Patent ID: 8001281

Claim:
A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause a computer to perform steps of a process for modeling a configuration of components connected directly or indirectly to a baseboard of a computer system, the process comprising the steps of: providing a graphical user interface through which a user selects one or more components included in the configuration, comprising rendering on the graphical user interface a first portion comprising a plurality of graphical icons, wherein each of the plurality of graphical icons represents a component in a set of components which may be included in the configuration, and rendering on the graphical user interface a second portion for creating a model of the configuration of the baseboard using the plurality of graphical icons included in the first portion; in response to user selection of the one or more components on the graphical user interface, creating a configuration file specifying identification information associated with each of the one or more components selected by the user, wherein the configuration file is operable for loading into a management module communicatively connected to the baseboard, the management module being responsible for monitoring operation of each of the one or more selected components when implemented on the baseboard for use within the computer system; defining a plurality of description files, each description file describing a component in a set of components which may be included in the configuration, wherein each description file specifies the identification information associated with the component to which the description file is associated, and wherein the creating step comprises copying the description file of each of the one or more selected components to the configuration file; receiving a command from the user through the graphical user interface selecting a first component, wherein the user enters the command by dragging a first graphical icon representing the first component from the first portion into the second portion, the command comprising requesting a connection of the first component to a particular contact pin of a second component, and wherein a second graphical icon representing the second component is already displayed on the second portion; in response to the user dragging the first graphical icon onto the second portion, displaying the first graphical icon on the second portion; and in response to the user dragging the first graphical icon onto the second portion and requesting connection of the first component to the particular contact pin of the second component, analyzing the requested connection in order to determine whether the first component is specified for proper connection to the particular contact pin, and displaying the first graphical icon as connected to the second graphical icon if the analyzing step determines that the first component is specified for proper connection to the particular contact pin.