Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)

Matthew Lavy, MA, MPhil, ARCM, LTCL, is Technical Systems Developer at Jesus College, Cambridge University. His main responsibilities are developing solutions for UNIX / NT systems integration and providing technical support to Windows 2000 systems administrators. He has been both an author and technical reviewer for the O'Reilly Windows NT series, and is a member of the Cambridge University Windows 2000 technical strategy group. Ashley Meggitt, MSc, is IT Manager for Jesus College, Cambridge University, responsible for the management of the IT Department and for formulating the College's long-term IT strategy. He is the co-author of two books on Windows NT system administration, both published by O'Reilly, for whom he has also acted as a technical reviewer.

1. Introduction to WMI.


WMI Functions. History. WMI Technology.WMI Structure. Referencing Objects. Accessing WMI from Scripts. The WMI Event Model. Summary.



2. Using VBScript.


Programming VBScript. Accessing WMI from VBScript. Summary.



3. Examining the Filesystem _with WMI.


Filesystem Basics. Manipulating Files. Directories in WMI. Summary.



4. Remote Administration.


Connecting to a Remote Machine. Handling Errors. Representation of Processes in WMI. Summary.



5. WMI Security.


Security at the WMI Level. DCOM Security. Underlying Operating System Security. Security Representation Within WMI. Summary.



6. Logs and Reports.


Examining the Event Logs with WMI. Reporting with the Windows Installer. Product Representation Within WMI. The WMI Object Browser. Summary.



7. System Configuration.


Managing Services with WMI. WMI and the Registry. Summary.



8. Proactive Troubleshooting with _WMI Events.


WMI Event Basics. Asynchronous Event Notification. Permanent Event Subscription. Summary.



9. WMI and Active Directory.


The Structure of ADSI and Its WMI Mapping. Selecting Computers to Manage with Active Directory. Summary.



10. Script Development and _Deployment.


Making Use of the Windows Scripting _Host. Debugging Tools and Techniques. Notes on Script Deployment. Summary.



11. WMI Internals.


Inside the Repository. The WMI Scripting API. Summary.



A. WMI on Other Microsoft _Platforms.


Download and Installation. Running WMI on Windows 95, 98, and Me. Running WMI on Windows NT 4.0. Caveats and Crevices.



B. Accessing WMI from Other _Languages.


Translating into Jscript. Translating into Perl. Translating into Visual Basic. A Note About C/C++.