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Microsoft Announces Windows Management Framework 3.0 CTP #1

Posted by Jeff Martin on Oct 17, 2011

Sections
Operations & Infrastructure,
Development
Topics
.NET ,
Programming ,
PowerShell ,
Windows Server 2008 R2 ,
Windows Management Instrumentation ,
Windows Remote Management ,
Windows Management Framework

The new Windows Management Framework 3.0 CTP 1 provides Windows administrators with updated tools to more easily manage Windows 7 SP1, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, and the upcoming Windows 8 platforms. This framework has 3 main components: Windows PowerShell 3.0, WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation), and WinRM (Windows Remote Management). The framework is already included for testing in the developer's preview of Microsoft Windows 8. Previous versions of Windows are not supported, nor is the IA64 edition of Windows Server 2008 R2.

PowerShell 3.0 will introduce several new key technologies including workflows, robust sessions, scheduled jobs, and delegated administration. Workflows enable the administrator to create tasks that can run either in sequence or in parallel across multiple computers at the same time. Robust sessions enable the user to connect to a remote machine, start the execution of commands, and disconnect. The commands continue to execute on the remote machine, and the user can reconnect from their client machine at a later time to monitor status or retrieve results. Jobs can now be scheduled to operate at a future time or on a regular schedule. The results of the jobs are stored in a per-user repository for later review in a Windows PowerShell session.

The CTP introduces several new features in WMI that will bring about some big changes. It no longer has a dependency on COM, simplifying development. Accordingly, PowerShell cmdlets may now be written in native code (C/C++). The new version also introduces a new management infrastructure (MI) client API that allows for Windows-based applications to manage non-Windows computers. This new API is available for both C/C++ and .NET.

The infrastructure for WinRM has received several changes. Beyond robust session support, Microsoft claims the network connections themselves are more tolerant of communication failures and intermittent communication problems. If network communication problems persist, the remote session is able to continue operating while the client disconnects. When the problems are resolved, the remote user can utilize the robust session features to reconnect.

Readers intending to experiment with this release should be aware that it is still considered to be in active development (hence the CTP moniker) and thus unsuitable for a production setting. Based on the Windows 7 SP1 platform used by the author, Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0 is required. (Contrary to the documentation, the author that found that the package does not install without the Framework installed.)

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2 comments

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WMI still requires COM by Paulo Pinto Posted
Re: WMI still requires COM by Jeff Martin Posted
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    WMI still requires COM

    by Paulo Pinto

    Please read the links you refer to, before writing the article.

    WMI plug-ins developed in C and C++ make use of COM. It could also not be other way, as WinRT also depends heavily on the COM infrastructure.

    Reply

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    Re: WMI still requires COM

    by Jeff Martin

    Please note on the linked download page that the new provider development model "removes the dependency on COM". Additional details are contained on page 8 of the release notes included with CTP1 and the bundled whitepaper, "Creating Native PowerShell Using the New WMI Developer Platform."

    Reply