Microsoft Windows PowerShell: Automating Administrative Tasks (Hands-on)

Course Overview

Windows PowerShell is revolutionizing systems administration with time-saving tools for managing servers and workstations. PowerShell increases administrator productivity by automating repetitive tasks and ensuring complex, error-prone routines are performed consistently. In this course, you gain practical experience using PowerShell to solve both one-time and recurring administrative challenges.

You Will Learn How To

• Administer workstations, servers and applications with Windows PowerShell
• Harness .NET functionality through PowerShell cmdlets
• Manage execution of scripts through pipelining and flow control operators
• Leverage Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) for computer inventories and configuration
• Manipulate local and active directory objects using the Active Directory Services Interface (ADSI)
• Optimize PowerShell scripts through error handling

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Related Courses

• Microsoft PowerShell: Mastering Windows PowerShell Programming (Advanced)
• Microsoft Windows PowerShell 2.0: Automating Administration with Windows PowerShell 2.0
• PowerShell Workshop v2.0
• Automating Administration with Windows PowerShellâ„¢ 2.0

Audience

Administrators who want to more efficiently manage Windows systems. Windows administration experience at the level of Course - "Windows Server 2008 Comprehensive Introduction," or Course - "Windows Server 2003 Comprehensive Introduction," is assumed. Scripting experience is strongly recommended.

Skills Gained

Exercises provide hands-on experience automating administrative tasks and include:

• Implementing secure PowerShell scripts
• Generating reports on system status and configuration
• Reading, writing and parsing event logs
• Configuring hardware and software with WMI
• Creating and maintaining AD users, groups and organizational units (OUs)
• Managing local accounts and shares
• Administering servers, users and mailboxes
• Optimizing productivity with PowerShell profiles

Course Outline

Introduction to PowerShell

• Identifying opportunities for automation
• Analyzing shortcomings of existing automation solutions
• Combining the functionality of a shell and scripting language
• Expanding the scope of managed objects with the .NET Framework

PowerShell Fundamentals

Assessing the PowerShell console

• Contrasting expression and command modes
• Capitalizing on PowerShell help
• Navigating PowerShell drives

Configuring PowerShell

• Preventing execution of malicious code with an enhanced security policy
• Optimizing the user environment through profiles

Invoking functionality through cmdlets

• Streamlining scripts with simplified syntax
• Improving productivity and maintainability through consistent command structure

Managing input and output

• Securing interactive input using AsSecureString
• Obtaining input from multiple file formats
• Formatting output for clarity
• Redirecting output to alternate locations

Manipulating PowerShell object instances

• Reading and writing object properties
• Driving object behavior with method operators

Controlling Script Execution

Constructing the object pipeline

• Pipelining objects to streamline administrative tasks
• Isolating objects through filtering

Implementing flow control

• Enumerating objects via foreach-object loops
• Employing comparison operators and the Switch statement
• Creating modular code using functions
• Increasing the power of expressions with wildcard operators

Unleashing the power of .NET objects

• Working with .NET properties and methods
• Retrieving object information through reflection
• Parsing remote computer event logs

Configuring Systems with Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)

Exploiting WMI objects

• Instantiating WMI objects
• Conducting hardware and software inventories

Automating computer management with WMI object instances

• Assigning properties to control computer configuration
• Invoking methods to perform system administration
• Harnessing powerful WMI Query Language (WQL) queries

Retrieving and modifying network configuration

• Switching between DHCP and static IPs
• Assigning host, DNS and Gateway IPs

Leveraging the Active Directory Services Interface (ADSI)

Accessing the Active Directory (AD) with the LDAP provider

• Creating users, computer and groups
• Efficiently altering and deleting existing objects
• Manipulating group membership

Administering local workstations with the WinNT provider

• Accessing local SAM databases
• Tweaking local users and groups

Optimizing Scripts

Troubleshooting your scripts

• Handling runtime errors
• Debugging your problem code
• Enabling strict-mode processing of variables

Designing and deploying production scripts

• Building script logic
• Signing scripts with the Set-AuthenticodeSignature cmdlet
• Enabling script execution through digital signatures