Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0 Training Kit

Data is categorized in SMS 2.0 by object type, attribute class, and attribute. Attributes are used to provide data to query expressions. A query expression contains an attribute, a relational operator, and a comparison value. Queries are extensible and can contain multiple expressions (criteria). Any data in the site database or collections can be queried.

To run queries against the site database, they must first be built. Queries are edited from the Criteria tab in the Query Statement Properties dialog box, where both simple and complex queries are defined.

Rather than using a single format for the results of a query, SMS provides a facility to control how fields appear upon execution of a query. Query results are formatted from the General tab in the Query Statement Properties dialog box.

Queries are run from the Queries node of the SMS Administrator console. Queries are configured so that all or only a limited number of the records in the database meeting the specified criteria are returned.

Robust and configurable reporting capabilities are available from the Crystal Info reporting facility, which is an MMC snap-in. Three services support the reporting facility, Info APS, Info Sentinel, and Info Agent. Predefined reports or entirely new reports can be created in Crystal Info.