SIMP is designed for use by system administrators or users with a strong background using Linux operating systems. The core applications that make up SIMP and require prerequisite knowledge are:

SIMP does as much initial setup and configuration of these tools as possible. However, without at least some understanding, you will be unable to tailor a SIMP system to fit the desired environment. A general understanding of how to control and manipulate these tools from the command line interface (CLI) will be necessary, as SIMP does not come stock with a graphical user interface (GUI).

Knowledge of scripting and Ruby programming will also help to further customize a SIMP install but is not required for routine use.