WMIPerfCounter

WMIPerfCounter is a WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) provider concept that exposes Windows performance counter data to WMI clients. It acts as a bridge between the Windows performance monitoring subsystem and the WMI instrumentation model, enabling management scripts and applications to query performance metrics through WQL (WMI Query Language) rather than directly using PDH APIs.

In operation, WMIPerfCounter registers as a provider within a WMI namespace and exposes counter data as WMI objects. It reads the underlying performance counters, may cache values, and presents them to callers as instances representing individual counters or counter instances. This enables a consistent query mechanism across a range of tools that rely on WMI.

Data models for WMIPerfCounter typically include fields such as CounterPath (the full performance counter path), InstanceName, Value, and Timestamp, along with optional metadata like CounterType and Units. The provider can support both raw and formatted data, and may align with or mirror data from existing WMI performance classes.

Usage and applications include system monitoring, health dashboards, and automated reporting. WMIPerfCounter allows administrators to gather performance metrics using familiar WMI tooling or scripts, and it can be used in conjunction with standard WMI performance classes such as Win32_PerfRawData and Win32_PerfFormattedData to obtain a complete view of performance information.

Limitations and considerations include potential overhead from additional WMI queries, security and privilege requirements, and OS-version or component dependencies that affect which counters are exposed. As with other WMI providers, accurate data access relies on proper configuration and permissions.

See also: WMI, Win32_PerfRawData, Win32_PerfFormattedData, PDH, WQL.