Windows Management Framework 3.0 Community Technology Preview (CTP) #1 Available for Download

Windows Management Framework 3.0 CTP1 makes some updated management functionality available to be installed on Windows 7 SP1 & Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1. Windows Management Framework 3.0 contains Windows PowerShell 3.0, WMI & WinRM.

Windows PowerShell 3.0
Some of the new features in Windows PowerShell 3.0 include:

• Workflows
  Workflows that run long-running activities (in sequence or in parallel) to perform complex, larger management tasks, such as multi-machine application provisioning. Using the Windows Workflow Foundation at the command line, Windows PowerShell workflows are repeatable, parallelizable, interruptible, and recoverable.
• Robust Sessions
  Robust sessions that automatically recover from network failures and interruptions and allow you to disconnect from the session, shut down the computer, and reconnect from a different computer without interrupting the task.
• Scheduled Jobs
  Scheduled jobs that run regularly or in response to an event.
• Delegated Administration
  Commands that can be executed with a delegated set of credentials so users with limited permissions can run critical jobs
• Simplified Language Syntax
  Simplified language syntax that make commands and scripts look a lot less like code and a lot more like natural language.
• Cmdlet Discovery
  Improved cmdlet discovery and automatic module loading that make it easier to find and run any of the cmdlets installed on your computer.
• Show-Command
  Show-Command, a cmdlet and ISE Add-On that helps users find the right cmdlet, view its parameters in a dialog box, and run it.

WMI
WMI in Windows Management Framework 3.0 CTP1 introduces:

• A new provider development model
  This new model brings down the cost of provider development and removes the dependency on COM.
• A new MI Client API to perform standard CIM operations.
  The API can be used to interact with any standard WsMan + CIMOM implementation, allowing management applications on Windows to manage non-Windows computers.
• The ability to write Windows PowerShell cmdlets in native code
  The new WMI Provider APIs supports an extended Windows PowerShell semantics API allowing you to provide rich Windows PowerShell semantics. e.g., Verbose, Error, Warning, WhatIf, Confirm, Progress
  

WinRM
With Windows Management Framework 3.0 CTP1:

• Connections are more robust
  Session disconnect and reconnect, with or without client session reconstruction, allows long-running tasks to continue even when the session in which they were started is closed and the client computer is shut down. This feature also allows administrators to reconnect from different computers to check the status of remote running tasks and get results.
• Connections are more resilient
  In Windows PowerShell 3.0 CTP1, connections can survive short-term network failures; the client-server connection is not severed at the first sign of trouble. If network problems persist, the client is safely disconnected and can reconnect by using the Connect-PSSession or Receive-PSSession cmdlets.

Windows PowerShell Web Service
Windows PowerShell Web Service enables an administrator to expose a set of PowerShell cmdlets as a RESTful web endpoint accessible via the Open Data Protocol (OData). This provides remote access to invoke cmdlets from both Windows and non-Windows clients.

Prerequisites

Windows Management Framework 3.0 CTP1 can be installed on the following supported operating systems:

• Windows 7 with Service Pack 1
• Windows Server 2008 R2 with Service Pack 1

Windows PowerShell 3.0 requires version 4.0 of the common language runtime (CLR). CLR 4.0 is includes with the Microsoft .NET Framework version 4.0.

To install WMF 3.0 CTP1:

1. Download and extract the correct package for your architecture from the Microsoft Download Center
   1. For 64-bit systems, download WMF3-CTP1-x64.cab
   2. For 32-bit systems, download WMF3-CTP1-x86.cab
2. Extract the contents of the downloaded CAB file by typing: expand <<package name>> -F:* <<destination you want for extracted files>>
3. Close all Windows PowerShell 2.0 windows.
4. Run the WINDOWS6.1-KB2506143 MSU.

NOTES:

• You do not have to uninstall or remove any programs before installing the WMF 3.0 CTP1.
• This package requires Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Windows 7. If you receive a “This update does not apply” message when trying to install, verify that SP1 is installed.

To uninstall the WMF 3.0 CTP1:

Locate and uninstall the following installed Windows Update: KB2506143

Additional Information:

This software is a pre-release version. Features and behavior are likely to change before the final release.

This preview release is designed to enable the community to experience and review the preliminary designs and direction of key features Windows PowerShell 3.0 and to solicit feedback before features are finalized.

Travis Jones
Windows PowerShell PM
Microsoft Corporation