WMI Monitoring Software

Leverage internal performance data for optimal functionality

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Fully functional for 30 days

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Monitor With WMI

Check Hardware Health

Track Applications & Counters

Make the most of WMI monitoring

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Managing workstations doesn’t have to be a hassle. SolarWinds^® Server & Application Monitor (SAM) software is built to detect, flag, and resolve anomalies across network environments rapidly, whether cloud-based or on-premises, with or without the use of agents—so you can keep your critical Microsoft applications running as they should. SAM automatically integrates data from built-in or downloaded WMI providers for a smooth transition towards better IT management.

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Monitor hardware health using WMI

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No business has time for computer downtime. With SAM, WMI queries communicate with the Orion server to deliver power supply, CPU capacity, temperature, and fan speed metrics. Users gain insight into hardware problems as they surface in real time, triggering custom alerts so you can start troubleshooting right away. With SAM, you can choose which nodes to focus on for specialized detection and maintenance and identify the particular devices facing performance roadblocks.

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Monitor Windows applications and performance counters

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WinRM polling extracts data from WMI-rooted component monitors (like those eyeing directory size, file counts, Windows event logs, and more) and naturally adapts it to the wide array of application templates in SAM for less complication and more convenience. Outperforming RPC/Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) polling in efficiency, security, and speed, WinRM polling facilitates SAM scalability and tailoring capabilities, allowing your IT infrastructure to do more with less.

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Get More on WMI Monitoring

Do you find yourself asking…

What is WMI monitoring?
Why is WMI monitoring important?
What is the difference between SNMP and WMI polling?
How do you use SolarWinds SAM WMI Monitor?
Other Features and Tools

Microsoft Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) is a Microsoft technology offering poll management resulting in useful performance information from your Windows applications and network devices. You can analyze and use data collected through WMI components to gauge the health and performance of devices, servers, and applications.

WMI has been built into the Windows OS since Windows 2000, is enabled by default, and offers straightforward functionality not requiring configuration to use. And with WMI, there’s no need to install agent software on endpoints you’d like to monitor—it allows you to use agentless monitoring with your Windows servers and workstations.

The WMI protocol is considered an alternative to SNMP polling, as it provides similar monitoring and management capabilities while offering additional security and communication features specific to Windows. It lets you both read and change device settings as needed.

WMI provides insight into network devices over time, as metrics change as devices operate, for historical performance tracking. With WMI, it’s possible to check the values of various operating system metrics—for instance, check storage capacity, free storage volume, and more for an operating hard disk drive. With an automated tool incorporating WMI monitoring, you can set alerts to let you know when specific metric thresholds are breached.

There are significant advantages and disadvantages with SNMP and WMI affecting operational functionality in specific ways. If you’re considering using one or the other with SAM, here’s what you should know:

WMI polling is a web-based data extraction method used to monitor functionality and administer data for devices and platforms running on the Windows built-in management interface. It allows remote access to user activity on a shared network through agents communicating via XML and HTTP. WMI polling gives authorized users insight into the workings of their network and the devices, applications, and software using it with greater flexibility and customization. Additionally, WMI polling directs managers to changes as they happen for real-time visibility and regulatory control.

WMI polling is straightforward. It’s built-in for Windows systems and automatically integrates settings with SAM templates for a more user-friendly experience, and includes real-time reboots for reliable and updated metrics. It has no impact on RAM or CPU compared with ping monitoring.

However, WMI polling does involve an average increase of 12 Kbps in general (only 4 Kbps more than SNMP). Overall, it doesn’t work well with latency, making it best suited to LANs instead of congested or long-distance WAN links, which may better serve SNMP monitoring. WMI requires more firewall ports, is inoperable across network address translation (NAT)-ed WAN connections, and can encounter disruptions due to Application Directory (AD) credential changes. A single password change can disrupt monitoring if you’re not careful. Also, WMI doesn’t offer topology monitoring.

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) polling is known as an application-layer engine for monitoring hardware and software from a majority of vendor types, including Cisco, VMware, Microsoft, and more. Since the 1980s, SNMP has been a common and reliable method for monitoring network activity across long distances. By collecting Management Information Base (MIB) information from devices, SNMP polling facilitates automatic multi-user monitoring through a universal interface without constant manual upkeep. While SNMP is pre-installed in most devices, it’s often turned off by default. Once configured and activated, the latest SNMP version (SNMP v3) offers robust security measures to protect transmitted and stored data.

In terms of hardware energy and storage expenditure, SNMP polling is 2-6% more efficient than WMI polling. With SNMP, there’s generally better protection and security through limited firewall ports and no single point of failure for access. It uses CPU, RAM, and bandwidth efficiently, both on target and poller.

On the other hand, SNMP has a few limitations. Its substantial configurations must be set prior to use, and compatibility is restricted with older Windows OSes (like NT and 2000). Plus, changing an SNMP string requires enterprise-wide adjustments.

Microsoft Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) is a Microsoft technology offering poll management resulting in useful performance information from your Windows applications and network devices. You can analyze and use data collected through WMI components to gauge the health and performance of devices, servers, and applications.
WMI has been built into the Windows OS since Windows 2000, is enabled by default, and offers straightforward functionality not requiring configuration to use. And with WMI, there’s no need to install agent software on endpoints you’d like to monitor—it allows you to use agentless monitoring with your Windows servers and workstations.
The WMI protocol is considered an alternative to SNMP polling, as it provides similar monitoring and management capabilities while offering additional security and communication features specific to Windows. It lets you both read and change device settings as needed.
WMI provides insight into network devices over time, as metrics change as devices operate, for historical performance tracking. With WMI, it’s possible to check the values of various operating system metrics—for instance, check storage capacity, free storage volume, and more for an operating hard disk drive. With an automated tool incorporating WMI monitoring, you can set alerts to let you know when specific metric thresholds are breached.
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