If you’re familiar with MOM 2005, you know that management packs were distributed in a binary format with an extension of AKM, and could not be edited outside a Management Group (e.g., you could only change them within MOM). This changes with Operations Manager (OpsMgr) 2007, where management packs are written in XML. Sealed management packs have an extension of MP, while unsealed management packs have a file extension of XML (but we’ll talk more about that in another article). You can create management packs outside of OpsMgr using XML and an XML editor, or you can use Microsoft’s Operations Manager 2007 Authoring Console, which is now in public beta. We will talk a little bit about the Authoring Console.
Compared to writing in native XML, the Authoring Console provides easier-to-use functionality for writing management packs. The console has a similar look and feel to the Operations Console, and provides the ability to access those parts of management pack creation not possible with the Operations Console. Examples include adding clases, relationship information within a management pack, and creating object discoveries.
Once you create the basic framework or structure for a management pack using the Authoring Console (or XML), you can import it into your Management Group where you can continue to customize it using the Operations console. An advantage of working with the Operations Console is you can see and test the results of your work immediately, without having to export from the Authoring Console and then import into the Management Group and Operations Console every time you make a change.
The beta version of the console is available from http://connect.microsoft.com. Log in and access the System Center Operations and Service Management connection (https://connect.microsoft.com/systemcenter). The help file for the console is available for download at https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=d826b836-59e5-4628-939e-2b852ed79859&DisplayLang=en, as part of the Systems Center Operations Manager 2007 documentation set.
Indications from Microsoft are that the Authoring Console will be released in early 2008.
