PowerShell 101 - What is it and Why should YOU Care!
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PowerShell 101 provides an overview of PowerShell, including what it is, how it works, and why it is important for Windows administrators. PowerShell is a task automation platform and scripting language that makes Windows administration easier. It uses cmdlets, objects, and the pipeline model where cmdlets produce and consume objects that can be piped between commands. PowerShell is built into Windows and provides discoverability through commands like Get-Help and Get-Member. It offers advantages over traditional shells like being faster, more repeatable, and reducing errors.
PowerShell 101 - What is it and Why should YOU Care!
- 1. PowerShell 101 What is it and why should YOU care? Thomas Lee Partner, PS Partnership @DoctorDNS on Twitter
- 2. Agenda • What IS PowerShell? • What are Cmdlets, Objects and the Pipeline? • PowerShell in Windows and Windows Applications • Why PowerShell Matters to YOU • Questions
- 3. Who am I? • 17-time MVP – many on PowerShell • PowerShell Pioneer – Into PowerShell from the get-go (Oct 2003) • Author – PowerShell 2.0 bible with another book in probress • Trainer • Admin for PowerShell group on Spiceworks
- 4. Why PowerShell? • PowerShell is the future of Windows administration • PowerShell makes your life easier • PowerShell magnifies your effort • Let me show you how and why!
- 5. But First - What IS PowerShell? • Microsoft’s Strategic Task Automation Platform for IT Pros • It contains –Shell – think Unix like in terms of usefulness –Scripting Language – with the power of Perl or Ruby –Extensible – bring on the community
- 6. Looking at PowerShell Cmdlets Objects Pipeline
- 7. What are Cmdlets? • A unit of functionality – much like a Linux command • Implemented as a .NET Class – Get some with PowerShell/Windows – Buy some – e.g. /n Software’s NetCmdlets – Find some – leverage the community efforts – Build your own – use C# and VS
- 8. Cmdlets (continued) • Cmdlets named with a Verb-Noun syntax – Verbs are standard to aid discovery • Cmdlets can have aliases – Built in or add your own – Aliases do NOT include parameter aliasing • Cmdlets come from PowerShell, Windows, apps
- 9. Cmdlets (continued) • Cmdlets take parameters • All parameters have parameter names that begin with a ‘-’ • Some parameter names can be omitted • Tab completion is your friend! • Cmdlets are discoverable Get-Help, Get-Command
- 10. Cmdlets and Modules • Cmdlets/Functions packaged into modules • Modules can be dynamically loaded • You can develop your own modules
- 11. What are Objects? • A computer abstraction of a real life thing – A process – An AD User – A folder • In PowerShell everything is an object
- 12. Objects (continued) • Objects have occurrences you manage – The processes running on a computer – The users in an OU – The files in a folder • Objects dramatically simplifies scripting
- 13. PowerShell Object Support • PowerShell supports: – .NET objects – COM objects – WMI objects – Custom Objects • Syntax and usage vary – similar, yet different
- 14. Objects in PowerShell • Cmdlets produce and consume objects – E.g. Get-Process produces objects of the type System.Diagnostics.Process • Objects are discoverable –Get-Member tells you the what an object contains • Refer to MSDN documentation for more detail
- 15. What Is The Pipeline? • The pipeline connects cmdlets – One cmdlet outputs objects – Next cmdlet uses them as input • Pipeline is not a new concept – Came From Unix/Linux – PowerShell Pipes objects not text
- 16. Why This Design Matters • Simple to use – far easier to compose • Powerful in operation - PowerShell (and .NET) do the heavy lifting • Improves integration of functionality stacks – OS/Application/PowerShell base/Community efforts/etc.
- 17. Discovery • A key concept in PowerShell • What you know helps you learn more • PowerShell built to be discoverable
- 18. Key Discovery Cmdlets • Get-Command – helps you to find cmdlet/function names • Get-Help – gets you details on a specific cmdlets/function • Get-Member – pipe your output to Get-Member to discover what it is
- 20. PowerShell Community • You never walk alone => PowerShell ecosystem – Product teams – Vendors • Various ways to engage with the community – Blogs – Twitter – Spiceworks PowerShell forum
- 21. PowerShell Language • PowerShell has a language • This is used to create scripts, script cmdlets, etc. • Syntax similar to C# • Language contains features from Unix/Linux and others • You need to know the language to write scripts
- 22. PowerShell ISE • A richer development environment • Does colour coding of syntax • Good editing features • Extensible
- 23. PowerShell is Everywhere • Core modules come with Windows • Additional modules come with Windows features • More module come with Windows apps • Even more modules come from the community
- 24. How Do I Get PowerShell? • V3 Built into Win8, Server 2012 • V4 Built into Win 8.1, Server 2012 R2 • V5 in Windows 10 • V5.1 in Win10 AU and Server 2016 • V6.0 Alpha available
- 25. Getting Modules • Some built-in • Some come with Server feature and/or RSAT tools • Some downloadable (e.g. Azure) • Some 3rd party commercial • Use PowerShellGet module to find and install more!
- 26. So Why Does PowerShell Matter? • Because it’s everywhere! • It’s faster for repetitive tasks • It’s repeatable and auditable • Less prone to error • It’s easy (once you get past the learning curve)
- 27. PowerShell Is Not Universal! • Windows has over 300 console applications that you use to administer and manage aspects of Windows • Many of these have NO equivalent in PowerShell • Examples include: – Certutil – Slmgr.vbs/Ospp.vbs – Wevtutil.exe
- 28. Learning PowerShell • Books/blogs/forums • Microsoft and other training courses • Get your company to sponsor a class • Learn by doing
- 29. So What Next? • First, remove cmd.exe from your system – Use PowerShell everywhere • Use PowerShell for as much as you can – Ask questions on Spiceworks • Master PowerShell – Advance your career
- 30. Summary • If you are an IT Pro in the Windows space you need to either – Learn PowerShell – Learn how to smile when you say ‘would you like fries with that burger’