About Modules

The term module as used in this manual has two closely related meanings. Module refers generically to the “container” of the new pieces of management data that the developer needs to inform the agent about. In this sense, a module is an abstract concept.

However, an abstract module must be represented as a shared object file, which runs on a managed system. The shared object file, or the associated program, is often referred to as a module. Therefore, a module can be defined as a C program that works with the SMA to manage additional resources.

All modules communicate through the API library functions. The API functions are used whether the modules are compiled in the agent, or loaded dynamically, or running in a separate subagent.