Namespaces

Namespaces

Namespaces are the mechanism that Microsoft® Provisioning Framework (MPF) uses to link providers and procedures with MPF. Namespaces can also be used to group procedure calls.

Every namespace procedure has an input schema and (optionally) an output schema. The input schema optionally validates data supplied to the procedure. The output schema defines the format for data returned by the procedure.

Every MPF standard provider has a corresponding namespace. To be accessible to MPF, custom providers and procedures must also belong to a namespace. For more information, see Developing Custom Providers and Developing Custom Namespaces.

To associate a namespace with MPF, it is registered in the configuration database.

Using Provisioning Manager, register namespace XML files in Microsoft Provisioning, Namespaces.

Using Configuration Database WMI Provider, create or modify an instance of the namespace class by calling MSFT_MPFNamespace.CreateFromXML. To connect the namespace to the MPF site, call MSFT_MPFSite.maps_ConnectSiteToNamespace. For more information on these classes and methods, see the pages for MSFT_MPFNamespace and MSFT_MPFSite.

Property Description

Namespace name Identifies the name of the namespace. Modifying a namespace name can cause significant problems. If you must modify a namespace name, you should create a new namespace with the new name, then copy the XML and other namespace information (including permissions) from the old namespace. Then, delete the old namespace.

Provider source Identifies the provider, if any, that the namespace calls. The identifier is the COM PROGID of the provider.

Description Brief description of the functionality provided by the namespace.

XML Registers the procedures of a namespace with the configuration database. These procedures call a provider or another procedure, including procedures of other namespaces. You can modify a namespace's XML from Provisioning Manager, but this practice is not recommended. Instead, you should modify and test the XML outside of the production environment, then import it once testing is complete.

Security Specifies who can execute all procedures of the namespace. By default, permissions propagate from the parent to the child. Adding or deleting a user in a namespace adds or deletes the user permissions in all procedures of the namespace, unless you configure a procedure so that it does not propagate permissions.

See Also

Architecture, Namespace Example, Provisioning Schema, XML Schema for Namespaces

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Property	Description
Namespace name	Identifies the name of the namespace. Modifying a namespace name can cause significant problems. If you must modify a namespace name, you should create a new namespace with the new name, then copy the XML and other namespace information (including permissions) from the old namespace. Then, delete the old namespace.
Provider source	Identifies the provider, if any, that the namespace calls. The identifier is the COM PROGID of the provider.
Description	Brief description of the functionality provided by the namespace.
XML	Registers the procedures of a namespace with the configuration database. These procedures call a provider or another procedure, including procedures of other namespaces. You can modify a namespace's XML from Provisioning Manager, but this practice is not recommended. Instead, you should modify and test the XML outside of the production environment, then import it once testing is complete.
Security	Specifies who can execute all procedures of the namespace. By default, permissions propagate from the parent to the child. Adding or deleting a user in a namespace adds or deletes the user permissions in all procedures of the namespace, unless you configure a procedure so that it does not propagate permissions.