How to test WMI connectivity using Microsoft Windows tools or utilities

Products

• DX Unified Infrastructure Management (Nimsoft / UIM)
• Unified Infrastructure Management for Mainframe
• CA Unified Infrastructure Management SaaS (Nimsoft / UIM)
• CA Unified Infrastructure Management On-Premise (Nimsoft / UIM)

Issue/Introduction

• This article describes how to use a native windows tool for testing WMI connectivity. The tool described below is "wbemtest."

Environment

• Release: UIM 7.6 or higher
• Component: rsp and any probe that uses WMI for remote monitoring

Cause

• rsp probe connectivity and functionality

Resolution

Start wbemtest

1. select Windows -> Run

2. When prompted for the Command to run, enter wbemtest.

3. When the dialog appears, select "Connect".

You can point wbemtest to your computer:

1. For the local machine, change the Namespace from root\default to root\cimv2

2. For a different host, prefix with \\host, for example \\Server1\root\cimv2. Enter in User and Password information, as needed to access the remote system.

An example query you can use to test the connection is to list all of the windows services:

   select * from Win32_Service

Note on Access/Rights
If a system is locked down very often adding the user to the local Administrator group will not allow remote WMI access.

To allow remote WMI access please see the following:

1. Add the user(s) in question to the Performance Monitor Users group

2. Under Services and Applications, bring up the properties dialog of WMI Control (or run wmimgmt.msc). In the Security tab, highlight Root/CIMV2, click Security; add Performance Monitor Users and enable the options : Enable Account and Remote Enable

3. Run dcomcnfg. At Component Services > Computers > My Computer, in the COM security tab of the Properties dialog click "Edit Limits" for both Access Permissions and Launch and Activation Permissions. Add Performance Monitor Users and allow remote access, remote launch, and remote activation.

4. Select Windows Management Instrumentation under Component Services > Computers > My Computer > DCOM Config and give Remote Launch and Remote Activation privileges to Performance Monitor Users Group.

Additional Information

Notes:

• As an alternative to step 3 and 4, one can assign the user to the group Distributed COM Users

• If the user needs access to all the namespaces, you can set the settings in #2 at the Root level, and recurse the permissions to the sub-namespaces via the Advanced window in Security

Securing a remote WMI Connection

Introduction to WBEMTEST