see the Microsoft Systems Management Server documentation in the "Setup and Systems Management Services" section of the Microsoft Platform SDK.