Using Access 97 to Query SMS Data

In order to use Access 97 to obtain SMS data, you must install the WBEM ODBC driver (Wbemdr32.dll). This driver is used by Access to connect to the SMS Provider, and handles the conversion of data between Access and the SMS Provider. The WBEM ODBC driver is automatically installed by SMS 2.0 on the site server and on any site system on which you install the remote SMS Administrator console. To install the WBEM ODBC driver on a computer other than a remote console or site server computer, you must install the WBEM SDK.

You can install the WBEM SDK from either the SMS 2.0 CD or from the SMS_<site code> share on the primary site server. To install the WBEM SDK from the SMS 2.0 CD, run <drive>:\SMSsetup\bin\<platform>\Wbemsdk.exe, where <platform> is either Alpha or i386.

To install the WBEM SDK from the SMS_<site code> share, connect to the share and run <drive>:\SMS_<site code>\bin\<platform>\Wbemsdk.exe, where <platform> is either Alpha or i386.

Procedure Bullet  To install the WBEM SDK

  1. From the SMS 2.0 CD, run:
    <drive>:\SMSsetup\bin\<platform>\Wbemsdk.exe
    where <platform> is either Alpha or i386.
    –Or–
    Connect to a primary site server and run:
    <drive>:\SMS_<site code>\bin\<platform>\Wbemsdk.exe
    where <drive> is the shared network drive and <platform> is either Alpha or i386.
  2. The WBEM SDK Installation Welcome page is displayed. Click Next.
  3. An Installing dialog box, displaying a percentage of completion gauge, then informs you of the progress of the installation.
  4. When the installation is 100% complete, an Installation Complete page is displayed. Click Finish. You are asked to restart the computer. To do so, click OK and your computer reboots. Installation of the WBEM SDK is complete.

You can connect to the SMS Provider by using the Jet database engine and the WBEM ODBC driver, or you can bypass the Jet database engine itself and use the SQL pass-through method to compose and send SQL statements directly to the WBEM ODBC driver. The advantages to the latter method are increased performance, because your queries are then executed by the site database server rather than your computer and improved control over the SQL statement passed to the site database server (SQL Server 6.5 or 7.0).

Caution   You should never attempt to obtain SMS data by directly accessing the SQL Server tables on the SMS site database system. Always access SMS data through the SMS Provider, using the appropriate WMI libraries distributed with the WBEM SDK or on the SMS 2.0 CD.