---
title: "Access the WMI Provider with WQL and scripting"
ms.custom: seo-lt-2019
ms.date: "03/14/2017"
ms.prod: sql
ms.prod_service: "database-engine"
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.technology: wmi
ms.topic: "reference"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "queries [WMI]"
  - "scripts [WMI]"
  - "query language [WMI]"
  - "WMI Query Language [WMI]"
  - "WQL [WMI]"
  - "WMI Provider for Configuration Management, WQL"
  - "WMI Provider for Configuration Management, scripts"
ms.assetid: c1e64905-3c2b-4974-88f4-abf17cf7e289
author: "CarlRabeler"
ms.author: "carlrab"
---
# Using WQL and Scripting Languages with the WMI Provider
[!INCLUDE[tsql-appliesto-ss2008-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md](../../includes/tsql-appliesto-ss2008-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md.md)]
  Management applications access [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] services and network settings using the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Provider for Configuration Management objects in two ways:  
  
-   Using a WQL editor or query tool, such as WBEMTest.exe to query the object set with the Windows Management Instrumentation Language (WQL).  
  
-   Using a scripting language, such as VBScript.  
  
 Alternatively, [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] services and network settings can be managed programmatically using the WMI managed objects in SMO. For more information about programming WMI managed objects, see [Managing Services and Network Settings by Using WMI Provider](../../relational-databases/server-management-objects-smo/tasks/managing-services-and-network-settings-by-using-wmi-provider.md).  
  
 The WMI provider for Configuration Management can be accessed by using the [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] Configuration Manager and [!INCLUDE[msCoName](../../includes/msconame-md.md)] Management Console. For more information about accessing the WMI provider from a user interface, see [Managing Services How-to Topics (SQL Server Configuration Manager)](https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/78dee169-df0c-4c95-9af7-bf033bc9fdc6).  
  
## See Also  
 [Access WMI Provider for Configuration Management using WQL](../../relational-databases/wmi-provider-configuration/access-wmi-provider-for-configuration-management-using-wql.md)   
 [Access the WMI Provider with VBScript](../../relational-databases/wmi-provider-configuration/access-wmi-provider-for-configuration-management-using-vbscript.md)