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Mastering PowerShell Scripting
Mastering PowerShell Scripting

Mastering PowerShell Scripting: Automate repetitive tasks and simplify complex administrative tasks using PowerShell , Fifth Edition

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eBook May 2024 826 pages 5th Edition
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eBook May 2024 826 pages 5th Edition
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Mastering PowerShell Scripting

Modules

Modules are packaged collections of commands that may be loaded inside PowerShell, allowing PowerShell to interact with new systems and services. Modules come from a wide variety of different sources.

PowerShell itself is installed with a small number of modules, including ThreadJob and PSReadline.

Some modules can be installed by adding Windows features or enabling capabilities, for example, the ActiveDirectory and GroupPolicy modules.

Several applications include modules as part of their installers; for example, Microsoft Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) includes a PowerShell module that may be used to get passwords and set permissions.

The Windows platform itself includes many modules, for example, the NetFirewall module. Most of these have been included since Windows 8 was released.

Modules can be installed from the PowerShell Gallery or another registered repository. The PowerShell Gallery can include updated versions of pre-installed modules...

Introducing modules

Modules were introduced with the release of PowerShell version 2.0. A module is a packaged set of commands (binary commands, functions, and aliases) that includes any required supporting content; modules often include help content.

PowerShell 5.1 introduced support for classes written in PowerShell. These are explored in Chapter 19, Classes and Enumerations, but while support is present these are rarely directly user-accessible.

Modules tend to target a specific system or focus on a small set of related operations. For example, the Microsoft.PowerShell.Archive module contains a small number of commands for interacting with ZIP files.

The modules available on a system can be discovered using the Get-Module command.

The Get-Module command

Get-Module is used to find the modules either in the current PowerShell session or available on the current system.

PowerShell itself comes with several built-in modules, including PowerShellGet, ThreadJob...

Finding and installing modules

PowerShell includes a module named PowerShellGet, which can be used to register repositories and search for and install modules.

By default, PowerShellGet searches the PowerShell Gallery.

What is the PowerShell Gallery?

The PowerShell Gallery is a Microsoft-run repository and distribution platform for PowerShell scripts and modules written by Microsoft or other users.

The PowerShell Gallery has parallels in other scripting languages, as shown in the following examples:

  • Perl has cpan.org.
  • Python has PyPI.
  • Ruby has RubyGems.

Support for the gallery is included by default in PowerShell 5 and above. For Windows PowerShell 3 and 4, PowerShellGet must be installed as described in Microsoft Learn:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/gallery/powershellget/install-on-older-systems.

The PowerShell Gallery may be searched using https://www.powershellgallery.com, as shown in the following screenshot...

Microsoft.PowerShell.PSResourceGet

PowerShellGet 2 (for example, PowerShellGet 2.2.4.1) implements the Install-Module, Update-Module, and Save-Module module commands demonstrated at the beginning of this chapter.

Microsoft.PowerShell.PSResourceGet (PSResourceGet), formerly PowerShellGet 3, hopes to replace PowerShellGet version 2 installations. One of the key features is that this new version does not depend on the PackageManagement module, allowing a simpler installation process, and avoiding the need to bootstrap the NuGet provider, making upgrading the module simpler.

The preview version also uses new command names, completely divorcing it from the previous implementations of PowerShellGet. The change in command names means the new version can safely be installed alongside any existing version.

PSResourceGet is included with the PowerShell 7.4 installation.

If not installed, PSResourceGet can be installed as follows:

Install-Module Microsoft.PowerShell.PSResourceGet...

PowerShell repositories

Each of the examples from the previous section uses the PowerShell Gallery as a source for installing modules. This is an important resource, but in a business setting, it may be desirable to restrict access to the gallery. Instead, an internal repository that holds curated or internally developed content may be implemented to share content.

Creating an SMB repository

An SMB file share is a simple way to share PowerShell content. A file share may be registered as a repository as follows:

$params = @{
    Name               = 'Internal'
    SourceLocation     = '\\server\share\directory'
    InstallationPolicy = 'Trusted'
}
Register-PSRepository @params

Existing modules can be published to the repository using the Publish-Module command. For example, if the module Pester 5.0.2 is installed, it may be published to the newly created internal repository:

$params = @{
    Name            = 'pester'
  ...

