RFC 2287 (rfc2287) - Page 3 of 44

Definitions of System-Level Managed Objects for Applications

RFC 2287                  MIB for Applications             February 1998


   1902 [2]). In particular, each object type is named by an OBJECT
   IDENTIFIER, an administratively assigned name. The object type
   together with an object instance serves to uniquely identify a
   specific instantiation of the object. For human convenience, we often
   use a textual string, termed the object descriptor, to refer to the
   object type.

3.  Overview

   The primary purpose of computing technologies is the execution of
   application software. These applications, typically specialized
   collections of executables, files, and interprocess communications,
   exist to solve business, scientific or other "problems". The
   configuration, fault detection, performance monitoring and control of
   application software across its life on a host computer is of great
   economic importance. For the purposes of our work, we define
   applications as one or more units of executable code and other
   resources, installed on a single host system that a manager may think
   of as a single object for management purposes.

   The information described by the objects in the System Application
   MIB support configuration, fault, and performance management; they
   represent some of the basic attributes of application software from a
   systems (non-application specific) perspective.  The information
   allows for the description of applications as collections of
   executables and files installed and executing on a host computer.

   This memo is concerned primarily with, and defines a model for,
   application information resident on a host computer which can be
   determined from the system itself, and not from the individual
   applications.  This system-level view of applications is designed to
   provide information about software applications installed and running
   on the host system without requiring modifications and code additions
   to the applications themselves.  This approach was taken to insure
   ease and speed of implementation, while allowing room for future
   growth.

4.  Architecture for Application Management

   In the area of application management it is fully acknowledged and
   even expected that additional MIB modules will be defined over time
   to provide an even greater level of detail regarding applications.
   This MIB module presents the most general case:  a set of management
   objects for providing generic information about applications and
   whose object values can be determined from the computer system itself
   without requiring instrumentation within the application.





Krupczak & Saperia          Standards Track