OS/2 Shareware BBS: 8 Other/08-Other.zip/e52os2m.exe/dmipm.hlp

OS/2 Help File | 1998-05-27 | 13KB | 363 lines

ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. Netfinity DMI Browser Service ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Netfinity DMI Browser Service enables you to examine information about the
DMI-compliant hardware and software products (called DMI components) installed
in or attached to the system.

You can use the DMI Browser Service to:

   o  View information about DMI components

   o  Receive notification of problems or errors with products from the DMI
      service layer

   o  View the log of problems or errors concerning DMI components

 Related Topics:

   o  What is DMI?
   o  How Does DMI Work?
   o  Using the Netfinity DMI Browser Service

 Note:   The Netfinity DMI Browser service is special version of the DMI
 Browser that comes with the DMI Service Layer. Some functions that are
 available with the DMI Browser are not available in Netfinity's DMI Browser
 service.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. What is DMI? ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Desktop Management Interface (DMI) is a new industry standard that
simplifies management of hardware and software products attached to or
installed in a computer system.  The computer system can be a standalone
desktop, a node on a network, or a network server.  DMI is designed to work
across desktop operating systems, environments, hardware platforms, and
architectures.

Basically, DMI provides a way to provide or obtain, in a standardized format,
information about hardware and software products.  Once this data is obtained,
desktop and network software applications can use that information to manage
those computer products.  As DMI technology evolves, installation and
management of products in desktop computers will become easier, and desktop
computers will become easier to manage in a network.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. How Does DMI Work? ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The complete DMI structure consists of three separate elements:

   o  DMI components

   o  DMI service layer

   o  DMI-compliant management applications

 Each DMI component contains information about the product with which it is
 associated.  This information is organized into product-specific groups.  Each
 of these groups contains a variety of group-specific attributes.

 The DMI service layer is a program that gathers and organizes the DMI
 component information into a standardized format.  Once this data has been
 organized and is available, a DMI-compliant management application
 (Netfinity's DMI Browser service, for example) can access the DMI service
 layer and request information about any of the DMI components.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. DMI Service Layer ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The DMI service layer gathers configuration information from the installed MIF
files, builds a database, and, upon request, passes the information to
management applications.  Management applications are programs that are capable
of receiving data from the DMI service layer and enabling the user to use this
data for desktop or network management purposes.  The Netfinity DMI Browser
service is an example of a management application.

In addition to gathering and configuring the MIF data, the DMI service layer
also collects information about problems or errors that the various DMI
components have encountered.  You can use the Netfinity DMI Browser to receive
notification of problems or errors concerning your DMI components and view a
log of problems or errors concerning your DMI components.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. DMI Components ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

DMI components are the hardware and software products that are installed in
your system.  Information about DMI-compliant components is stored in MIF
files.  Each DMI component that is installed on your system appears in the
Netfinity DMI Browser service window as a diskette icon followed by the name of
the DMI component.  A DMI component can describe a piece of DMI-compliant
software (such as Netfinity), a single piece of DMI-compliant hardware (such as
a network adapter), or an entire DMI-compliant system (such as a PC System).

Each DMI component is made up of elements that describe the component.  These
elements are called groups.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. Groups ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Each DMI component is made up of elements that describe the component.  These
elements are called groups.  To use the Netfinity DMI Browser to see a list of
the groups that are included with a specific DMI component, select the plus
sign beside the DMI component's icon and name.  The groups that make up a
specific DMI component depend entirely on the component itself.  For example,
the MIF file that comes with a piece of software might only include one group
(usually "Component ID"), whereas a MIF file included with a PC System might
include groups for each piece of the system's hardware (keyboard, mouse, disk
drives, etc.), the system's operating system, and much more.

Each of a DMI component's groups is composed of a series of group-specific
informational items that are called attributes.

If a DMI component includes multiple groups that have identical names the
additional group's names will include an index number.  The group's index
number indicates that it is one of a series of groups that include identical
attributes.  The individual attributes for each group could have different
values.  For example, if a DMI component includes information for a system that
has three disk drives you would see three separate "Disks" groups, each of
which would be followed by an index number in brackets.  This indicates that
the DMI service layer's database contains three Disks group definitions for
disk drives, each of which contains the same attributes. Of course, the values
for each disk drives attributes might be different.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. Attributes ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Each of a DMI component's groups is composed of a series of group-specific
informational items that are called attributes.  The attributes that make up a
group are entirely dependant on the group itself.  For example, the "Component
ID" group for a software product might include the following attributes:

   o  Manufacturer
   o  Product
   o  Version
   o  Serial Number
   o  Installation
   o  Verify

 However, the attributes found in the "Processor" group included in a PC
 system's component might contain these attributes:

   o  Type
   o  Processor Family
   o  Version Information
   o  Maximum Speed
   o  Current Speed
   o  Processor Upgrade

 Each of a group's attributes is fully defined by a series of data items.  The
 items available for a group varies according to the type of product, but most
 attributes include the following data items:

