Preparing to Use SMS Object Generator

Before you can generate objects, you must create and configure the pilot site or site hierarchy. You can do this manually, or you can expedite the configuration of multiple sites by using SMS Site Properties Manager.

In particular, make sure to configure the site boundaries. SMS Object Generator assigns IP addresses for many objects based on a starting IP address that you specify. For the site to incorporate these objects, the site boundaries must include these IP addresses.

To generate hardware inventory and software inventory objects, SMS Object Generator can use template files with actual data from your pilot project site or site hierarchy. After you prepare the pilot sites, you can create these template files. Template files are used for the following object types:

Hardware inventory complete (HIC) and hardware inventory delta (HID) (optionally)
These object types require a Management Information Format (MIF) file to use as a template. Sample MIF files are included with SMS Object Generator. You can select the load characteristics for the HIC and HID files you want to generate when you use these sample MIF files. If your site uses custom MIF files, test the load they impose by creating and importing a sample MIF file, as described in “Creating Template Hardware Inventory Files” later in this chapter.
Software inventory complete (SIC) and software inventory delta (SID) (optionally)
These object types require a software inventory file to use as a template. Samples are included with SMS Object Generator. You can select the load characteristics for the SIC and SID files you want to generate when you use these samples. To test specific software inventory scenarios, you can create your own template software inventory files, as described in “Creating Template Software Inventory Files” later in this chapter.

When you are ready to use SMS Object Generator, enable logging in your SMS pilot sites. Also, enable the pertinent counters in Windows NT Performance Monitor at the site server and any other site systems that will be affected by load generation.

SMS Object Generator is designed to help you find a load signature on your SMS site systems. To gain a clear idea of the system performance for a server, you should make sure that only SMS components are running on the site server. Run SMS Object Generator and Windows NT Performance Monitor on a separate computer to avoid skewing the load signature on your site server.

Warning   SMS Object Generator can create objects quickly enough to make the objects overflow available disk space on the site server. To avoid this situation, set thresholds to pause object generation in the SMS Object Generator Options dialog box. For more information, see the “Setting Limits on the Number of Objects Generated” section in “Setting SMS Object Generator Options” later in this chapter.

Creating Template Hardware Inventory Files

To test the effect of the custom hardware inventory MIF files that you plan to use in your production site, you must create a template file that reflects a complete hardware inventory before generating hardware inventory objects. To customize your hardware inventory, use the MOF Manager. This tool is described in detail in Chapter 14, “Using SMS 2.0 Tools — Part 2.”

After you create a customized hardware inventory, capture a template MIF file as described in this section. For more information about MIF files and the inventory process, see Chapter 10, “Collecting Hardware and Software Inventory,” in the SMS 2.0 Administrator’s Guide.

To create a template hardware inventory MIF file, you need an actual SMS client. You can use an SMS site server for this purpose after it has become a client.

To ensure that only the MIF file you want to use as a template arrives in the inventory Inbox on the site server, use an SMS site that has only one client installed. To ensure that the MIF file reflects a complete hardware inventory, use a client on which hardware inventory has never been run. Or, use the Inventory Resynchronization tool (InvSync.exe) to send a hardware inventory resynchronization request to the client. InvSync.exe is included with the Microsoft BackOffice 4.5 Resource Kit and is documented in Chapter 13, “Using SMS 2.0 Tools — Part 1.”

To create a MIF file for complete hardware inventory, after the client software is installed on the server, use SMS Service Manager to stop SMS_INVENTORY_ DATA_LOADER. Then, enable hardware inventory on the site (if it was not previously enabled), or send a hardware inventory resynchronization request to the client.

The first time the Hardware Inventory Agent runs on a client, it creates a HIC file (*.hic) on the client. This file is renamed *.mif and propagated to the SMS\Inboxes\Dataldr.box directory on the site server. This file is the complete inventory MIF file that you will use as the template for your HIC files. Copy this file to another location that SMS Object Generator can access, and give it a file name that will make it easy for you to identify. Make sure that your new file name retains the .mif extension.

