December 5-8, 2005, Santa Clara Marriott, Santa Clara, CA
CimNavigator
Andy Abendschein
DuskFire, Inc.
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Outline
• Introduction• Design assumptions• Essential features• Features for students• Features for system modelers• Features for provider developers• Q/A
Introduction
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Introduction
• Thanks to Vidiom Systems!
• What is CimNavigator?– A tool that can be used to graphically explore and
manipulate CIM object spaces
• Why did I write CimNavigator?– Interest in OO technologies
– Desire to understand CIM/WBEM
– Belief that CIM/WBEM usage will expand to other disciplines
– Desire to demonstrate my understanding of CIM/WBEM (possible employment?)
Design assumptions
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Design Assumptions
• People typically work with some subset of CIM classes–Specify frequently-used classes–Node display customization
Specify properties used for node decorationSpecify Icon used for class displaySpecify Icon used for instance display in
tree and in graph–Association traversal depth specifiable
Design Assumptions
• UI should be simple, simple to use, and 'fun' to use– Liberal use of right-click context menus– Drag-n-drop used wherever it makes sense
• UI should function in a consistent manner– Properties, method arguments, and Indication
sources are all handled in the same manner
• UI should be useful to both novices and experts
Design Assumptions
• UI should be able to execute on just about any computer system (implies Java)
• UI should provide a ‘rich’ user experience (implies ‘thick’ client)
• UI should have plenty of on-line documentation
Design Assumptions (cont.)
Essential features
Essential features
Specify CIMOM
Essential features
CIMOMs found via SLP
Essential features
Class inspection– Parent class– Qualifiers (including key, required, values/value
maps, etc.) – Properties– Methods (instance and static)
Essential features
Class inspection
Essential features
Instance inspectionProperties
– View– edit non-key properties– Identify required properties– Qualifiers (including key, required, values/value
maps, etc.)
Essential features
Instance properties
Essential features
Property editor
Essential features
Instance creation
Essential features
New instance editor
Essential features
Delete Instance
Essential features
Method invocation
Essential features
Argument editor
Essential features
Association discovery
Essential features
Association layout
Essential features
Association creation
Essential features
Indication support
Use indication ‘wizard’ dialog to create subscription
Image stolen from DMTF document DSP0107.
Essential features
Create filter
Essential features
Create filter
Essential features
Create filter
Essential features
Create handler
Essential features
Create handler
Essential features
• Create handler
Essential features
Indications
Essential features
Indications
Essential features
Indications
Essential features
Indications
Essential features
Indications
Essential features
Indications
Essential features
Manage namespaces
Features for students
Features for students
• 'Non-threatening' way to explore CIM/WBEM• No need to learn cryptic CIMOM-specific
command line tools • Class search• Class browser provides the ability to browse for
classes within the CIM class hierarchy• Complex operations implemented as step-wise
dialogs (e.g. indication subscription creation, associators, references, enumerate instances)
• Most dialogs include succinct instructions to help user
Features for students (cont.)
Class search:
• Specify class
• Search CIMOM?
• Make persistent?
Features for students (cont.)
Browse classes(new feature)
Features for system modelers
Features for system modelers
• Define classes in CIMOM (properties & qualifiers, not methods)
• Delete classes• Import classes/instances via MOF files• Export classes/instances via MOF files
Features for system modelers
Derive new class
Features for system modelers
Derive new class
Features for system modelers
Derive new class
Features for system modelers
Derive new class
Features for system modelers
Edit instance of new class
Features for system modelers
Save classes & instances to a file (either MOF or XML)
Load MOF files too
Features for provider developers
Features for provider developers
• Perform WQL queries• Associators• References• Enumerate instances
Features for provider developers
WQL queries
Features for provider developers
Associators, References, and Enumerate instance operations are handled using a set of ‘wizard dialogs’
Features for provider developers
Select any desired constraints.
Features for provider developers
Select any (or all) properties to be included in the returned objects.
Features for provider developers
Request results
