Everyone knows how important code testing is, and to be thorough, you must automate testing. This includes scripts such as those written in PowerShell as well. In this article, Robert Cain introduces Pester, a tool for testing PowerShell code.… Read more
PowerShell is the preferred scripting tool used by Windows and Active Directory administrators. It can also be used to administer SQL Server or even just export data. In this article, Greg Moore demonstrates how to use the PowerShell cmdlet Invoke-SQLCMD to export data from SQL Server.… Read more
NoSQL databases like MongoDB are gaining popularity, but using the right tools for the job at hand is most important. In this article, Phil Factor demonstrates how to work with a MongoDB database and how to use PowerShell with MongoDB so that the process can be automated.… Read more
In the second part of his series, Nicolas Prigent describes in detail how to automate the login process using PowerShell and Azure CLI. Nicolas also explains how to retrieve information about your Azure subscription.… Read more
In Windows Server 2016, Microsoft have implemented a strong security concept called Shielded Virtual Machines. Shielded VMs have been improved in the Windows Server 2019 release. In the second part of this series, Nicolas describes what Shielded Virtual Machines are and how to configure them using PowerShell.… Read more
Creating a real-time IT dashboard is essential for IT professionals for managing their environments and to be proactive. A Few months ago, a great tool called ‘PowerShell Universal Dashboard’ or ‘PoshUD’ was officially released. In this article, Nicolas Prigent describes PoshUD, and how to use it to monitor your infrastructure using PowerShell.… Read more
The ability to quickly spin up a virtual machine is one of the great things about Azure. In this article, Robert Cain describes the steps to set up a VM using PowerShell using his PSAzure module. … Read more
Azure virtual machines are created for many reasons, even just to have an environment to quickly test something out. In this article, Robert Cain demonstrates the first few steps in automating the process with PowerShell. He shows how to gather information needed and set up a resource group, storage and networking needed for the VM. … Read more
IT shops do not want to spend time and energy managing infrastructure and servers as was done in the past. They must conserve resources for the things that add value for the business. Today, it is challenging for companies to automate and configure their Azure infrastructure. In the first part of his new series, Nicolas Prigent introduces the basics about Azure and Windows PowerShell for DevOps and Sysadmin.… Read more
The key to efficient development is reusability. When developing scripts for administration, being able to restart a script where it left off is also important. Robert Cain shows you how to write functions in PowerShell that have these two qualities for administering Azure.… Read more
Microsoft has introduced an installation option of Windows Server 2016 that provides an operating system designed and optimized for Cloud operations. Microsoft's Nano Server is intended to support and run born-in-the-cloud applications and containers. In this article, Nicolas Prigent explains how to easily and quickly deploy Nano Servers in your server environment, using either PowerShell or a GUI.… Read more
PowerShell is a scripting language, and like all scripting languages it struggles to perform well with rapid iterative processes such as aggregation. It isn't well-known that PowerShell can use LINQ for many of those tasks which would otherwise use iteration, though somewhat awkwardly. However, some of the speed improvements you can get are startling. To get you well started, Michael explains every LINQ function , gives you example code in C#, The PowerShell way of getting the result, and finally Powershell's use of LINQ. This article could change the way you use PowerShell.… Read more
Because PowerShell needs to be usable as an immediate scripting language by IT professionals who type in commands at a console, there have to be language devices such as aliases that can make for terseness when appropriate. There are several ways of cutting down the verbiage in a script, and being able to specify default values via $PSDefaultParameterValues is one of the more generally useful ones. Michael Sorens explains how it can save you time in your daily work.… Read more
Virtual machines are easier to manage via PowerShell than with the the Hyper-V Manager console. PowerShell Direct takes this further by allowing you to interact easily with the virtual machines on the Hyper-V host without needing network access. With Windows Nano Server, PowerShell Direct is an essential because this OS requires you to use remote management via PowerShell scripts.
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Let's forget the actual PowerShell code for a moment: Why is PowerShell important? Why should I use it? Where did it come from? Why did it take so long to arrive? These and many other basic questions are answered in William Brewer's latest addition to the series that answers those seemingly simple questions that you were too shy to ask in public.… Read more
Whether you are working in a procedural language like PowerShell or in T-SQL, there is something slightly bothersome about having to deal with parameters that are lists, or worse with ranges amongst the values. In fact, once you have a way of dealing with them, they can be convenient, especially when bridging the gulf between application and the database. Phil Factor shows how to deal with them.… Read more
Because it is important with maintaining Virtual Machine environments to be able to repeat routine tasks completely accurately, Windows PowerShell has grown in importance for the job. Now you can manage the Hyper-V environment via PowerShell without needing to use the Hyper-V Manager console. It opens up many opportunities for automation.… Read more
When you combine PowerShell and SQLite, you can perform powerful magic. Phil Factor is in awe of SQLite and gives a brief demonstration of how easy it is to use. Just to encourage anyone who is unfamiliar with the database, he includes a giant-sized SQLite version of the old PUBS database that the first generation of RDBMS developers cut their teeth on. … Read more
Windows hasn't had a package manager in the style of the Advanced Packaging Tool (APT) of Linux distributions. Apt-get is a great way of installing packages and other software. We have Chocolatey, of course which has a growing library of software and even allows you to automatically update software. Now PowerShell has an 'official' way of using any system, such as NuGet, Chocolatey, GitHub or PSget. It is definitely useful and likely to mature into an indispensable tool for Windows users. Nicolas explains why… Read more
Why is it that we use XML, but with so little enthusiasm when it does so much, and is so feature-rich? Phil Factor argues that there are better ways of doing it, more complete than JSON, but easier to read than XML. To try to convince you, he gives a set of flying demos, using PowerShell and his PSYaml module, to illustrate how YAML can let you work faster, and more accurately.… Read more
