Hardware Inventory Through WMI

ConfigMgr uses two MOF files to control hardware inventory:

SMS_Def.mof—Specifies the information reported to the management point during the client inventory retrieval cycle. The actual SMS_Def.mof file is not downloaded to the ConfigMgr client. Instead, the client receives changes to reporting class configuration as part of its machine policy.

Configuration.mof—Defines custom data classes the hardware inventory client agent will inventory. In addition to standard WMI classes, such as the Win32 classes, you can create data classes to provide inventory data that is accessible through WMI, such as data from the client’s system Registry. ConfigMgr clients download the Configuration.mof file as part of their machine policy retrieval cycle. Any changes are compiled and loaded into the WMI repository.

The ConfigMgr client stores its machine policy in the Root\CCM\Policy\Machine WMI namespace. You can use the WMI Object Browser from the WMI Administrative Tools to examine some to the inventory-related objects in this namespace. To launch the WMI Object Browser and connect to the ConfigMgr machine policy namespace, perform the following steps:

1.Select Start -> All Programs -> WMI Tools -> WMI Object Browser.
2.The WMI Object Browser opens a web browser and attempts to run an ActiveX control.
3.If your browser blocks the control, select the option Allow Blocked Content.
4.Change the entry in the Connect to namespace dialog box to Root\CCM\Policy\Machine and then click OK.
5.Click OK to accept the default logon settings.