WBEM Provider Data Sheet

Computer System Provider

This data sheet provides information about the Computer System WBEM provider (implemented using the Pegasus C++ API).

This provider supports the CIM_ComputerSystem, CIM_UnitaryComputerSystem, and PG_ComputerSystem classes.  The intended audience of this document is software professionals who will design, implement, enhance, and/or support client applications that will use this provider.

This data sheet is maintained in open source and is updated frequently.  This version was last updated 17-May-2002.  See the Pegasus open source site (http://cvs.opengroup.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/pegasus/), location pegasus/src/Providers/ManagedSystem/ComputerSystem/doc/CSProvider.html, for the most recent version.


Keywords:  (Pegasus C++ API, HP-UX, Managed System Identity, Computer System, CIM_ComputerSystem, CIM_UnitaryComputerSystem, PG_ComputerSystem)

Table Of Contents

1.      Provider Overview (Description, Requirements, Release History, Supported Managed Resources, Special Requirements & Dependencies)

2.      Setting Up This Provider (Installing, Configuring)

3.      Using This Provider (Schema Supported, Indications Generated, Associations Provided)

4.      Links To More Information (Additional Provider Documentation, WBEM Information, Managed Resource Information, Client Information, support contacts, Migration and Co-existence Information, Possible Provider Enhancements)

5.      Limitations, Known Defects, and Performance Considerations


1. Provider Overview

·         Description
The Computer System provider makes available basic computer system information such as computer name, status, and administrator contact information. This Computer System provider instruments the CIM_ComputerSystem, CIM_UnitaryComputerSystem, and PG_ComputerSystem classes.  The PG_ComputerSystem subclass of CIM_UnitaryComputerSystem adds the PrimaryOwnerPager, SecondaryOwnerName, SecondaryOwnerContact, SecondaryOwnerPager, SerialNumber, and IdentificationNumber properties.

This provider is for use by clients as part of a basic understanding of the identity of the Managed System on which it is running (typically a server or appliance).  The current implementation is for HP-UX only.

Note that the PG_ComputerSystem follows the industry convention of naming CIM_UnitaryComputerSystem subclasses without including “Unitary” in the class name.  This practice is an exception to the normal practice used for creating non-DMTF defined subclasses (simply changing the superclass’s prefix from “CIM_” to some organization-specific string).

·         Requirements
Implemented and tested on HP-UX 11.11 based systems running DMI.

·         Release History
15-May-2002 - initial release, submitted to Pegasus open source community.

·         Supported Managed Resources
Managed systems (servers and appliances) running HP-UX 11.0 and 11.11.

·         Special Requirements & Dependencies
Some properties are set by DMI and therefore will be available only if DMI is present.


2. Setting Up This Provider

·         Installing This Provider

This Computer System provider is available from the Pegasus open source site  (http://cvs.opengroup.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/pegasus/) with the following CVS tree locations:

·        Makefile, headers, and source:  pegasus/src/Providers/ManagedSystem/ComputerSystem/

·        Schema MOF file:  pegasus/Schemas/pegasus/ManagedSystem/VER20/PG_ComputerSystem20.mof

·        Provider registration MOF file: pegasus/Schemas/pegasus/ManagedSystem/VER20/PG_ComputerSystem20R.mof

The provider executable is "libComputerSystemProvider.sl".  The provider is registered to support the “root/cimv2” namespace as an instance provider.  There are no special installation instructions; the provider will be installed by default in most Pegasus-based product releases.

·        Configuring This Provider
This provider does not accept specific configuration adjustments (beyond standard WBEM support).


3. Using This Provider

·         Schema supported by this provider

This provider supports the CIM_ComputerSystem, CIM_UnitaryComputerSystem, and PG_ComputerSystem classes.  Tables 1 through 4 describe the properties and methods supported by the provider.

