SMI Tutorial > Benefits of SMI for Vendors > Time and Cost Reduction

Time and Cost Reduction

When adopted by component developers, the SMI will reduce the time and cost of delivering management APIs to application developers. Thereby reducing the time required for new devices and new functionality to be supported. Features of CIM and WBEM that help reduce time-to-market include:

• Independence from platform, programming language, and compiler. The WBEM transport protocol is independent of platform, programming language, and compiler. Component developers need not create and support platform or programming language Software Development Kits (SDKs).
• Independence from objects. The WBEM transport protocol is independent of the objects about which it communicates. Introducing new devices (objects) or features (MOF extensions) does not affect communications between the management application and device.
• Extensibility. SMI-Specification (SMI-S) object descriptions (MOFs) are extensible. To add management capabilities to a device, a developer would simply create and distribute a new MOF  to management application developers. This MOF file allows management application vendors to efficiently update their products without obtaining a new complete SDK from component vendors.
• Insulation from vendor release cycles and integration processes. For capabilities standardized in the SMI-S object model, a component vendor can ship these capabilities in a product directly to customer sites and, upon installation, a suitable enabled management application can begin using the feature without the need for the management application to be re-released or patched. As such, component vendors are insulated from the release cycles and integration processes of management application vendors.
• Easy integration of new component capabilities. Via WBEM, component vendors can ship new “simple” capabilities in a component (like monitoring statistics) and a suitably designed management application can use the new capability immediately when added to the storage network. Again, component vendors are insulated from the release cycles and integration processes of management application vendors.
• Security and Internet-enablement.  The WBEM transport protocol is secure and Internet-capable. Component developers can safely expose prototype management interfaces to management application vendors over the Internet for development and debugging. No longer do component developers have to provide field test and development support hardware to management application developers. The SMI-Lab at SNIA’s Technology Center and the related plugfests and demonstrations have proven this cost-saving technique.
• Development tools and resources. There are several commercial and open-source tools that facilitate development of CIM, WBEM and SMI-S management interfaces. Skilled consultants are also available to provide education and assistance in creating SMI conformant products.