Understanding the WMI Provider for Configuration Management

Applies to: SQL Server

Microsoft SQL Server provides the WMI Provider for Configuration Management. This lets you use Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) to manage SQL Server services, SQL Server client and server network settings, and server aliases. SQL Server services, network settings, and aliases are represented by WMI objects in the root\Microsoft\SqlServer\ComputerManagementnn namespace of the computer. After a connection is established with the WMI provider on the specified computer, the services, network settings, and aliases can be queried using WQL or a scripting language.

The WMI Provider is an instance provider. It supplies instances of the WMI Classes and supports the following asynchronous operations.

Instance retrieval
Retrieval of a particular class type instance.

Enumeration
Enumeration of all instances of a class type.

Modification
Modification of a particular instance of a class type.

Classes have methods that allow the modification of their properties.

Deletion
Removing a particular instance of a class type.

Query processing
Enumeration of instances of a class type based on a filter.

For examples of management application using the WMI Provider for Configuration Management, see Using WQL and Scripting Languages with the WMI Provider for Configuration Management.

For more information about programming management applications using the WMI Provider, see the WMI documentation in the Microsoft .NET Framework SDK.

See Also

Working with the WMI Provider for Configuration Management
Using WQL and Scripting Languages with the WMI Provider for Configuration Management