Author Profile - Dirk Paessler, CEO of Paessler AG, is an engineer, entrepreneur, computer networking professional and software guru. In addition to founding Paessler AG, provider of the award winning PRTG network monitoring solution, Dirk has a long track record of co-founding successful internet platforms such as hotel.de, anwalt.de and more. To learn more about Dirk and his expertise in network monitoring, visit his blog at http://www.paessler.com/blog.
Introduction to WMI testing:
Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) is a powerful Microsoft standard that allows system administrators to monitor and manage a whole Windows network from one central point. WMI technology is a key component of most network monitoring tools, as it provides vital and detailed information on devices and applications running on the Microsoft operating system such as CPU usage and temperature, or usage of RAM.
However, administrators are not always able to exploit the full potential of WMI. According to Dirk Paessler, CEO of global network monitoring solutions provider, Paessler, "For three quarters of our customers, Windows based operating systems represent more than 90% of their network; however this isn't without its challenges. Indeed, countless calls to our support team are from customers experiencing problems with WMI." Here are some of Dirk’s tips for troubleshooting WMI -
Five Steps for Troubleshooting WMI
1. Simplify user credentials: For each WMI query, Windows asks for user identification. To simplify complex rights management, make each user a member of the Domain Administrators group in the same Active Directory section as the target computer. Alternatively, set up a local system administrator account on the target computer to be used for login. Each user must also have remote access rights to use WMI and the appropriate Windows login data can be easily be entered individually into PRTG for each target computer.
2. Enable WMI on the local firewall: To ensure that all inquiries reach the target computer, it is essential to ensure that the firewall of the target computer allows incoming WMI requests.
3. Configure firewall and group policies: If the firewall is enabled on the basis of certain group policies, the setting "Allow Remote Administration Exception" must be activated for this policy.
4. Open the port: The RPC server for the target computer using WMI should be running in port 135 by default (unless configured otherwise). Ensure that this port is not blocked by another (hardware) firewall on the route to the remote computer.
5. Check the security software: Double-check to ensure that some local security software isn’t blocking the WMI connections. Locate the specific software setting for these parameters and make sure that the connection is explicitly “allowed.”
Paessler AG leads the industry in providing the most powerful, affordable and easy-to-use network monitoring and testing solutions. The company’s suite of just-right software products deliver peace of mind, confidence and convenience for businesses of all sizes – from Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) to large enterprises, including more than 70% of the Fortune 100 companies. Based in Nuremberg, Bavaria/Germany, Paessler’s global reach includes more than 50,000 licenses sold and more than 150,000 active installations, including its robust freeware products, through its worldwide locations in Canada, Great Britain, Japan, the U.S., and others. Founded in 1997, Paessler AG remains a privately held company and is recognized as both a Cisco Technology Developer Partner and a VMware Technology Alliance Partner. For more information, visit www.paessler.com
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