 ID        The attribute's ID is a sequential number unique to the attribute's
           group.
 Type      The data type can be one of eight defined by DMI.  These data types
           are:
             o  Integer
             o  64-bit Integer
             o  Counter
             o  64-bit Counter
             o  Gauge
             o  Display String
             o  Octet String
             o  Date
 Access    The ways in which this attribute's data can be accessed.  Access
           values can be:
             o  Read-Only
             o  Read-Write
             o  Write-Only

           Note:   Attributes that have Read-Write or Write-Only access values
           can have certain other attributes changed.  For more information,
           see Changing Attribute Information.
 Name      The name of the attribute is derived from DMI standards or is
           provided by the manufacturer.
 Value     A value is a specific occurrence of an attribute.  For example, an
           attribute value of 2.1 could be provided for the version number of
           an application.  In a few cases, a value is read-only and will never
           change. It can be specified directly in the MIF file.  However, most
           values will change over time.  Updating should occur automatically,
           managed by programs supplied by the manufacturer of the component.

           A value can also be an enumeration value (ENUM), indexing into a
           table of possible values defined in the MIF file.
 Description The description of the component is technical information supplied
           by the manufacturer.

 Related Topics:

   o  Changing Attribute Information


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8. Changing Attribute Information ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Attribute's that have an Access value of "Read-Write" or "Write Only" can have
some of their attribute information configured by the user.  To change
attribute information:

   1. Select the specific attribute that you want to alter.  This will open the
      Attribute information window.

   2. Enter the new Attribute information.  Note that only some Attribute
      information items can be changed.

   3. Select Apply to change the attribute information.

 If you decide not to make a change, select Reset to restore the attribute
 information to its last saved value.

 Select Cancel to close this window without saving any changes.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9. Apply ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select Apply to change the attribute information to your specified values.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10. Reset ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select Reset to restore the attribute information to its last saved values.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11. Cancel ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select Cancel to close this window without saving any changes.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 12. Using the Netfinity DMI Browser Service ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Netfinity DMI Browser service enables you to

   o  View information about the DMI components, groups, and attributes of
      installed DMI-compliant products

   o  Receive notification of problems or errors with your products from the
      DMI service layer

   o  View the log of problems or errors concerning your DMI components

 The Netfinity DMI Browser's functions can be accessed by selecting menu
 choices from the menu bar, or by selecting the function's corresponding
 objects from the fast-path icon bar.

 The menu bar includes the following functions:

   o  Options: View the event log or exit the DMI Browser service.

   o  Information: Display version information for the service layer and
      copyright notices for the Browser.

 For quickest operation, select the icon you want with the mouse. The
 alternative is to select a menu choice and then select a choice from the menu
 that drops down.  If you are unsure about the meaning of an icon, just move
 the mouse pointer over it.  A brief explanation of the icon then appears at
 the bottom of the window.

 Note:   The Netfinity DMI Browser service is a special version of the DMI
 Browser that comes with the DMI Service Layer. Some functions that are
 available with the DMI Browser are not available in Netfinity's DMI Browser
 service.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13. Viewing DMI Information ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To view the information about any selectable item that appears in the Netfinity
DMI Browser window, simply double-click on the item's name or the item's
object.

You can view:

   o  DMI Component Information

   o  Group Information

   o  Attribute Information


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 14. Viewing DMI Component Information ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To view information about a specific DMI component, double-click on the name of
the DMI component.  This will open the Component Information window.

When you are finished, select Close to close the Component Information window.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 15. Viewing Group Information ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To view information about one of a DMI component's individual Groups:

   1. Select the plus sign beside the DMI component that contains the group
      data that you want to view.

   2. Double-click on the name of the group that you want to view.  This will
      open a window that contains a list of the group's attributes.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 16. Viewing Attribute Information ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To view information about one attribute of a single group:

   1. Select the plus sign beside the DMI component that contains the group
      data that you want to view.

   2. Double-click on the name of the group that you want to view.  This will
      open a window that contains a list of the group's attributes.

   3. Select the attribute that you want to view.  This will open the Attribute
      Information window.

 Note:   Some attributes can be altered by the user.  For more, information,
 see Changing Attribute Information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 17. MIF Files ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

A MIF file is an ASCII text file formatted in a standardized way.  It describes
the manageable attributes of the DMI component or product.  The filename has
the extension .MIF, for Management Information Format.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 18. Receiving Notification of Problems or Errors ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Upon request, the service layer notifies management applications of the
occurrence of a problem or error.  These problem and error messages are called
events.  The events are then stored in the Event Log, where they can be
examined later to help rectify the problem or error.

The Netfinity DMI Browser service automatically receives notification of DMI
component events from the DMI service layer.  If an event message is received
by the DMI Browser service, a telephone object appears in the DMI Browser's
icon bar.  Select the telephone icon or select View event log... from the
Options pulldown menu to open the DMI Browser's Event Log.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 19. Options Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the Options menu to:

   o  View the Event Log

   o  Exit the DMI Browser service


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 20. Exit ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select this to close the DMI Browser service.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 21. Information Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the Information menu to get:

   o  Service Layer Information

   o  Product Information


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 22. Function Not Available ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This function is not available in this version of the Netfinity DMI Browser
service.  The Netfinity DMI Browser service is special version of the DMI
Browser that comes with the DMI Service Layer.  Some functions that are
available with the DMI Browser are not available in Netfinity's DMI Browser
service.