SMS SQL Server Views

A Microsoft SQL Server view is a virtual table whose contents are defined by a query. A view consists of a set of named columns and rows of data. However, a view does not exist as a stored set of data values in a database. The rows and columns of data come from tables referenced in the query defining the view and are produced dynamically when the query is run. The query that defines the view can be from one or more tables or from other views in one or more databases. Distributed queries (queries that access data from multiple data sources) can also be used to define views that pull data from multiple heterogeneous sources (data stored in multiple formats), such as data stored in a SQL Server database, a text file, and a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

During setup, SMSĀ 2003 creates the following view types:

  • Views against static (unchanging) tables.

  • Views that use data from tables with a dynamic (changing) schema.

For a dynamic schema, Setup creates a number of SQL Server stored procedures that create the views. These procedures are rerun by SMS to refresh the views when the schema of underlying tables changes. Collection evaluation, discovery, and inventory data are examples of data for which new tables or new properties in existing tables might appear during the operation of an SMS site.