Get started with this powerful Windows administration tool Automate Windows administration tasks with ease by learning the fundamentals of Windows PowerShell 3.0. Led by a Windows PowerShell expert, you’ll learn must-know concepts and techniques through easy-to-follow explanations, examples, and exercises. Once you complete this practical introduction, you can go deeper into the Windows PowerShell command line interface and scripting language with Windows PowerShell 3.0 Step by Step. Discover how to: Create effective Windows PowerShell commands with one line of code Apply Windows PowerShell commands across several Windows platforms Identify missing hotfixes and service packs with a single command Sort, group, and filter data using the Windows PowerShell pipeline Create users, groups, and organizational units in Active Directory Add computers to a domain or workgroup with a single line of code Run Windows PowerShell commands on multiple remote computers Unleash the power of scripting with Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)

Learn to use PowerShell, Microsoft's scripting language, to automate real-world tasks that IT professionals and system administrators deal with every day. Save Time. Automate. PowerShell® is both a scripting language and an administrative shell that lets you control and automate nearly every aspect of IT. In PowerShell for Sysadmins, five-time Microsoft® MVP "Adam the Automator" Bertram shows you how to use PowerShell to manage and automate your desktop and server environments so that you can head out for an early lunch. You'll learn how to: Combine commands, control flow, handle errors, write scripts, run scripts remotely, and test scripts with the PowerShell testing framework, Pester Parse structured data like XML and JSON, work with common domains (like Active Directory, Azure, and Amazon Web Services), and create a real-world server inventory script Design and build a PowerShell module to demonstrate PowerShell isn't just about ad-hoc scripts Use PowerShell to create a hands-off, completely automated Windows deployment Build an entire Active Directory forest from nothing but a Hyper-V host and a few ISO files Create endless Web and SQL servers with just a few lines of code! Real-world examples throughout help bridge the gap between theory and actual system, and the author's anecdotes keep things lively. Stop with the expensive software and fancy consultants. Learn how to manage your own environment with PowerShell for Sysadmins and make everyone happy. Covers Windows PowerShell v5.1

Summary Discover how scripting is different from command-line PowerShell, as you explore concrete hands-on examples in this handy guide. The book includes and expands on many of the techniques presented in Learn PowerShell Toolmaking in a Month of Lunches. Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications. About the Technology Automate it! With Microsoft's PowerShell language, you can write scripts to control nearly every aspect of Windows. Just master a few straightforward scripting skills, and you'll be able to eliminate repetitive manual tasks, create custom reusable tools, and build effective pipelines and workflows. Once you start scripting in PowerShell, you'll be amazed at how many opportunities you'll find to save time and effort. About the Book Learn PowerShell Scripting in a Month of Lunches teaches you how to expand your command-line PowerShell skills into effective scripts and tools. In 27 bite-size lessons, you'll discover instantly useful techniques for writing efficient code, finding and squashing bugs, organizing your scripts into libraries, and much more. Advanced scripters will even learn to access the .NET Framework, store data long term, and create nice user interfaces. What's Inside Designing functions and scripts Effective pipeline usage Dealing with errors and bugs Professional-grade scripting practices About the Reader Written for devs and IT pros comfortable with PowerShell and Windows. About the Authors Don Jones is a PowerShell MVP, speaker, and trainer who has written dozens of books on information technology topics. Jeffery Hicks is a PowerShell MVP and an independent consultant, trainer, and author. Don and Jeff coauthored Manning's Learn Windows PowerShell in a Month of Lunches, Learn PowerShell Toolmaking in a Month of Lunches, and PowerShell in Depth. Table of Contents PART 1 - INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTING Before you begin Setting up your scripting environment WWPD: what would PowerShell do? Review: parameter binding and the PowerShell pipeline Scripting language crash course The many forms of scripting (and which to use) Scripts and security PART 2 - BUILDING A POWERSHELL SCRIPT Always design first Avoiding bugs: start with a command Building a basic function and script module Going advanced with your function Objects: the best kind of output Using all the pipelines Simple help: making a comment Dealing with errors Filling out a manifest PART 3 - GROWN-UP SCRIPTING Changing your brain when it comes to scripting Professional-grade scripting An introduction to source control with git Pestering your script Signing your script Publishing your script PART 4 - ADVANCED TECHNIQUES Squashing bugs Making script output prettier Wrapping up the .NET Framework Storing data-not in Excel! Never the end

