Creating custom tool definition files for HP Systems Insight Manager 5.1 or greater (481365-002, January 2009)

3
Abstract
HP Systems
Insight Manager (HP SIM) is a flexible management utility for an enterprise environment
employing HP ProLiant, BladeSystem, StorageWorks, and Integrity solutions. This paper describes
how you can customize HP SIM to run the tools you typically use in your
environment.
Introduction
HP Systems Insight Manager is the foundation for the HP unified server
-
storage management strategy.
HP SIM is a hardware
-
level management product that supports multiple operating systems on HP
ProLiant, Integrity and HP 9000 serv
ers, HP StorageWorks MSA, EVA, XP arrays, and third
-
party
arrays. Through a single management view of Microsoft® Windows®, HP
-
UX 11iv1, HP
-
UX 11iv2,
HP
-
UX 11iv3, and Red Hat, and SuSE Linux, HP SIM provides the basic management features of
system discovery
and identification, single
-
event view, inventory data collection, and reporting. The
core HP SIM software uses Web Based Enterprise Management (WBEM) to deliver the essential
capabilities required to manage all HP server platforms.
While HP SIM 5.
3
comes
fully operational with a ready
-
to
-
implement command and tool set,
advanced users can create custom tools and commands that streamline the management process for
their own environment. This paper describes methods for creating customized tools used by HP SI
M
for specific management tasks.
This paper assumes that readers:

Are familiar with IT administration policies and practices.

Are familiar with the operating system platform implemented by their data center [Windows (DOS),
Linux, or HP
-
UX (Unix)].

Are fam
iliar with the eXtensible Markup Language (XML) data file format.

Have reviewed the
HP SIM 5.
3
Installation and
Configuration
guides
and the
HP
Systems Insight
Manager
5.3
Technical Reference Guide
.
Additional reference data is available in the form of man
pages, which are online html pages that
provide quick access to specific topics such as HP SIM commands and parameters. The HP SIM
documents listed previously, the man pages, and additional HP SIM support documents are available
at the HP SIM information
library at the following URL:
http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/management/hpsim/infolibrary.html
What is a tool definition file?
A key method of administ
ering multiple systems is through scripting. HP SIM features a modular
architecture that uses tool definition files (TDEFs) written in the XML data file format. A TDEF contains
the definitions of one or more tools used by HP SIM and define how a tool launc
hes and executes. A
tool can be a script or an executable file. Creating custom tools
enables
you to extend the use of
HP
SIM to your specific business environment.