About Systems Management Server
The Microsoft® Systems Management Server (SMS) SDK provides documentation and samples necessary to write client applications that access and modify SMS data and also customize the console and Resource Explorer. This enables you to perform tasks such as:
- Software distribution
- Software and hardware inventory
- Site configuration
- Status monitoring
This section contains the introductory topics listed in the following table.
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| SMS Schema | Explains how SMS version 2.0 uses Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) classes to manage its objects. |
| Resource Discovery and Inventory | Resources are managed through discovery and inventory. The resource model is extensible to accommodate new resource types. |
| Package Definition Files | Explains the relationship between PDF templates, the PDF store, and SMS packages and programs. |
What You Should Know Before Reading This Guide
This guide assumes that you are familiar with the Component Object Model (COM) and Automation, and that you know how to program in either Microsoft® Visual Basic® or C/C++.
You should also be familiar with WMI as well as the COM API for WMI, Scripting API for WMI, and the WMI Query Language (WQL). For more information, see Windows Management Instrumentation in the Platform SDK.
To take advantage of the query capabilities of SMS, you should be familiar with the American National Standards Institute Structured Query Language (ANSI SQL) standard.
Most importantly, you should be familiar with SMS and its features. For more information, see the SMS Administrator's Guide distributed with SMS.