HP BOOK XE3 manual Desktop Management Interface DMI, Installing the DMI Package

Desktop Management Interface (DMI)

The Desktop Management Interface (DMI) is basically a set of rules for accessing information about a personal computer. Using DMI, an application program can determine, for example, which hardware and software components are present in the computer, the operating system being used, and the number of accessory board slots available. Using the DMI interface, a local or remote application program can check which hardware and software components are installed on your notebook, and may be able to tell how well they are working or whether any needs replacing. All this information is stored in a special Management Information Format (MIF) file, installed on each computer as part of the DMI package.

Installing the DMI Package

The DMI package is included with your notebook, but must be properly installed before it can be used. Install the package as follows.

To install the DMI preloaded on the hard disk:

∙In Windows, click Start, Programs, HP TopTools for Notebooks, Setup.

To install the DMI from the Recovery CD, or from floppy disks:

1.Insert the Recovery CD, into the CD-ROM/DVD drive, or insert disk #1 into the floppy drive.

2.Select and run the SETUP program from the dmi\disk1 directory on the CD (under \hp\Drivers), or from floppy disk #1.

Contents of the DMI Package

The DMI software and associated documentation is supplied either preinstalled on the notebook’s hard disk drive or on the Recovery CD. The contents of the package are the same for both.

Since the information accessed by the DMI software is specific to each particular computer, it must be installed on each computer separately. The DMI package included with a notebook can therefore be used only with that notebook.

The DMI package includes the following software:

∙A Microsoft Windows utility (SETUP.EXE) to install and initialize the DMI software.

∙A Windows utility, HP TopTools. After DMI is installed, this utility can display information about the notebook through the DMI.

∙A Management Information Format (MIF) file. This file contains information about everything on the notebook that can be controlled using DMI facilities, and is initialized during installation.

∙A component code, identifying the version of MIF file to use for specific models of HP notebook computers.

∙Windows-compatible DMTF Service Layer software, which controls access to the DMI.

∙A client agent. The HP Remote DMI Agent is a DMI application and also a network server-side stream-based application. The Remote Agent is listening for Remote Application connection requests. If the main window of the Remote Agent is hidden, then no icon appears on the screen when it is running.

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