DSI is Microsoft's overarching strategy for making systems more self-managing through the use of software models in which IT staffs can capture data about their computing environments. The System Center products, including Systems Management Server (SMS) and Microsoft Operations Manager, are also key components of DSI.

But the System Center announcements made at last week's conference were "more tactical than strategic," said a systems engineer who asked not to be identified. "In six months, I'm going to have to think about how to implement these tools. What I got was very much an appetizer. What I needed was a full entree."

"Some of the features they showed were nice, but I was looking for more architect-scale news," said another attendee who also didn't want to be identified.

In an interview, Bob Muglia, senior vice president of Microsoft's server and tools business, said that the company shipped the first design-side version of its System Definition Model (SDM) as part of the Visual Studio 2005 Team System development tool set released last fall. SDM is the technology that can be used to create models as part of DSI.

Muglia also pointed to Distributed Management Task Force Inc.'s announcement last week that it had accepted the Web Services for Management specification as a preliminary standard. Microsoft was one of the development leaders on WS-Management, which it views as a key element of DSI, because the standard will help ease interoperability between Microsoft's tools and software from other vendors.