Objects that have been added to the site database by using MIF files are represented as machine folders. Note that machine folders can be included in a site container, site group container, machine container, or machine group container.
Each object is an instance of a specific type of object. An object type is called an architecture. For example, computers inventoried in the site database have the Personal Computer architecture and SMS events have the SMSEvent architecture. To be able to view an object as a machine folder with the SMS API, the machine folder must contain an Architecture group folder.
The inventory for an object in the site database is represented as a machine folder with the object's properties represented as grouped attributes. A machine folder contains group subfolders. Group folders represent distinct parts of the object. A group combines a set of attributes into a single, identifiable entity. For example, Processor, Network, and Operating System are some of the groups that can exist on a computer with the Personal Computer architecture. In the Personal Computer architecture, groups can be used to store the properties of a hardware device (such as a COM port or mouse), a piece of software (such as the operating system or a defined software package), or any logical entity (such as asset or employee information through custom MIFs).
Your application can view objects of any architecture stored in the site database.
Only objects that are part of a site hierarchy can populate a machine group container, site container, or site group container. These types of objects are added to the SMS inventory as part of a site and domain (for example, objects with the Personal Computer architecture can be represented as part of a domain within a site). To be represented in the site hierarchy, an object must have specific attributes set in the Identification group. For more information about adding objects to be represented in the site hierarchy, see Extending the Inventory. If an object does not have these attributes set, it can be viewed only by using a machine container.
A machine folder has the following properties:
| Property | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Tag | "Machine" | String. A description of the folder type. |
| Folder type | F_MACHINE | Integer. Folder type. |
| ID | For the Personal Computer architecture, the value has the form site|domain|name. For example, "JS1|REDDOM|jonathan1". For all other architectures, the value is the string form of an integer. For example, "1234". | String. For Personal Computer objects, the combination of the site, domain, and name attributes of the Identification group of the MIF object. If the object is of any other architecture, the ID is the string form of an integer identifier. |
| Active filters | GROUP_FILTER | Integer. Filters that are directly activated on the folder. These filter types are used to retrieve the subfolders in the folder. |
| Immediate subfolders | F_GROUP | Integer. Types of subfolders that the folder type can contain. |
| Number of scalars | 0 | Integer. Number of scalars for the folder type. |