A data imaging system is managed by a three-tiered system. The lowest, or agent, tier comprises Common Information Model (CIM) provider objects that reside in the host providing the data imaging service and can make method calls on low-level kernel routines that implement the service. The middle, or logic, tier is a set of federated Java beans that communicate with each other, with the CIM providers and with the upper tier of the system and provide the business logic for the system. The upper, or presentation, tier of the inventive system comprises web-based presentation programs that can be directly manipulated by management personnel to view and control the system from virtually anywhere in the network.