Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), is a set of extensions to the Windows Driver Model. WMI provides an operating system interface through which instrumented components can provide information and notification.

See WMI.

An API in the Windows operating system that enables systems in a network, typically enterprise networks, to be managed and controlled.

The Microsoft implementation of Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM), which is an industry-wide standard technology for accessing management information about systems in an enterprise environment. WMI uses the Common Information Model (CIM) industry standard to represent managed components in a system. A system developer can develop a WMI interface that allows programmatic access to a system, so that users can write command-line administration scripts and tools. Also see Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI).

WMI is the Microsoft extension to the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF) Web-based Enterprise Management (WBEM) initiative, and provides a set of interfaces for access to components that provide management capabilities to an enterprise.

An application programming interface (API) in the Windows operating system that enables devices and systems in a network to be configured and managed. WMI uses the Common Information Model (CIM) to enable network administrators to access and share management information.

Microsoft technology used to extend the Desktop Management Task Force (DMTF) Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM) initiative by representing physical and logical objects that exist in Windows management environments in a consistent and unified manner. WMI is designed to simplify the development of well-integrated management applications, allowing vendors to provide highly efficient, scalable management solutions for enterprise environments.

Microsoft's answer to DMI. Microsoft felt that DMI didn't fully exploit Windows capabilities and was incomplete. Microsoft developed WMI to be an easier...

A component of the Microsoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft implementation of Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM), used to automate administrative tasks in an enterprise environment.

A management infrastructure in Windows that supports monitoring and controlling system resources through a common set of interfaces and provides a logically organized, consistent model of Windows operation, configuration, and status. See also: resource