CIM Reference Guide

8 Introduction
Base Classes
The classes listed in the Server Administrator CIM provider class hierarchy do not have a parent property.
These base classes do not derive from another class. The base classes are:
• CIM_ManagedSystemElement
• CIM_Dependency
• DELL_Esm Log
• DELL_PostLog
• DELL_CMApplication
• DELL_CMDevice
• DELL_CMDeviceApplications
• DELL_CMInventory
• DELL_CMOS
• DELL_CMProductInfo
The CIM_ManagedSystemElement class is the base class for the system element hierarchy from
which all other CIM classes are derived. As a result, CIM_ManagedSystemElement has no parent.
Examples of managed system elements include software components such as files, devices such as hard
drives and controllers, and physical subcomponents of devices such as chip sets and cards. For the
CIM_ManagedSystemElement properties, see Caption, CreationClassName, Description, Name, and
Status in Table 1-2, "Common Properties of Classes."
The Dell-defined classes are not defined in the official schema by the DMTF, the industry group that
defines the standards for CIM, and hence do not have parent classes. CIM_Dependency does not have
a parent class because it is a relationship or association between two managed system elements.
Parent Classes
Most classes in the dccim32 provider document both a Class Name and a Parent Class property.
The parent class is the class from which any given class inherits its core properties. For example, the
CIM_Controller class has the CIM_LogicalDevice class as its parent, and has various types of controllers
(CIM_ParallelController, CIM_SerialController) as its children.
Classes That Describe Relationships
Classes that derive from CIM_Dependency have CIM_Dependency as their parent class, but they are
documented in terms of antecedent and dependent elements in a relationship rather than in terms of
common properties. Consider the following relationship between two CIM_ManagedSystemElements:
Antecedent CIM_PackageCurrentSensor
Dependent CIM_PhysicalPackage