The Desktop Management Task Force (DMTF is a standards body with
members from many leading computer companies, such as Compaq, Dell, Digital, HP,
IBM, Intel, Microsoft, NEC, Novell, Santa Cruz Operation, Sun Microsystems, and
Symantec. The DMTF produced the Desktop Management Interface (DMI)
specification, which provides a standard framework for managing and gathering
information from PC systems and component products.
The DMI architecture uses a Service Layer, a local program that collects
information from products, manages that information in the Management
Information Format (MIF) database, and passes the information to management
applications as requested. The Service Layer uses the Management Interface (MI)
to control communications between itself and management applications and uses
the Component Interface (CI) between itself and manageable products.
SMS does not now support the DMI Service Layer directly. However, the SMS
inventory agents and Inventory Processor support DMI-compliant MIF files for
inventory collection. SMS supports MIF syntax as defined in the April 1994 DMI
draft specification 4.5. DMTF updated and released this draft as DMI
version 1.0 and released DMI version 2.0 on March 27, 1996. SMS does not support
the new MIF syntax in version 2.0.
For more information about DMI, visit the DMTF Web site at www.dmtf.
org. The Microsoft SMS product CD-ROM and Microsoft BackOffice Software
Developer's Kit (SDK) CD-ROM include a copy of the SMS-supported version of the
DMI specification. In the SMS SDK's online Help, you can find additional
information on MIF files and how to use them to update SMS inventory.