Analyzing a System of Managed Objects

The first step in creating an agent for a system of managed objects is to analyze the system. Your analysis produces artifacts (a table and a diagram), to guide you as you code the agent.

Before you begin

To do this task, you must first understand managed objects:

Note: Do the first three steps of this task in the order shown below. After that, you can do the remaining three steps in any order (you can even interleave them).
    Procedure
  1. Identify the entities in the system that users can monitor and manage.
    Organize this information as a table, with a row for each entity.
  2. Classify the entities using concept types.
    See Concept Types of Managed Objects.

    Add the concept types as the second column of your table.

  3. Identify relationships among the entities.
    1. Name each relationship.
    2. Draw a diagram of the entities (as nodes) and relationships (as edges)—separate from the table.
    3. Determine the cardinality of the relationship.
      Can this relationship include at most one other entity, or many entities? Add the cardinality information to your diagram.
    4. Copy the relationship information from your diagram into the third column of your table.
  4. Determine the configuration for each entity—its parameters and attributes.
    Add this information as the fourth column of your table.
  5. Determine the operations for each entity.
    What can users do with the entity?
    Add this information as the fifth column of your table.
  6. Determine the states for each entity.
    Add this information as the sixth column of your table.