Windows PowerShell Best Practices by Wilson, Ed -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Windows PowerShell Best Practices Dedication Foreword Introduction

Who is this book for? How is this book organized? System requirements The companion website Acknowledgements Support & feedback

Errata We want to hear from you Stay in touch

I. Understanding the basics of Windows PowerShell

1. Survey of Windows PowerShell capabilities

Understanding Windows PowerShell Installing Windows PowerShell Deploying Windows PowerShell

Using cmdlets

Using command-line utilities Security issues with Windows PowerShell

Controlling execution of Windows PowerShell cmdlets Confirming commands Suspending confirmation of cmdlets

Working with Windows PowerShell

Accessing Windows PowerShell Configuring Windows PowerShell

Supplying options for cmdlets Working with the help options

Updating help information Discovering information in help

Additional resources

2. Using the CIM cmdlets

Using the CIM cmdlets to explore WMI classes

Using the classname parameter Finding WMI class methods Filtering classes by qualifier

Retrieving WMI instances

Reduce returned properties and instances Clean up output from the command

Working with Association classes Additional resources

II. Planning for scripting

3. Using the Active Directory module

Understanding the Active Directory module

Installing the Active Directory module Getting started with the Active Directory module

Using the Active Directory module

Finding the FSMO role holders Documenting Active Directory Renaming Active Directory sites Managing users Creating a user Finding and unlocking AD user accounts Finding disabled users Finding unused user accounts

Additional resources

4. Identifying scripting opportunities

Automating routine tasks Automation interface

Using RegRead to read the registry Using WMI to read the registry Using .NET to read the registry Using intrinsic Windows PowerShell techniques

Structured requirements

Security requirements Detecting the current user Detecting the user role .NET Framework version requirements Operating system requirements Application requirements Module requirements

Additional resources

5. Configuring the script environment

Configuring a profile

Creating aliases Creating functions

Overriding existing commands Aliasing the function Looping the array

Passing multiple parameters

Multiple parameters with $args Multiple named parameters

Creating variables Creating PSDrives Enabling scripting

Creating a profile

Choosing the correct profile Creating other profiles

Accessing functions in other scripts

Creating a function library Using an include file

Additional resources

6. Avoiding scripting pitfalls

Lack of cmdlet support Complicated constructors Version compatibility issues

Trapping the operating system version

Lack of WMI support Working with objects and namespaces Listing WMI providers Working with WMI classes

Changing settings Modifying values through the registry

Lack of .NET Framework support

Use of static methods and properties Version dependencies Lack of COM support Lack of external application support

Additional resources

7. Tracking scripting opportunities

Evaluating the need for the script

Reading a text file Export command history Fan-out commands Query Active Directory

Using [ADSISearcher] Using Active Directory cmdlets

Just use the command line

Calculating the benefit from the script

Repeatability Documentability Adaptability

Script collaboration Additional resources

III. Designing the script

8. Designing the script

Understanding functions Using functions to provide ease of code reuse

Using two input parameters Using a type constraint

Using more than two input parameters Using functions to encapsulate business logic Using functions to provide ease of modification Understanding filters Additional resources

9. Designing help for scripts

Adding help documentation to a script with single-line comments

Working with temporary folders

Using multiple-line comment tags in Windows PowerShell 4.0

Creating multiple-line comments with comment tags Creating single-line comments with comment tags

Using comment-based help The 13 rules for writing effective comments

Update documentation when a script is updated Add comments during the development process Write for an international audience Consistent header information Document prerequisites Document deficiencies Avoid useless information Document the reason for the code Use of one-line comments Avoid end-of-line comments Document nested structures Use a standard set of keywords Document the strange and bizarre

Additional resources

10. Designing modules

Understanding modules Locate and load modules

Listing available modules Loading modules

Install modules

Creating a modules folder Working with the $modulePath variable Creating a module drive Checking for module dependencies Using a module from a share

Creating a module Additional resources

11. Handling input and output

Choosing the best input method

Reading from the command line

Using the $args automatic variable Supplying multiple values to $args

Using the Param statement

Creating a mandatory parameter Using parameter attributes Creating a parameter alias Validating parameter input Using multiple parameter arguments

Working with passwords as input

Store the password in the script Store the password in a text file Store the password in the registry Store the password in Active Directory Domain Services Prompt for the password

Working with connection strings as input

Prompting for input Choosing the best output method

Output to the screen Output to file Splitting the output to both the screen and the file Output to email Output from functions