About snap-ins

Snap-ins, and the commands for interacting with snap-ins, are only available in Windows PowerShell; they are not present in PowerShell 7 and the commands used below will not work.

A snap-in is the predecessor to a module. It was the mechanism available to extend the set of commands in PowerShell 1 and was deprecated with the release of PowerShell 2. Unfortunately, a small number of organizations persist in offering PowerShell commands via a snap-in.

The list of installed snap-ins may be viewed using the following command:

Get-PSSnapIn -Registered

If the Registered parameter is excluded, Get-PSSnapIn will show the snap-ins that have been imported into the current PowerShell session.

PowerShell does not automatically load commands from a snap-in. All snap-ins must be explicitly imported using the Add-PSSnapIn command:

Add-PSSnapIn WDeploySnapin3.0

Once a snap-in has been installed (registered) and added, Get-Command can be used to list the...

Summary

Modules are a vital part of PowerShell. Modules allow users to extend the commands available within PowerShell, allowing PowerShell to work with many different systems from many different vendors.

The commands explored in this chapter have demonstrated how to discover and use locally available modules along with the commands each module contains. The PowerShell Gallery has been introduced as a public repository of modules, extending PowerShell further still.

PowerShellGet has been a feature of PowerShell since PowerShell 3. With the release of PowerShellGet 3 on the horizon, we demonstrated its new commands and filtering capabilities.

SMB- and NuGet-based repositories were briefly introduced for those looking to establish private repositories for use within an organization. This allows administrators to create private repositories with curated content, reducing exposure to unknown modules.

Snap-ins, an artifact of PowerShell 1 that is limited to Windows PowerShell...

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Key benefits

  • Build practical scripts to automate system tasks, manage files, users, and services, and optimize daily operations
  • Leverage PowerShell’s advanced features for error handling, modular scripting, and secure automation
  • Apply best practices to create reusable, maintainable, and production-ready automation workflows

Description

Mastering PowerShell Scripting, Fifth Edition, is your comprehensive guide to harnessing PowerShell’s full potential. This edition introduces new chapters on debugging, troubleshooting, and creating GUIs while covering the latest enhancements in PowerShell 7.3, including parameters, objects, and .NET classes. The book takes you from foundational concepts to advanced techniques, covering asynchronous processing, desired state configuration, and managing large datasets. You'll explore PowerShell’s automation features, error-handling strategies, and integration with external services. Additionally, this guide provides practical insights into working with regular expressions, Windows Management Instrumentation, and complex scripting methods. By the end of this book, you’ll have the skills to efficiently automate tasks, troubleshoot scripts, and leverage PowerShell’s advanced capabilities for real-world scenarios.

Who is this book for?

This book is for system administrators who want to automate and speed up their processes using PowerShell and Windows PowerShell. You'll need to know the basics of operating systems, but beginners with no prior experience with PowerShell will have no trouble following along.

What you will learn

  • Create scripts that run across systems for automation
  • Extend PowerShell by integrating it with other languages
  • Use PowerShell's command-line interface for efficient operations
  • Develop reusable scripts and functions to streamline tasks
  • Apply PowerShell for administration, automation, and data processing
  • Integrate with .NET, COM, and WMI for advanced functionality
  • Work with XML, JSON, and CSV for structured data handling
  • Build custom modules and cmdlets to enhance scripting

Product Details

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Publication date : May 24, 2024
Length: 826 pages
Edition : 5th
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781805124153
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Product Details

Publication date : May 24, 2024
Length: 826 pages
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Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781805124153
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Tools :

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Table of Contents

22 Chapters
Introduction to PowerShell Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Modules Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Variables, Arrays, and Hashtables Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Working with Objects in PowerShell Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Operators Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Conditional Statements and Loops Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Working with .NET Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Files, Folders, and the Registry Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Windows Management Instrumentation Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Working with HTML, XML, and JSON Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Web Requests and Web Services Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Remoting and Remote Management Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Asynchronous Processing Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Graphical User Interfaces Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Scripts, Functions, and Script Blocks Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Parameters, Validation, and Dynamic Parameters Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Classes and Enumerations Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Testing Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Error Handling Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Debugging Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Other Books You May Enjoy Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Index Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
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