Chapter 1

WBEM and Solaris WBEM Services (Overview)

This chapter provides an overview of Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM) and Solaris WBEM Services. These services make it easier for software developers to create management applications that run on Solaris, and make the Solaris operating environment easier for system administrators to manage.

Here is a list of the information in this chapter.

About Web-Based Enterprise Management

WBEM is an industry-wide initiative that includes standards for web-based management of systems, networks, and devices on multiple platforms. This standardization enables system administrators to manage desktops, devices, and networks.

At this time, WBEM is designed to be compatible with the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

WBEM encompasses the following standards:

Common Information Model (CIM) - Information model for describing managed resources.
Managed Object Format (MOF) - Language for defining CIM classes and instances.
eXtensible Markup Language (XML) - Markup language for describing managed resources on the web.

The Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF), a group that represents corporations in the computer and telecommunications industries, is leading the effort to develop management standards. The goal of the DMTF is to develop an integrated approach to managing networks across platforms and protocols, and consequently promote cost-effective products that interoperate as flawlessly as possible.

About the Common Information Model

This section provides a brief introduction to basic CIM terms and concepts as they are used in the Solaris WBEM Services product. A complete glossary of CIM terms and concepts is provided at http://www.dmtf.org/education/cimtutorial/reference/glossary.php.

CIM is an object-oriented information model for describing managed resources such as disks, CPUs, and operating systems. A CIM object is a representation, or model, of a managed resource, such as a printer, disk drive, or CPU. CIM objects can be shared by any WBEM-enabled system, device, or application.

Basic CIM Elements

CIM objects with similar properties and purposes are represented as CIM classes. Properties are attributes that describe a unit of data for a class. An instance is a representation of a managed object that belongs to a particular class. Instances contain actual data. For example, Solaris_ComputerSystem is a CIM class that represents a computer that runs the Solaris operating environment. The Solaris software that runs on your system is an instance of the Solaris_OperatingSystem class. ResetCapability and InstallDate are examples of properties of the Solaris_ComputerSystem class.

CIM classes are grouped into meaningful collections called schemas. A schema is a group of classes with a single owner (an organization). A class must belong to only one schema. Schemas are used for administration and class naming. All class names must be unique within a particular schema. The schema name is the determining factor in differentiating classes and properties from others that may have the same name. The naming of schema, class, and property follow this syntax:

Schemaname_classname.propertyname

CIM Models

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 - 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 called the CIM Schema.

Core Model

The Core Model provides the underlying, general assumptions of the managed environment. For example, 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 that represent specific aspects of the managed environment.

For application 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.

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, that is, Systems, Devices, Applications, Networks, and Physical.

CIM Extensions

Extension schemas are built upon CIM to connect specific technologies to 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. The Solaris Schema is an extension of the CIM Schema.

Solaris WBEM Services

Solaris WBEM Services software provides WBEM services in the Solaris operating environment, including secure access and manipulation of management data. The product includes a Solaris provider that enables management applications to access information about managed resources (devices and software) in the Solaris operating environment.

The CIM Object Manager accepts connections from management applications that use either the Remote Method Invocation (RMI) protocol or the XML/HTTP protocol, and provides the following services to connected clients:

Management services - Are in the form of a CIM Object Manager that checks the semantics and syntax of CIM data and distributes data between applications, the CIM Object Manager Repository, and managed resources.
Security services - Specify these services for WBEM through the Solaris Management Console User tool. These services are described in System Administration Guide: Security Services.
Sun™ WBEM User Manager - Use this tool to establish an access control list (ACL) for a specific namespace on the WBEM server. Sun WBEM User Manager enables you to add and delete authorized users, set access privileges for authorized users, and manage user authentication and access to CIM objects on a WBEM-enabled system. ACL-based security is uniquely provided by Solaris WBEM Services.
Logging services - Consist of classes that developers can use to create applications that dynamically record and retrieve event data. Administrators use this data to track and determine the cause of events. Logging services are described in more detail in the Solaris WBEM SDK Developer's Guide.
XML services - Convert XML data into CIM classes, enabling XML/HTTP-based WBEM clients to communicate with the CIM Object Manager.

Once connected to a WBEM-enabled system, WBEM clients can request WBEM operations such as creating, viewing, and deleting CIM classes and instances, querying for properties that have a specified value, and enumerating (getting a list of) instances or classes in a specified class hierarchy.


