Custom Architecture MIF Files

When you add a new type of object to the SMS database, the MIF file containing the object's inventory must have an Architecture group and an Identification group. This type of MIF file is called an IDMIF.

When you add a new group to an existing object, the MIF file containing the group(s) must not have an Architecture group or an Identification group. This type of MIF file is called a NOIDMIF.

When creating a MIF file to add or update an object with a custom architecture, observe the following rules:

• The full definition for the object starts with the keyword Start Component and ends with End Component. You should define only one object (component) per MIF file.
• The object definition begins with the Name entry for the object.
• The Identification and Architecture groups must be included in the MIF file, using the structure you defined for the architecture.
• The Class value for the Identification group should be:

  
  

  MICROSOFT|IDENTIFICATION|1.0.

• The Class value for the Architecture group should be:

  
  

  MICROSOFT|ARCHITECTURE|1.0.

• If you want the object to appear in the Sites window of the SMS Administrator, you must include the Name, Site, Domain, SystemRole, and SystemType attributes in the Identification group; and the values for the Site and Domain attributes must be those of sites and SMS domains existing in the SMS database. If a custom architecture does not have these attributes defined, its objects are not displayed in the Sites window; you must display these objects by using a query.
• The group and attribute ID values must be 1 or greater.
• The attributes for an object must be specified in groups that adhere to the structure you defined for the architecture.

Important

When updating inventory information for an object already existing in the SMS database, make sure to specify values for all of the attributes defined in the previous MIF file for that object; otherwise the values for those attributes will be set to NULL.

Sample Custom Architecture MIF File

The following MIF file adds an object with a custom architecture called "Employee" to the SMS database. The group types are Identification, Architecture, Employee Status, Location, and Position.

Start Component
    Name = "EMPLOYEE"
    Start Group
        Name = "Identification"
        ID = 1
        Class = "MICROSOFT|IDENTIFICATION|1.0"
        Start Attribute
            Name = "Site"
            ID = 1
            Access = READ-ONLY
            Storage = COMMON
            Type = String(3)
            Value = "PIT"
        End Attribute
        Start Attribute
            Name = "Domain"
            ID = 2
            Access = READ-ONLY
            Storage = COMMON
            Type = String(15)
            Value = "SHUPPDOM"
        End Attribute
        Start Attribute
            Name = "SystemType"
            ID = 3
            Access = READ-ONLY
            Storage = COMMON
            Type = String(50)
            Value = "Person"
        End Attribute
        Start Attribute
            Name = "SystemRole"
            ID = 4
            Access = READ-ONLY
            Storage = COMMON
            Type = String(50)
            Value = "Writer"
        End Attribute
        Start Attribute
            Name = "Name"
            ID = 5
            Access = READ-ONLY
            Storage = SPECIFIC
            Type = String(64)
            Value = "Ben Cole"
        End Attribute
        Start Attribute
            Name = "Project"
            ID = 6
            Access = READ-ONLY
            Storage = COMMON
            Type = String(32)
            Value = "SMS"
        End Attribute
        Start Attribute
            Name = "Company"
            ID = 7
            Access = READ-ONLY
            Storage = COMMON
            Type = String(32)
            Value = "Siblings Inc"
        End Attribute
    End Group
    Start Group
        Name = "Architecture"
        ID = 2
        Class = "MICROSOFT|ARCHITECTURE|1.0"
        Start Attribute
            Name = "ArchitectureName"
            ID = 1
            Access = READ-ONLY
            Storage = SPECIFIC
            Type = String(10)
            Value = "Employee"
        End Attribute
    End Group
    Start Group
        Name = "Employee Status"
        ID = 3
        Class = "MICROSOFT|EMPLOYEE STATUS|1.0"
        Start Attribute
            Name = "Hours Worked"
            ID = 1
            Access = READ-ONLY
            Storage = SPECIFIC
            Type = Counter
            Value = 500
        End Attribute
        Start Attribute
            Name = "Done?"
            ID = 2
            Access = READ-ONLY
            Storage = COMMON
            Type = String(40)
            Value = "No"
        End Attribute
    End Group
    Start Group
        Name = "Location"
        ID = 4
        Class = "MICROSOFT|LOCATION|1.0"
        Start Attribute
            Name = "Building"
            ID = 1
            Access = READ-ONLY
            Storage = COMMON
            Type = String(40)
            Value = "1"
        End Attribute
        Start Attribute
            Name = "Office Number"
            ID = 2
            Access = READ-ONLY
            Storage = SPECIFIC
            Type = String(40)
            Value = "222"
        End Attribute
        Start Attribute
            Name = "Phone"
            ID = 3
            Access = READ-ONLY
            Storage = SPECIFIC
            Type = String(40)
            Value = "M"
        End Attribute
    End Group
    Start Group
        Name = "Position"
        ID = 5
        Class = "MICROSOFT|POSITION|1.0"
        Start Attribute
            Name = "Title"
            ID = 1
            Access = READ-ONLY
            Storage = COMMON
            Type = String(40)
            Value = "Technical Writer"
        End Attribute
        Start Attribute
            Name = "Level"
            ID = 2
            Access = READ-ONLY
            Storage = COMMON
            Type = Integer
            Value = 2
        End Attribute
    End Group
End Component