Chapter 1 Overview of WBEM

This chapter provides a detailed description of Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM) . The following topics are covered.

• About WBEM

• Common Information Model

• Managed Object Format

• CIM and Solaris

About WBEM

Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM) is an initiative and a technology. As an initiative, WBEM includes standards for managing systems, networks, users, and applications by using Internet technology. As a technology, WBEM provides a way for management applications to share management data independently of vendor, protocol, operating system, or management standard. By developing management applications according to WBEM principles, vendors can develop products that work together easily for low cost of development.

The Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF), a group representing corporations in the computer and telecommunications industries, is leading the effort to develop and disseminate standards for management of desktop environments, enterprise-wide systems, and the Internet. The goal of the DMTF is to develop an integrated approach to managing networks across platforms and protocols, resulting in cost-effective products that interoperate as flawlessly as possible. For information about DMTF initiatives and outcomes, see the DMTF web site at www.dmtf.org.

Common Information Model

The Common Information Model (CIM) is an approach to managing systems and networks. CIM provides a common conceptual framework to classify and define the parts of a networked environment and depict how they integrate. The model captures notions that are applicable to all areas of management, independent of technology implementation.

CIM Terminology

The Common Information Model uses a set of terminology specific to the model and the principles of object-oriented programming. For information about CIM terminology and descriptions of what the terms represent, see Appendix A, Common Information Model (CIM) Terms and Concepts. See the Glossary for an expanded list of terms that have a specialized meaning in CIM.

CIM Structure

The Common Information Model categorizes information from general to specific. Specific information, such as a representation of the Solaris environment, extends the model. CIM consists of the following three layers of information:

• Core Model - A subset of CIM not specific to any platform.

• Common Model - Information model that visually depicts concepts, functionality, and representations of entities related to specific areas of network management, such as systems, devices, and applications.

• Extensions - Information models that support the CIM Schema and represent a very specific platform, protocol, or corporate brand.

Collectively, the Core Model and the Common Model are referred to as the CIM Schema.

The Core Model

The Core Model provides the underlying, general assumptions of the managed environment--for example, that specific, requested data must be contained in a location and distributed to requesting applications or users. These assumptions are conveyed as a set of classes and associations that conceptually form the basis of the managed environment. The Core Model is meant to introduce uniformity across schemas intended to represent specific aspects of the managed environment.

For applications developers, the Core Model provides a set of classes, associations, and properties that can be used as a starting point to describe managed systems and determine how to extend the Common Model. The Core Model establishes a conceptual framework for modeling the rest of the managed environment.

The Core Model provides classes and associations to extend specific information about systems, applications, networks, devices, and other network features through the Common Model and extensions. For information about the system aspects of the Core Model and related classes and associations, see "Core Model Concepts".

The Common Model

Areas of network management depicted in the Common Model are independent of a specific technology or implementation but provide the basis for the development of management applications. This model provides a set of base classes for extension into the area of five designated technology-specific schemas: Systems, Devices, Applications, Networks, and Physical. For information about each of these schemas, see "Common Model Schemas".

CIM Extensions

Extension schemas are built into CIM to connect specific technologies into the model. By extending CIM, a specific operating environment such as Solaris can be made available to a greater number of users and administrators. Extension schemas provide classes for software developers to build applications that manage and administer the extended technology.

Managed Object Format

MOF is the standard language used to define elements of the Common Information Model (CIM). The MOF language specifies a syntax for defining CIM classes and instances. MOF provides developers and administrators with a simple and fast technique for modifying the CIM Repository. For more information about MOF, see the DMTF web page at http://www.dmtf.org.

Because MOF can be converted to Java, an application developed in MOF can be run on any system or in any environment that supports Java.

The MOF Syntax

Programmers can use the CIM API to represent CIM objects, developed in MOF, as Java classes. The CIM Object Manager checks and enforces that these CIM objects comply with the CIM 2.1 Specification. In some cases, it is possible to represent something syntactically correct in a MOF file that does not adhere to the CIM specification. The CIM Object Manager returns an error message when such a MOF file is compiled.

For example, if you specify scope in the qualifier definition in a MOF file, CIM Object Manager returns a compilation error because scope can only be specified in the definition of a CIM Qualifier Type. A CIM Qualifier cannot change the scope that was specified in the CIM Qualifier Type.

Schema MOF Files

The installation of Solaris WBEM Services puts MOF files that form the CIM Schema and the Solaris Schema in the directory /opt/SUNWconn/wbem/schema. These files are automatically compiled and run when the CIM Object Manager starts.

The CIM Schema files, denoted by CIM in the file name, form standard CIM objects. For an explanation of the parts that make up the CIM Schema, see version 2.1 of the CIM Specification, which can be obtained at http://dmtf.org/spec/cims.html.

The Solaris Schema describes Solaris objects by extending the standard CIM Schema. The MOF files that make up the Solaris Schema use the Solaris prefix in the file names, but otherwise follow the same file name conventions as the CIM Schema MOF files. You can view the MOF files that make up the Solaris Schema in a text editor of your choice.

CIM and Solaris

Sun Microsystems, Inc. extends CIM principles and classes in the Solaris operating environment. Developed in Java to run on any Java-enabled platform, the Sun implementation consists of two products: the Sun WBEM SDK and Solaris WBEM Services.

Sun WBEM SDK

The Sun WBEM Software Development Kit (SDK) contains the components required to write management applications that can communicate with any WBEM-enabled management device. Developers can also use this tool kit to write providers, programs that communicate with managed objects to access data. All management applications developed using Sun WBEM SDK run on the Java platform. For more information about Sun WBEM SDK components and installation instructions, see Chapter 2, Installing the Sun WBEM SDK.

Solaris WBEM Services

Solaris WBEM Services provides routing and security services. The CIM Object Manager routes data about objects and events between components. Sun WBEM User Manager is an application with a graphical user interface in which you can set user permissions to specific work areas. For more information about Solaris WBEM Services components and installation instructions, see Chapter 10, Installing Solaris WBEM Services.