Configuration DLLs

Configuration DLLs (also referred to as extension DLLs) are the bridge between the ISM application and configurable services. A configuration DLL must be able to perform the following tasks for the ISM application:

  1.  Return Service Information: Each successfully loaded service DLL tells the manager the name of the service it supports and the actions it supports. It also provides a bitmap to be shown in the toolbar and in the configuration views.

  2.  Configuration: When the user double clicks the server item(s) or selects the Configure menu item in the main window, the main window issues a call to the related service DLL with the selected computer names. At this point, the configuration DLL takes over and presents the configuration dialogs and returns when configuration is completed. This is done modally.

  3.  Start/Stop/Pause service: When the user selects the Start/Stop/Pause action in the menu bar, the main window calls the configuration DLL to issue a command to perform the proper action to the selected servers.

  4.  Discovery: There are two types of available discovery supported by the ISM application. The first is INETSLOC discovery, which is supported by all the Internet Servers. If a configuration DLL manages a type of service that is discoverable in this way, it need not provide a discovery API, but only a INETSLOC mask. The ISM application then uses this for discovery. Those services not discoverable in this fashion must provide their own discovery API.