Avoid populating the global variable Using a namespace in the global variable

Additional resources

12. Handling errors

Handling missing parameters

Creating a default value for the parameter

Detecting the missing value and assigning it in the script Assigning the value in the Param statement

Making the parameter mandatory

Limiting choices

Using PromptForChoice to Limit Selections Using ping to identify accessible computers Using the −contains Operator to examine the contents of an array Using the −contains operator to test for properties

Handling missing rights

Attempting and failing Checking for rights and exiting gracefully Using #Requires

Require Administrator rights Requiring specific modules

Handling missing WMI providers Incorrect data types Out of bounds errors

Using a boundary checking function Placing limits on the parameter

Additional resources

13. Testing scripts

Using basic syntax checking techniques

Looking for errors Running the script Documenting what you did

Conducting performance testing of scripts

Using the store and forward approach Using the Windows PowerShell pipeline

Comparing the speed of two scripts Reducing code complexity

Evaluating the performance of different versions of a script

Command-line parameters Functions Displaying the results and creating the log file

Using standard parameters

Using the debug parameter Using the Verbose parameter Using the whatif parameter

Using Start-Transcript to produce a log Advanced script testing Additional resources

14. Documenting scripts

Getting documentation from help Getting documentation from comments Using the AST parser Additional resources

IV. Deploying the script

15. Managing the execution policy

Selecting the appropriate script execution policy

The purpose of script execution policies Understanding the different script execution policies Understanding the Internet zone

Deploying the script execution policy

Modifying the registry Using the Set-ExecutionPolicy cmdlet

Using the Set-ExecutionPolicy cmdlet on a local computer Using the Set-ExecutionPolicy cmdlet via a logon script

Using Group Policy to deploy the script execution policy

Understanding code signing Additional resources

16. Running scripts

Logon scripts

What to include in logon scripts Methods of calling the logon scripts

Script folder

Deploy locally Deploy an MSI package locally

Stand-alone scripts

Diagnostics Reporting and auditing

Help desk scripts

Avoid editing Provide a good level of help interaction

Additional resources

17. Versioning scripts

Why version control?

Avoid introducing errors Enable accurate troubleshooting Track changes Maintain a master listing Maintain compatibility with other scripts Internal version number in the comments

Incrementing version numbers Tracking changes

Version control software Additional resources

18. Logging results

Logging to a text file

Designing a logging approach

Overwriting the log Appending to the log Using the Out-File cmdlet

Text location Networked log files

Writing directly to the file Writing to the local file and copying to the network

Logging to the event log

Using the Aapplication log Creating a custom event log

Logging to the registry Additional resources

19. Troubleshooting scripts

Understanding debugging in Windows PowerShell

Working with syntax errors Working with runtime errors Working with logic errors

Using the Set-PSDebug cmdlet

Tracing the script

Working with trace level 1 Working with trace level 2

Stepping through the script Enabling strict mode

Using Set-PSDebug -strict Using the Set-StrictMode cmdlet

Debugging scripts

Setting breakpoints

Setting a breakpoint on a line number Setting a breakpoint on a variable Setting a breakpoint on a command

Responding to breakpoints Listing breakpoints Enabling and disabling breakpoints Deleting breakpoints

Additional resources

20. Using the Windows PowerShell ISE

Running the Windows PowerShell ISE

Navigating the Windows PowerShell ISE Working with the script pane Tab expansion and IntelliSense

Working with Windows PowerShell ISE snippets

Using Windows PowerShell ISE snippets to create code Creating new Windows PowerShell ISE snippets Removing user-defined Windows PowerShell ISE snippets

Additional resources

21. Using Windows PowerShell remoting and jobs

Understanding Windows PowerShell remoting

Classic remoting WinRM—Windows Remote Management

Create a remote Windows PowerShell session Run a single Windows PowerShell command

Using Windows PowerShell jobs Additional resources

22. Using Windows PowerShell Workflow

Why use Windows PowerShell Workflow

Workflow requirements A simple workflow

Parallel PowerShell Workflow activities

Windows PowerShell cmdlets as activities Disallowed core cmdlets Non-automatic cmdlet activities Parallel activities

Checkpointing a Windows PowerShell workflow

Understanding checkpoints Placing checkpoints Adding checkpoints

Workflow checkpoints are free Checkpoint activity Using the CheckPoint-Workflow activity

Adding a sequence activity to a workflow Additional resources

23. Using the Windows PowerShell DSC

Understanding Desired State Configuration

The DSC process Configuration parameters Setting dependencies Configuration data

Creating users with the user provider Creating groups with the group provider

Controlling configuration drift Additional resources

A. About the author Index About the Author Copyright

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