WMI stands for Windows Management Instrumentation.
Definition : WMI is a set of specifications from Microsoft for consolidating the management of devices and applications in a network from Windows computing systems. WMI was the Microsoft implementation of Web Based Enterprise Management (WBEM), the Common Information Model (CIM) and also the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF). A command line interface for WMI called Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC) also provides by Microsoft.
Purposes of WMI :
The purpose of WMI is to define a set of specifications independent of the environment, which allow sharing management information between the same management applications. It prescribes the enterprise management standards with related technologies for windows that works as exciting management standards.
So, the Desktop Management Interface (DMI) and SNMP, WMI components also some of these standards by providing a uniform model.
Advantages :
- WMI can get info about remote machines as easily as current machine.
- WMI uses REAL reboot time for uptime metrics.
- Account settings used by SAM automatically.
- WMI wraps the native API, so as API calls change, unless the WMI changed also you will (might) get the benefits.
Disadvantages :
- Speed – It is slow to query data and if you are trying to use it during start up it can delay you starting as the WMI service takes a long time to come up.
- WMI is less efficient as compared to SNMP.
- Significantly more firewall ports required in case of WMI.
- It is present only for Windows, Linux inbox driver is not available.
- WMI needs BIOS to wrap code.