Adding New Groups to Objects Already Existing in the SMS Inventory

You can use a Management Information Format (MIF) file to add new hardware or software groups to the inventory of a workstation. For example, you can add a tape backup unit or CD-ROM changer to the inventory of a workstation that already exists in the SMS database.

    To add a new group to a workstation's inventory

1. Create a MIF file containing the group you want to add. See the sample below.

   Important The MIF file must not have an Identification or Architecture group. If you include either of these groups, you may corrupt the inventory stored in the database for the workstation. The MIF file should have a component section with one or more groups within the component section. Also, make sure to specify values for all of the attributes defined in the previous MIF file for this object; otherwise the values for those attributes are set to NULL.

2. Run the MIFCHECK utility on the MIF file. Refer to Verifying the Syntax of a MIF File.
3. Place the MIF file in the MIF collection directory of the workstation to which you are adding the group.

   The location of this directory is specified by the MachineISVMIFPath entry in the [SMS] section of the workstation's SMS.INI file. By default, this directory is C:\MS\SMS\NOIDMIFS. From the machine MIF directory, the SMS Inventory Agent program detects MIF files and includes their information in the workstation's inventory.

Example of a MIF file for adding a group to a workstation's inventory:

Start Component
    Name = "TAPE BACKUP DEVICE"
    Start Group
        Name = "Tape Drive"
        ID = 1
        Class = "MICROSOFT|TAPEDRIVE|1.0"
        Start Attribute
            Name = "Manufacturer"
            ID = 1
            Type = String(32)
            Value = "Trey Research"
        End Attribute
        Start Attribute
            Name = "Model"
            ID = 2
            Type = String(32)
            Value = "MS32-DLX"
        End Attribute
        Start Attribute
            Name = "Native Transfer Rate (Kbps)"
            ID = 3
            Type = Counter
            Value = 400
        End Attribute
        Start Attribute
            Name = "Tape Type"
            ID = 4
            Type = String(16)
            Value = "DAT"
        End Attribute
    End Group
End Component
 

In the workstation's Personal Computer Properties window, the Tape Backup Device Group is displayed as an icon in the left pane with its attributes in the right pane.