WMI Full Form

What Is The Full Form Of WMI?

The full form of WMI is Windows Management Instrumentation.

WMI is a set of extensions from Microsoft that provides an OS interface using which the instrumented components provide notification and information. WMI helps consolidate the process of managing the applications and devices in a network of the Windows computing systems. The WMI is an implementation of Microsoft for WBEM (Web-Based Enterprise Management) and CIM (Common Information Model) standards from the DMTF (Distributed Management Task Force).

WMI assists the scripting languages (like Windows PowerShell or VBScript) in managing the Windows PCs and servers- both remotely and locally. The WMI always comes pre-installed in the Microsoft Windows 2000 and the newer Microsoft OSes. It also comes as an option to download for Windows 95, Windows NT, and Windows 98.

Microsoft also provides WMI with a command-line interface known as the WMIC (Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line).

Purposes of WMI

The main purpose of WMI is to define a set of environment-independent specifications that allow sharing of information regarding management between the management applications. WMI prescribes the technologies for Windows that work perfectly with the existing management standards- like SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) and DMI (Desktop Management Interface).

WMI provides a uniform model and thus complements other standards. This uniform model represents a very managed environment- through which one can access management data from any source in a common way.

Process of Development

Provider development implies a few steps since WMI abstracts all the manageable entities with a collection of providers and CIM. Here’s a summary of the major steps:

• Step #1 – Creating a model of a manageable entity.

1. Define the model.
2. Start implementing the model.

• Step #2 – Create the provider of WMI.

1. Determine the type of provider to implement.
2. Discover the hosting model that implies on the provider.
3. Use the ATL wizard for creating the provider template.
4. Start implementing the code logic into the provider.
5. Register the WMI with the provider along with the system.

• Step #3 – Test the setup provider.
• Step #4 – Create a sample code for the consumer.

What Does WMI Provide?

• WMI provides a consistent model of Windows configuration, operation, and status.
• WMI can feasibly operate with the other Windows Management Services.
• WMI provides a COM API for allowing access to the management functions.
• It comes with an extensible and flexible architecture that provides vendors with a means for writing the other WMI providers for supporting new apps, devices, and other enhancements.
• The WQL (WMI Query Language) creates detailed queries of the info.
• WMI provides the management application developers with an API to assist them in writing the Visual Basic or WSH (Windows Scripting Host) scripts.

Benefits of WMI

• WMI makes administration easy.
• It can easily get data and information regarding the remote machines just like the current machines.
• You can run the commands that are originally designed to work locally.
• It uses the REAL reboot time for the uptime metrics.
• The account settings in WMI get automatically used up by SAM.

Limitations of WMI

• WMI is very slow to the query data. Whenever you try to use it during the startup, it can further delay the starting time. The WMI service takes a very long time to come up for the users.
• As compared to the SIMP, WMI is very less efficient.
• Many more firewall ports come under requirements in the case of WMI.

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