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MANAGEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE API SAMPLE
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This document explains the samples of Windows Management Infrastructure API, which
includes 4 sections:
1. OVERVIEW - Gives overview of Windows Management Infrastructure API.
2. PREPARATION - Instructions of preparations to build samples.
3. SAMPLE FILES STRUCTURE - Describes the samples folder structure.
4. TOOLS - Tools used to build samples.
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1. OVERVIEW
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These samples demonstrate how to use the Windows Management Infrastructure API to
expose data through the new provider model, and consume the data through the new
client APIs.
Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012 introduce a new set of management APIs, called the
Windows Management Infrastructure (MI) APIs. This includes provider C APIs, client C
APIs, and client .Net APIs. These new APIs are more tightly aligned with the CIM
standard that is the basis for WMI, and provide support for the standard WS-Man
protocol via WinRM.
These new APIs will interoperate directly with existing Windows Management
Instrumentation (WMI) clients and providers. An application written using the new
client APIs work with pre-existing WMI providers as well as providers based off the
new MI C APIs. Likewise, providers written using the new APIs can be called from
client applications written using the older version of the WMI .Net and C APIs.
In addition to the APIs, Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 also introduce a new
provider model, with code generation and provider registration tools to support them.
A C based provider code skeleton can be generated from user-defined schema in the
form of a MOF file, using the tool called Convert-MofToProvider.exe, which ships in
the Windows 8 SDK. Register-CimProvider.exe is a new provider registration tool, and
ships with Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, and is used in place of the older
MOFCOMP.EXE. These tools work only for providers based on the new APIs.
A CIM-Based Cmdlet model was also introduced to support creation of PowerShell
cmdlets, which expose the data and the operations of any provider to PowerShell
users. It introduces a new way to create cmdlets by using an XML file to describe the
cmdlet functionality, and then importing the new module into PowerShell. This new way
of writing cmdlets works with both new providers written using the MI APIs, and
providers written using the older WMI APIs.
A set of generic cmdlets was introduced in Windows 8/ Windows Server 2012, called CIM
Cmdlets. These cmdlets are based on the MI client .Net API, and help consume the data
and operations from any new or existing providers.
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2. PREPARATION
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The following steps are mandatory to build these samples. All environment variables
created using the steps below will be used by samples.
1) Install the Windows 8 SDK and create environment variables to reference it.
Create an environment variable called SDKDIR to point to installation folder. For
example:
SDKDIR=C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.0
Create environment variables to point to the MI.net API installation folder
SDKMIDOTNETDIR=C:\Program Files (x86)\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\WMI\v1.0
Create additional environment variables as follows,
SDKBINDIR=%SDKDIR%\bin\x64
NOTE: The above assumes target machine's processor is amd64. If the target machine is
x86, please use the following instead:
SDKBINDIR=%SDKDIR%\bin\x86
2) Install Windows 8 SDK samples.
Create environment variables to point to installation folder.
SDKSAMPLEDIR=%SDKDIR%\Samples\Desktop
MISAMPLEDIR=%SDKSAMPLEDIR%\MIAPI
3) Download the CIM schema 2.26 from DMTF website: http://dmtf.org/sites/default/files/cim/cim_schema_v2260/cim_schema_2.26.0Final-MOFs.zip,
and unzip the downloaded schema to a local folder.
Create an environment variable point to the schema unzip location. For example,
CIM2260DIR=c:\cim_schema_2.26.0
4) Install Visual Studio 2012.
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3. SAMPLE FILES STRUCTURE
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ReadMe.txt
Gives an introduction to the MI sample
MSFT_Qualifiers.mof
Defines 2 qualifiers referenced by sample.mof
Sample.mof
Defines the schema of the MI sample
Misample.sln
The Visual Studio solution file that contains all projects of MI sample
Process\
This folder contains source code demonstrating an end to end use of the MI API
basic features.
ReadMe.txt
Instructions for the process sample
CIM-BasedCmdlet\
This folder is described in the Readme.Txt in the Process folder
CIMCmdlet\
This folder is described in the Readme.Txt in the Process folder
ManagedClient\
This folder is described in the Readme.Txt in the Process folder
NativeClient\
This folder is described in the Readme.Txt in the Process folder
Provider\
This folder is described in the Readme.Txt in the Process folder
Service\
This directory contains source code of demonstrating an end to end scenario
using MI API advanced features, such as, PS semantics and Error APIs.
ReadMe.txt
Instructions for the service sample
CIM-BasedCmdlet\
This folder is described in the Readme.Txt in the Service folder
CIMCmdlet\
This folder is described in the Readme.Txt in the Service folder
ManagedClient\
This folder is described in the Readme.Txt in the Service folder
NativeClient\
This folder is described in the Readme.Txt in the Service folder
Provider\
This folder is described in the Readme.Txt in the Service folder
Indication\
This directory contains source code of demostrating end to end scenario of
CIM indication, which is equivalent to WMI event.
ReadMe.txt
Instructions for the indication sample
CIMCmdlet\
This folder is described in the Readme.Txt in the Indication folder
ManagedClient\
This folder is described in the Readme.Txt in the Indication folder
NativeClient\
This folder is described in the Readme.Txt in the Indication folder
Provider\
This folder is described in the Readme.Txt in the Indication folder
DecoupledHost\
This directory contains source code of demonstrating how to write a decoupled
host application using MIAPI.
ReadMe.txt
Instructions for hosting a decoupled provider using MI API
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4. TOOLS
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Convert-MofToProvider.EXE
This tool will be installed as part of Windows 8 SDK, under %SDKBINDIR%.
It is used to generate provider code files in C language from schema mof.
Please see Convert-MofToProvider.EXE -help for the detail usage.
Register-CimProvider.EXE
This tool will be installed as part of Windows 8, under %WINDIR%\system32.
Used to register cim provider into test box.
Please see Register-CimProvider.EXE -help for the detail usage.
Visual Studio 2012
Used to build the sample projects.
