How to Create Node XML for a Configuration Manager Console View

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Applies To: System Center Configuration Manager 2007, System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2, System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3, System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP1, System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP2

To create the node XML for a Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 console view you create an XML file describing a RootNodeDescription element.

The XML in this procedure is used with the assembly you create in How to Create a Configuration Manager Console View. It displays a list of SMS Provider classes in the Configuration Manager 2007 console tree Tools node and results pane. When a class is selected, the view is started in the results pane.

The following elements and attributes are particularly important:

  • RootNodeDescription. The attribute NamespaceGuid identifies the Tools node.

  • ScopePaneItem. Provides information about the assembly containing the view and the query that is used to populate the console tree with the SMS Provider classes. Because no query is defined in ResultPaneItemDescription, the ScopePaneItemDescription query also populates the result pane.

Note

If the XML and the view assembly are installed correctly, the result pane should turn gray when you select one of the provider classes. (If you have not completed How to Use Objects Passed to a Configuration Manager Console View, the control does not have any user controls on it yet and therefore appears gray.) If the result pane does not turn gray, the view was not loaded properly. Check the XML and ensure that the assembly and namespace are correctly referenced. If you get an error message from the Configuration Manager console, then the assembly is probably referenced correctly and the error is in the assembly code.

To create the node XML for a view

  1. If it is open, close the Configuration Manager console.

  2. In Notepad, create an XML file that contains the following XML:

        <RootNodeDescription NamespaceGuid="778d1b97-e41f-4cc5-b6c0-41fc90013c4e" Id="NamespaceObjects" DisplayName="Namespace" Description="Namespace object instance viewer" HelpTopic="">
      <RootNodes>
        <NodeDescription>
          <ScopePaneItemDescriptions>
            <ScopePaneItemDescription NamespaceGuid="91a66c1c-0407-40e7-8696-fd382aca5ad2">
              <Queries>
                <QueryDescription NamespaceGuid="a0f56f00-0fce-4fff-a908-0a199f119265" Type="WQL" DisplayName="##SUB:__CLASS##" HelpTopic="">
                  <ViewAssemblyDescriptions>
                    <ViewAssemblyDescription>
                      <Assembly>ConfigMgrObjectsControl.dll</Assembly>
                      <Type>Microsoft.ConfigurationManagement.AdminConsole.ConfigMgrObjectsView.ConfigMgrObjectsViewDescription</Type>
                    </ViewAssemblyDescription>
                  </ViewAssemblyDescriptions>
                  <Query>SELECT * FROM meta_class</Query>
                </QueryDescription>
              </Queries>
            </ScopePaneItemDescription>
          </ScopePaneItemDescriptions>
          <ResultPaneItemDescriptions>
            <ResultPaneItemDescription NamespaceGuid="324a6ff7-2266-4b0a-b0cd-7fc9721e553f" />
          </ResultPaneItemDescriptions>
          <NodeDescriptions />
        </NodeDescription>
      </RootNodes>
    </RootNodeDescription>

  3. Save the XML file in the folder %ProgramFiles%\AdminUI\XmlStorage\Extensions\Nodes\22241306-2e64-11d2-ad56-0060b03cb511 with the file name ConfigMgrObjectsView.xml. Be sure to save the file as type All Files. If the Extensions, Nodes, or GUID folders do not yet exist, create them.

  4. Start the Configuration Manager console, select Tools in the tree view, and select the Namespace node. You should see a list of provider classes added to the Namespace node.

  5. Select one of the nodes, and the results pane should turn gray.

The view has no functionality at this point. For information about displaying information about the class you selected, see How to Use Objects Passed to a Configuration Manager Console View.

See Also

Concepts

About Configuration Manager Console Views
How to Create a Configuration Manager Console View
How to Find a Configuration Manager Console Node GUID