Table 1 describes the properties of the CIM_ComputerSystem class.  It has three columns.  The first is the property name (including type and units), the second is the property inheritance (indicating which class or superclass defines the property), and the third is the property’s value and data source.  Each row describes a property.  Note: while some properties in the table are marked with the “Write” qualifier (based on their designation in the DMTF CIM schema), all properties are in fact read-only.  Implementation of writable properties is a possible future enhancement (see Possible Future Enhancements below).

Table 1: CIM_ComputerSystem Properties

 Property Name

Property Inheritance

Property Value
(& data source)

string Caption

Inherited from CIM_ManagedElement

Returns the string “Computer System”.

string Description

Inherited from CIM_ManagedElement

Returns the string “This is the CIM_ComputerSystem object.”

datetime InstallDate

Inherited from CIM_ManagedSystemElement

The date/time the kernel was created.  Obtained using the stat() system call on the /stand/vmunix file.

string CreationClassName [Key]

Inherited from CIM_System

Always returns string “PG_ComputerSystem”.

string Name [Key]

Inherited from CIM_ManagedSystemElement, overridden in CIM_System

The fully qualified host name returned by the name service through the gethostbyname() system call.  If a name service is not available, the provider supplies the hostname returned by the gethostname() system call.

string Status

Inherited from CIM_ManagedSystemElement

Returns 0 (“OK”).

string NameFormat

Inherited from CIM_System, overridden in CIM_ComputerSystem

Returns 1 (“IP”).

string PrimaryOwnerName [Write]

Local to CIM_ComputerSystem

GenInfoSysPUser_E from the DMI General Information Group.  The provider does not support modification of this property’s value. This property is set by DMI. If DMI is not present, this value will be set to an empty string.

string PrimaryOwnerContact [Write]

Local to CIM_ComputerSystem

GenInfoSysPPhone_E from the DMI General Information Group.  The provider does not support modification of this property’s value. This property is set by DMI. If DMI is not present, this value will be set to an empty string.

string OtherIdentifyingInfo[]

Local to CIM_ComputerSystem

String returned by /usr/bin/model command (for example “9000/800/A180c”).

string IdentifyingDescriptions[]

Local to CIM_ComputerSystem

Returns string “Model”.


Table 2 describes the properties of the CIM_UnitaryComputerSystem class.  It has three columns.  The first is the property name (including type and units), the second is the property inheritance (indicating which class or superclass defines the property), and the third is the property’s value or data source.  Each row describes a property.

Table 2: CIM_UnitaryComputerSystem Properties

 Property Name

 Property Inheritance

Property Value
(& data source)

The CIM_UnitaryComputerSystem class inherits properties of superclass CIM_ComputerSystem (as described in Table 1 and not repeated here).

string InitialLoadInfo[]

Local to CIM_UnitaryComputerSystem

Name of boot device obtained from the /stand/bootconf file (for example “/dev/dsk/cxtydz”).

boolean PowerManagementSupported

Local to CIM_UnitaryComputerSystem

Always returns FALSE.

uint16 PowerState

Local to CIM_UnitaryComputerSystem

Always returns 1 (“Full Power”).


Table 3 describes the properties of the PG_ComputerSystem class.  It has three columns.  The first is the property name (including type and units), the second is the property inheritance (indicating which class or superclass defines the property), and the third is the property’s value or data source.  Each row describes a property.

Table 3: PG_ComputerSystem Properties

 Property Name

Property Inheritance

Property Value
(& data source)

The PG_ComputerSystem class inherits properties of superclasses CIM_ComputerSystem and CIM_UnitaryComputerSystem (as described in Tables 1 and 2 and not repeated here).

string PrimaryOwnerPager [Write]

Local to PG_ComputerSystem

GenInfoSysPPager_E from the DMI General Information Group.  The provider does not support modification of this property’s value. This property is set by DMI. If DMI is not present, this value will be set to an empty string.

string SecondaryOwnerName [Write]

Local to PG_ComputerSystem

GenInfoSysSUser_E from the DMI General Information Group.  The provider does not support modification of this property’s value. This property is set by DMI. If DMI is not present, this value will be set to an empty string.

string SecondaryOwnerContact [Write]