A guide to using Windows PowerShell to script Windows administrative tasks and control Windows from the command line.

Learn the fundamentals of PowerShell to build reusable scripts and functions to automate administrative tasks with Windows About This Book Harness the capabilities of the PowerShell system to get started quickly with server automation Learn to package commands into a reusable script and add control structures and parameters to make them flexible Get to grips with cmdlets that allow you to perform administration tasks efficiently Who This Book Is For This book is intended for Windows administrators or DevOps users who need to use PowerShell to automate tasks. Whether you know nothing about PowerShell or know just enough to get by, this guide will give you what you need to go to take your scripting to the next level. What You Will Learn Learn to verify your installed version of PowerShell, upgrade it, and start a PowerShell session using the ISE Discover PowerShell commands and cmdlets and understand PowerShell formatting Use the PowerShell help system to understand what particular cmdlets do Utilise the pipeline to perform typical data manipulation Package your code in scripts, functions, and modules Solve common problems using basic file input/output functions Find system information with WMI and CIM Automate IIS functionality and manage it using the WebAdministration module In Detail Windows PowerShell is a task-based command-line shell and scripting language designed specifically for system administration. Built on the .NET Framework, Windows PowerShell helps IT professionals and power users control and automate the administration of the Windows operating system and applications that run on Windows. PowerShell is great for batch importing or deleting large sets of user accounts and will let you collect a massive amount of detailed system information in bulk via WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation). Getting Started with PowerShell is designed to help you get up and running with PowerShell, taking you from the basics of installation, to writing scripts and web server automation. This book, as an introduction to the central topics of PowerShell, covers finding and understanding PowerShell commands and packaging code for reusability, right through to a practical example of automating IIS. It also includes topics such as installation and setup, creating scripts, automating tasks, and using Powershell to access data stores, registry, and file systems. You will explore the PowerShell environment and discover how to use cmdlets, functions, and scripts to automate Windows systems. Along the way, you will learn to perform data manipulation and solve common problems using basic file input/output functions. By the end of this book, you will be familiar with PowerShell and be able to utilize the lessons learned from the book to automate your servers. Style and approach A practical learning guide, complete with plenty of activities, examples and screenshots.

With more than 250 ready-to-use recipes, this solutions-oriented introduction to the Windows PowerShell scripting environment and language provides administrators with the tools to be productive immediately.

Your hands-on guide to Windows PowerShell scripting fundamentals Expand your expertise--and teach yourself the fundamentals of Windows PowerShell scripting, including features available in Windows PowerShell 5. If you are an IT professional, power user, or consultant, you’ll get the guidance, exercises, and code you need to master core techniques for automating Windows setup, deployment, and management. Discover how to: Run cmdlets and command-line utilities Administer Windows-based servers and desktops with built-in cmdlets Use providers to access external information Write and run scripts from the Windows ISE Create functions that are easy to maintain Build standardized environments with profiles Automate Windows systems with WMI, CIM cmdlets, and remoting Automate Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) Debug scripts and handle errors Run commands that survive interruptions Use Desired State Configuration (DSC) to manage software services and their environments Get powerful new modules from PowerShell Gallery About You This book is for: IT professionals and power users who want to get productive with Windows PowerShell, including new features in Windows PowerShell 5 Windows system administrators who want to be more efficient and productive Anyone pursuing Windows PowerShell certifications No experience with Windows PowerShell or other scripting technologies necessary