You can use SMS Object Generator to generate a HID file (*.hid) based on the HIC file you captured. The HID files you create in this way will reflect the percentage of change you specify. Optionally, you can create a template HID file to use as the basis for the HID files you generate with SMS Object Generator. The template HID file, as with the template HIC file, must be a MIF file because that is the file type that appears on the site server.

Procedure Bullet  To create a template MIF file for delta hardware inventory

  1. After you create the complete hardware inventory MIF file, use SMS Service Manager to start SMS_INVENTORY_ DATA_LOADER (Inventory Data Loader), and then allow Inventory Data Loader to process the single HIC file you generated earlier.
  2. After the HIC file is processed, stop SMS_INVENTORY_ DATA_LOADER.
  3. Make a change to the hardware configuration (for example, add or delete a network drive), and then allow time for the next scheduled hardware inventory to run on the client. To expedite this process, you might want to schedule hardware inventory to run soon after you stop SMS_INVENTORY_ DATA_LOADER.
  4. When the Hardware Inventory Client Agent detects the change in hardware inventory, it creates a HID file on the client. This file is renamed *.mif and propagated to the SMS\Inboxes\Dataldr.box directory on the site server. This file is the delta inventory MIF that you will use as the template for your HID files. Copy this file to another location that SMS Object Generator can access, and give it a file name that will make it easy for you to identify. You can use any file name you want, provided the file extension is .mif.
  5. After you save a copy of the file with the new file name, restart SMS_INVENTORY_ DATA_LOADER.

Creating Template Software Inventory Files

To test the effect of specific software inventory scenarios that you expect to encounter in your production site, you must create a template file for a complete software inventory before generating software inventory objects.

To create this template software inventory file, you need an actual SMS client. The SMS server can be used for this purpose after it becomes a client. Or, you can set up one or more sample clients with the same characteristics as clients in your production site and then create software inventory templates from these clients.

To ensure that only the software inventory file you want to use as a template arrives in the inventory Inbox on the site server, use an SMS site that has only one client installed. To ensure that the software inventory file reflects a complete software inventory, use a client on which software inventory has never been run. Or, use the Inventory Resynchronization tool (InvSync.exe) to send a software inventory resynchronization request to the client.

After you have collected a software inventory file, you can use the Software Inventory Viewer (SInvView.exe) to verify its contents. For more information about the Software Inventory Viewer, see Chapter 14, “Using SMS 2.0 Tools — Part 2.”

Procedure Bullet  To create a template SIC file for complete software inventory

  1. After the client software is installed on the server, use SMS Service Manager to stop SMS_SOFTWARE_INVENTORY_PROCESSOR (Software Inventory Processor).
  2. Enable software inventory on the site.
  3. The first time the Software Inventory Agent runs on a client, it creates a SIC file on the client. This file is placed in the SMS\Inboxes\Inventry.box directory, and it is the complete inventory file that you will use as the template for your SIC file. Copy this file to another location that SMS Object Generator can access, and give it a file name that will make it easy for you to identify.

You can use SMS Object Generator to dynamically generate SID files reporting a number of software applications you select. Or, you can create a template SID to use as the basis for SID files that you generate with SMS Object Generator.

Procedure Bullet  To create a template SID file for delta software inventory

  1. After you create the SIC file, use SMS Service Manager to start SMS_SOFTWARE_INVENTORY_PROCESSOR, and then allow the single SIC file you generated earlier to process.
  2. After this file is processed, stop SMS_SOFTWARE_INVENTORY_PROCESSOR.
  3. Make a change to the software configuration (install or remove an application, for example), and then allow time for the next scheduled software inventory to run on the client.
  4. When the Software Inventory Client Agent detects the change in software inventory, it creates a SID file on the client. This file is propagated to the SMS\Inboxes\Inventry.box directory on the site server. It is also the delta inventory file that you will use as the template for your SID files. Copy this file to another location that SMS Object Generator can access, and give it a file name that will make it easy for you to identify.
  5. Restart SMS_SOFTWARE_INVENTORY_PROCESSOR.