About Solaris WBEM Services

Solaris WBEM Services includes the following components:

• CIM Object Manager

• Sun WBEM User Manager

• Solaris Provider

CIM Object Manager

The Common Information Model (CIM) Object Manager manages CIM objects and routes object data. CIM Object Manager is a standard executable Java class file that is started automatically as part of the post-installation process. CIM objects are represented internally as Java classes. When an application uses the client API to request or update information about a managed object, the CIM Object Manager contacts either the appropriate provider for that object or the CIM Repository, the persistent storage mechanism.

Classes, properties, and methods handled by a provider have a Provider qualifier that identifies the provider to contact for the class. When the CIM Object Manager receives a request for a class that has a Provider qualifier, it routes the request to the specified provider. If no provider is specified, it routes the request to the persistent data storage, using the Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI).

The CIM Object Manager can be installed and run on one or more Solaris hosts. When a WBEM-enabled client connects to a CIM Object Manager, it gets a reference to the CIM Object Manager. The client can then perform WBEM operations using this reference.

Semantic and Syntactic Checking

CIM Object Manager performs syntactical and semantic checking. Syntactical checking refers to the ability to detect an error, such as a misplaced semicolon or a forgotten brace, in a line of code. Semantic checking refers to the ability to detect an error in the rules or logic of the program. The CIM Object Manager follows rules provided by the Common Information Model, and detects deviations from CIM rules in a WBEM application.

For example, CIM rules designate that only a key property can override another key property. Class A, which is assigned a key, cannot be overwritten by Class B because Class B is not assigned a key. In this case, CIM Object Manager returns a semantic error.

Class A        
\\Define Class A 
{     
[Key]     int a;   
}    
Class B:A     
 \\Class B extends A  
{  
[overrides ("a", key (false)]   int b;   
}   

Sun WBEM User Manager

Sun WBEM User Manager is a software application in which you can set user privileges to specific areas, called namespaces, where classes are stored. You can also delete namespaces and create new namespaces in Sun WBEM User Manager. For information about how to use Sun WBEM User Manager, see Chapter 12, Administering Security.

Solaris Provider

Solaris WBEM Services includes the Solaris Provider, a program that enables the CIM Object Manager to communicate with the Solaris operating environment. The Solaris Provider is defined in a set of files created in Managed Object Format (MOF). Collectively, these files are referred to as the Solaris Schema. They extend CIM classes for the Solaris environment by providing definitions of the classes that the CIM Object Manager and the Solaris environment use to communicate.

The MOF files that make up the Solaris Schema are located in /opt/SUNWconn/wbem/schema. You can view these files in a text editor of your choice. Solaris_Schema1.0.mof is the principal schema file. It contains pointers to the other files that make up the Solaris Schema in the order in which the files are compiled at installation.

During the installation of Solaris WBEM Services, the MOF compiler compiles standard CIM 2.1 MOF files into the CIM Object Manager. After installation, these compiled classes represent the resources on your system, such as processes, application software, CPU resources, and memory. Applications can then use the API to get, set, and otherwise manipulate the managed resources on any WBEM-enabled system.

In addition, Solaris WBEM Services includes the Solaris Schema, MOF files that further describe Solaris-specific resources, such as Solaris patches and installed software packages. The Solaris Schema extends the standard CIM Schema classes.

Other vendors who extend the standard CIM Schema also build on the base classes. The benefit of using this information model to manage systems is that an application can get and set the properties for any system resource (for example, process) on any CIM system. You can use the same API to get and set properties about a process or device on a Microsoft Windows 32 system, a Solaris system, a UNIX platform, or any other CIM-compliant platform.