D

A C E F H I K L M N O P Q R S T W

datetime

See CIM datetime.

decoupled provider

A provider hosted in a separate process from WMI. Decoupled providers are the recommended way to instrument an application, because the provider can control its own lifetime instead of being started each time a user accesses the provider through WMI.

direct access

A way to access properties and methods supplied by WMI in a script as if they were automation properties and methods of SWbemObject.

Nondirect access: VolumeName = MyDisk.Properties_("VolumeName")

Direct access: VolumeName = MyDisk.VolumeName

Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF)

An international standards organization that works with key technology vendors, including Microsoft, to lead the development, adoption, and unification of management standards and initiatives for desktop, enterprise, and Internet environments.

DMTF

See Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF).

dynamic class

A CIM class whose definition is supplied by a provider at run time, as required. Dynamic classes represent provider-specific managed objects and are not stored in the CIM repository. Dynamic classes support only dynamic instances.

dynamic instance

An instance of a CIM class that is supplied by a provider when required. It is not stored in the CIM repository. Dynamic instances can be provided for either static or dynamic classes. Dynamically supporting instances of a class enables a provider to supply up-to-the-minute property values.