System Center Service Manager 2010 automates help desk functions such as ticketing and change request processes to help companies manage their help desk. Service Manager integrates with Active Directory Domain Services, System Center Operations Manager, and System Center Configuration Manager to build a single reconciled inventory of an organization’s assets.

Service Manager uses management pack files that contain the object definitions for the various features of the product. You can customize the behavior of Service Manager and extend it by creating and modifying management packs. This authoring guide describes the use, authoring, and customization of management packs.

The System Center Service Manager 2010 Software Development Kit (SDK) contains information that you might need when authoring with Service Manager. This includes reference information for the class libraries, and documents the schema used to create XML-based management packs. You can download the documentation for System Center Service Manager 2010 SDK from the System Center Technical Library (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=196797).

This section includes overviews for using management packs, authoring methods for Service Manager, and the Service Manager Authoring Tool.

In This Section