	Chapter 1 WBEM and Solaris WBEM Services (Overview) This chapter provides an overview of Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM) and Solaris WBEM Services. These services make it easier for software developers to create management applications that run on Solaris, and make the Solaris operating environment easier for system administrators to manage. Here is a list of the information in this chapter. "About Web-Based Enterprise Management" "About the Common Information Model" "Solaris WBEM Services" "Solaris WBEM Software Developer's Kit" About Web-Based Enterprise Management WBEM is an industry-wide initiative that includes standards for web-based management of systems, networks, and devices on multiple platforms. This standardization enables system administrators to manage desktops, devices, and networks. At this time, WBEM is designed to be compatible with the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). WBEM encompasses the following standards: Common Information Model (CIM) - Information model for describing managed resources. Managed Object Format (MOF) - Language for defining CIM classes and instances. eXtensible Markup Language (XML) - Markup language for describing managed resources on the web. The Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF), a group that represents corporations in the computer and telecommunications industries, is leading the effort to develop management standards. The goal of the DMTF is to develop an integrated approach to managing networks across platforms and protocols, and consequently promote cost-effective products that interoperate as flawlessly as possible. About the Common Information Model This section provides a brief introduction to basic CIM terms and concepts as they are used in the Solaris WBEM Services product. A complete glossary of CIM terms and concepts is provided at `http://www.dmtf.org/education/cimtutorial/reference/glossary.php`. CIM is an object-oriented information model for describing managed resources such as disks, CPUs, and operating systems. A CIM object is a representation, or model, of a managed resource, such as a printer, disk drive, or CPU. CIM objects can be shared by any WBEM-enabled system, device, or application. Basic CIM Elements CIM objects with similar properties and purposes are represented as CIM classes. Properties are attributes that describe a unit of data for a class. An instance is a representation of a managed object that belongs to a particular class. Instances contain actual data. For example, `Solaris_ComputerSystem` is a CIM class that represents a computer that runs the Solaris operating environment. The Solaris software that runs on your system is an instance of the `Solaris_OperatingSystem` class. `ResetCapability` and `InstallDate` are examples of properties of the `Solaris_ComputerSystem` class. CIM classes are grouped into meaningful collections called schemas. A schema is a group of classes with a single owner (an organization). A class must belong to only one schema. Schemas are used for administration and class naming. All class names must be unique within a particular schema. The schema name is the determining factor in differentiating classes and properties from others that may have the same name. The naming of schema, class, and property follow this syntax: Schemaname_classname.propertyname CIM Models 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 - 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 called the CIM Schema. Core Model The Core Model provides the underlying, general assumptions of the managed environment. For example, 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 that represent specific aspects of the managed environment. For application 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. 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, that is, Systems, Devices, Applications, Networks, and Physical. CIM Extensions Extension schemas are built upon CIM to connect specific technologies to 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. The Solaris Schema is an extension of the CIM Schema. Solaris WBEM Services Solaris WBEM Services software provides WBEM services in the Solaris operating environment, including secure access and manipulation of management data. The product includes a Solaris provider that enables management applications to access information about managed resources (devices and software) in the Solaris operating environment. The CIM Object Manager accepts connections from management applications that use either the Remote Method Invocation (RMI) protocol or the XML/HTTP protocol, and provides the following services to connected clients: Management services - Are in the form of a CIM Object Manager that checks the semantics and syntax of CIM data and distributes data between applications, the CIM Object Manager Repository, and managed resources. Security services - Specify these services for WBEM through the Solaris Management Console User tool. These services are described in System Administration Guide: Security Services. Sun™ WBEM User Manager - Use this tool to establish an access control list (ACL) for a specific namespace on the WBEM server. Sun WBEM User Manager enables you to add and delete authorized users, set access privileges for authorized users, and manage user authentication and access to CIM objects on a WBEM-enabled system. ACL-based security is uniquely provided by Solaris WBEM Services. Logging services - Consist of classes that developers can use to create applications that dynamically record and retrieve event data. Administrators use this data to track and determine the cause of events. Logging services are described in more detail in the Solaris WBEM SDK Developer's Guide. XML services - Convert XML data into CIM classes, enabling XML/HTTP-based WBEM clients to communicate with the CIM Object Manager. Once connected to a WBEM-enabled system, WBEM clients can request WBEM operations such as creating, viewing, and deleting CIM classes and instances, querying for properties that have a specified value, and enumerating (getting a list of) instances or classes in a specified class hierarchy.