Method and apparatus for accessing system management functions of a computer system

A system instrumentation driver, a subsystem instrumentation interface, and a number of subsystem instrumentation handlers, are provided to a computer system platform for accessing system management features and functions of the platform. The system instrumentation driver is operating system specific; it is used to issue subsystem commands to the subsystem instrumentation interface, in response to system management calls from system management agent software. The subsystem instrumentation interface is platform, operating system as well as subsystem implementation independent; it is used to map each subsystem command into one or more invocations of the appropriate subsystem instrumentation handlers. The subsystem instrumentation handlers are platform and subsystem specific; they are used to access the vadous system management features and functions of the platform. Together, the system instrumentation driver, the subsystem instrumentation interface, and the subsystem instrumentation handlers, cooperate to provide accesses to the system management features and functions of the platform in a more efficient and cost effective manner.