Effective management of PC and server systems in an enterprise network benefits from well-instrumented computer software and hardware, which allow system components to be monitored and controlled, both locally and remotely. Microsoft is committed to simplifying instrumentation of hardware and software under Microsoft Windows operating systems.

Time for another exciting installment in the “What’s New in WMI for Windows Vista” series. In this episode we take a look at the Win32_Processor class. (There’s also a special cameo appearance by the Scripting Dog, so you won’t want to miss this one.)

Win32_Processor
Before you drive a car there are typically a few things you’d like to know about it. Is it manual transmission or automatic? Is it four-cylinder or six, or maybe eight? Similarly, when you work with computers it might be useful to know whether you’re working with a 64-bit computer (x64) or a 32-bit computer (x86). Prior to Windows Vista there was no way to discover this information through a script. The WMI team has remedied this situation in Windows Vista with enhancements to the Architecture property of the Win32_Processor class.

Microsoft is also committed to providing consistent access to this instrumentation for both Windows-based management systems and legacy management systems that are hosted in other environments. The foundations for manageability in Windows operating systems are Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI; formerly known as WBEM) and WMI extensions for Windows Driver Model," reveals the company's introduction on WMI.