Local to PG_ComputerSystem

GenInfoSysSPhone_E from the DMI General Information Group.  The provider does not support modification of this property’s value. This property is set by DMI. If DMI is not present, this value will be set to an empty string.

string SecondaryOwnerPager [Write]

Local to PG_ComputerSystem

GenInfoSysSPager_E from the DMI General Information Group.  The provider does not support modification of this property’s value. This property is set by DMI. If DMI is not present, this value will be set to an empty string.

string SerialNumber

Local to PG_ComputerSystem

The identification number (idnumber) from the uname() system call (for example “2015986034”).

string IdentificationNumber

Local to PG_ComputerSystem

Not implemented.


Table 4 describes the intrinsic methods supported by this provider.  It has three columns.  The first is the method name, the second is a description of the provider’s actions based on invoking that method, and the third is a list of any exceptions that could result from invoking the method.  Each row describes a method.  Note that this provider supports no extrinsic methods.

Table 4: Intrinsic Methods for CIM_ComputerSystem, CIM_UnitaryComputerSystem, and PG_ComputerSystem

  Method Name

 Description

Exceptions Thrown

enumerateInstances

Returns all instances of class with all properties and their respective values. There will always be only one instance.

None

enumerateInstanceNames

Returns object path of all instances of class.  There will always be only one instance.

None

getInstance

Supported.

CIM_ERR_INVALID_PARAMETER

if wrong class, or wrong number of keys.

CIM_ERR_FAILED if provider can’t get access to various system resources.

modifyInstance

 

Does nothing.

CIM_ERR_NOT_SUPPORTED

deleteInstance

Does nothing.

CIM_ERR_NOT_SUPPORTED

initialize

Initializes the provider, establishing system values for various system constants, including InstallDate, SystemName, SerialNumber).

CIM_ERR_FAILED if there is a failure in various system commands.

terminate

Does nothing.

None

createInstance

Does nothing.

CIM_ERR_NOT_SUPPORTED

 

·         Indications generated by this provider
This provider does not currently generate any indications.

·         Associations provided by this provider
This provider does not currently support any associations (but a logical extension would be the CIM_ComputerSystemPackage association to a computer system specific subclass of CIM_PhysicalPackage).


4. Links To More Information

·         Additional Provider Documentation
There is currently no additional documentation for this provider beyond this information and that in the Pegasus source tree (listed in Installing This Provider).

See also man pages for information on the various commands and system calls noted in the descriptions above.

·         WBEM information
For a CIM tutorial, go to http://www.dmtf.org/education/cimtutorial.php.
For information about the Pegasus WBEM infrastructure, see http://www.opengroup.org/pegasus.
For information about WBEMsource, see http://www.wbemsource.org.

·         Managed Resource Documentation
See also the HP-UX man page for commands and system calls as referenced in the descriptions above.

·         Client Information
None.

·         Support Contacts
None.

·         Migration and Co-existence Information
None.

·         Possible provider enhancements
Possible enhancements by the open source community to this provider could include the following:
(1) This provider does not currently support all inherited methods and properties (as indicated in section 3).
(2) All properties are currently read-only.  Support could be added to change appropriate values (particularly those with the “Write” qualifier (probably via  the modifyInstance method).
(3) The provider currently doesn’t check Flags when invoked by CIMOM.
(4) The provider currently doesn’t check Property List when invoked by CIMOM. Some properties are more expensive to gather (for example, number of users) and could be skipped if not requested.


5. Limitations, Known Defects, and Performance Considerations

·        This provider does not support all inherited methods and properties (as indicated in section 3).

·        This provider ignores properties lists and flags.

·        This provider doesn’t support modification of properties with the “Write” qualifier.


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URL: http://cvs.opengroup.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/pegasus/src/Providers/ManagedSystem/ComputerSystem/doc/CSProvider.html
Last updated: 17-May-2002
This provider documentation was developed based on the WBEMsource provider documentation template available at http://www.wbemsource.org/wbem-doctemp.