Connect to remote computers by using CIM and WMI cmdlets
You can use Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and Common Information Model (CIM) cmdlets to query and manage remote computers. When you connect to a remote computer, you can specify alternative credentials for the connection, but alternative credentials are optional. WMI and CIM cmdlets have different capabilities and different syntaxes for remote connections.
Remote connections using WMI cmdlets
For the WMI commands, use the -ComputerName parameter to specify a remote computer’s name or IP address. You can specify multiple computer names to run the command on multiple computers in a single statement. You can provide the computer names as a comma-separated list, an array containing multiple computer names, or a parenthetical command that produces a collection of computer names as string objects.
Use the -Credential parameter to specify an alternative username. If you specify only a username, then you're prompted for the password. If you use the Get-Credential cmdlet to store the username and password in a variable, then you can reference that variable to eliminate the password prompt. In the following example, you'll be prompted for the password:
Get-WmiObject -ComputerName LON-DC1 -Credential ADATUM\Administrator -Class Win32_BIOS
When you specify multiple computer names, Windows PowerShell contacts them one at a time in the order that you specify. If connectivity to one computer fails, the command produces an error message and continues to try the remaining computers.
Remote connections using CIM cmdlets
The CIM cmdlets also provide support for ad hoc connections to remote computers by using the -ComputerName parameter. However, the CIM cmdlets don't have a -Credential parameter to specify alternate credentials. If you want to use alternate credentials, you need to create a CIM session.
You can run the following CIM command to retrieve the same information as the Get-WmiObject command in the previous code example:
Get-CimInstance -ComputerName LON-DC1 -Classname Win32_BIOS
Remember that CIM commands use the WS-MAN protocol for ad hoc connections. This protocol has specific authentication requirements. When establishing a connection between computers in the same domain or in trusting domains, you typically have to provide a computer’s name as it displays in Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). You can't provide an alias name or an IP address because that will result in a failure of Kerberos authentication. You'll learn more about these and other restrictions in Module 8, “Administering remote computers with Windows PowerShell.” You'll also learn how to work around these restrictions.