WMI[Windows Management Instrumention] is a Microsoft Proprietary protocol to manage windows based servers remotely.
Here I would like to share my learning on configuring WMI on windows machines. Once you have enabled WMI you could access the machine remotely using WMi Tools to access information about the performance and other details provided by WMI tables.
Enabling WMI on Windows 2K, Windows 2k3 & Windows XP Professional SP2:
- Launch services.msc and start the following services. Also make sure the startup type is "Automatic".
a. Remote Access Auto Connection Manager
b. Remote Procedure Call
c. Remote Procedure Call Locator
d. Remote Registry
e. Server
f. Windows Management Instrumentation
g. Windows Management Instrumentation Driver Extensions
h. WMI Performance Adaptor
i. Workstation
- Stop the following service and make sure the startup type is "Disabled":
a. Windows Firewall or add exception under firewall to access remote machines.
- For Windows XP Professional SP2, additionally the following has to be configured.
- Make sure that the remote logons are not being coerced to the GUEST account.
- To do this Select 'Start | Run' and type 'secpol.msc' in the Run dialog.
- Expand the 'Local Policies' node and select 'Security Options'.
- Now scroll down and check if setting titled "Network access: Sharing and security model for local accounts" is set to 'Guest only', change it to 'Classic' and RESTART THE COMPUTER.
After completing the abpove mentioned steps, you could use following tools to access the remote windows machine and query information
Some of the WMI Tools Link:
1. WMI Explorer:
2. VbsEdit:
The following can be found in your system, can be used for learning
3. wbemtest.exe
4. wmimgmt.msc
5. wmic.exe (command line tool)
