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E-guide Comprehensive PowerShell Guide for New and Seasoned Admins
E-guide
Comprehensive PowerShell Guide for New and Seasoned Admins
Page 1 of 20
In this e-guide
Comprehensive PowerShell guide for new and seasoned admins p. 2
What is PowerShell? p. 3
Powershell commands p. 4
PowerShell learning: Basics p. 6
How to create and run PowerShell scripts . . p. 7
PowerShell learning: Advanced concepts . p. 10
PowerShell features p. 11
PowerShell Active Directory management . p. 13
On-premises management, monitoring and deployment p. 14
Public cloud and workload management . p. 15
PowerShell products and services p. 16
PowerShell 7 p. 17
The future of PowerShell p. 19
Further reading p. 20
E-guide
In this e-guide:
PowerShell has emerged as an important IT automation tool for on-
premises and cloud resources. This overview covers a range of topics to
get you up to speed.
Page 2 of 20
In this e-guide
Comprehensive PowerShell guide for new and seasoned admins p. 2
What is PowerShell? p. 3
Powershell commands p. 4
PowerShell learning: Basics p. 6
How to create and run PowerShell scripts . . p. 7
PowerShell learning: Advanced concepts . p. 10
PowerShell features p. 11
PowerShell Active Directory management . p. 13
On-premises management, monitoring and deployment p. 14
Public cloud and workload management . p. 15
PowerShell products and services p. 16
PowerShell 7 p. 17
The future of PowerShell p. 19
Further reading p. 20
E-guide
Comprehensive PowerShell guide for new and seasoned admins
John Moore, Senior Site Editor, SearchWindowsServer
PowerShell has emerged as a critical tool for systems administrators, providing a
consistent, adaptable technology for managing on-premises and cloud-based systems.
Microsoft launched PowerShell in 2006 to work solely in the Windows environment,
but the company open sourced the technology in 2016. Today, the tool aims to appeal
to a wider range of admins because it's now available for Linux and macOS as well as
Windows. PowerShell has also made the jump to broader computing models, spanning
cloud environments such as Microsoft Azure and AWS.
Don Jones, vice president, content partnerships and strategic initiatives at Pluralsight
LLC, a technology skills platform based in Silicon Slopes, Utah, summed up PowerShell's
scope.
"PowerShell is for admins -- no matter what you are administrating," he said.
Page 3 of 20
In this e-guide
Comprehensive PowerShell guide for new and seasoned admins p. 2
What is PowerShell? p. 3
Powershell commands p. 4
PowerShell learning: Basics p. 6
How to create and run PowerShell scripts . . p. 7
PowerShell learning: Advanced concepts . p. 10
PowerShell features p. 11
PowerShell Active Directory management . p. 13
On-premises management, monitoring and deployment p. 14
Public cloud and workload management . p. 15
PowerShell products and services p. 16
PowerShell 7 p. 17
The future of PowerShell p. 19
Further reading p. 20
E-guide
What is PowerShell?
PowerShell is a command-line shell and scripting language that seeks to help admins
configure systems and automate tasks. The object-oriented technology is built on
Microsoft's .NET framework. As such, it lets IT personnel work with objects in contrast
with text-based shells.
Microsoft has evolved PowerShell through several editions. The company launched the
latest iteration, PowerShell 7, on March 4, 2020. Microsoft's goal over the years has
been to preserve backward compatibility, although the ability to use certain
commands and features, from version to version, has sometimes been an issue.
What is PowerShell used for?
PowerShell, in its role as command-line shell, serves as the replacement for Microsoft's
Command Prompt, which goes back to the days of DOS. Microsoft made PowerShell
the default command-line interface (CLI) for Windows 10 as of build 14791. Most users
first interact with PowerShell in its command-line capacity.
The key use case for PowerShell is automating various administrative activities.
Examples include navigating registries, identifying processes using the most memory
and stopping/restarting a particular service. PowerShell can also obtain model
information on a computer and extract information on OSes, such as the specific
version and service pack levels. In addition, admins can use PowerShell to run
Page 4 of 20
In this e-guide
Comprehensive PowerShell guide for new and seasoned admins p. 2
What is PowerShell? p. 3
Powershell commands p. 4
PowerShell learning: Basics p. 6
How to create and run PowerShell scripts . . p. 7
PowerShell learning: Advanced concepts . p. 10
PowerShell features p. 11
PowerShell Active Directory management . p. 13
On-premises management, monitoring and deployment p. 14
Public cloud and workload management . p. 15
PowerShell products and services p. 16
PowerShell 7 p. 17
The future of PowerShell p. 19
Further reading p. 20
E-guide
commands and scripts on one or more remote computers, using protocols such as WS-
Management and, more recently, Secure Shell (SSH).
PowerShell is used in IT departments to automate formerly manual tasks, with the
objective of boosting efficiency. Third-party IT services firms, such as managed service
providers (MSPs), also use PowerShell.
MSPs tap PowerShell to automate such tasks as software deployment, software
integration and report generation. Service providers also create PowerShell scripts to
periodically check on whether customers have required software installed and to
automate the process of creating a new user account.
Powershell commands
Cmdlets
Cmdlets are the foundational component of PowerShell automation. A cmdlet
performs a single function and returns a .NET object. Cmdlets are typically structured
in a verb-noun format. One or more parameters can be added to a cmdlet to make the
command more specific -- directing a cmdlet to install a particular version of a software
product, for example.
Ready-made cmdlets abound, and admins can learn about them through help content,
which describes the cmdlet and its parameters. Admins can create their own cmdlets
Page 5 of 20
In this e-guide
Comprehensive PowerShell guide for new and seasoned admins p. 2
What is PowerShell? p. 3
Powershell commands p. 4
PowerShell learning: Basics p. 6
How to create and run PowerShell scripts . . p. 7
PowerShell learning: Advanced concepts . p. 10
PowerShell features p. 11
PowerShell Active Directory management . p. 13
On-premises management, monitoring and deployment p. 14
Public cloud and workload management . p. 15
PowerShell products and services p. 16
PowerShell 7 p. 17
The future of PowerShell p. 19
Further reading p. 20
E-guide
using PowerShell script or C#. All told, thousands of cmdlets exist across PowerShell
and public and private repositories.
Here are some of the basic cmdlets included in PowerShell.
Cmdlets vs. commands
Cmdlets attempt to make it clear to the user what action they perform. That's in
contrast to the sometimes truncated and cryptic command statements used in other
shells. Joey Aiello, senior program manager, PowerShell, at Microsoft, said
PowerShell's "very verbose syntax" simplifies matters for people who aren't as familiar
with the shorter command names used in shells such as CMD and BASH. On the other
hand, PowerShell supports aliases for admins that are accustomed to using shorter
commands.
Page 6 of 20
In this e-guide
Comprehensive PowerShell guide for new and seasoned admins p. 2
What is PowerShell? p. 3
Powershell commands p. 4
PowerShell learning: Basics p. 6
How to create and run PowerShell scripts . . p. 7
PowerShell learning: Advanced concepts . p. 10
PowerShell features p. 11
PowerShell Active Directory management . p. 13
On-premises management, monitoring and deployment p. 14
Public cloud and workload management . p. 15
PowerShell products and services p. 16
PowerShell 7 p. 17
The future of PowerShell p. 19
Further reading p. 20
E-guide
Although cmdlets seek to make their functions easier to grasp, they also enable admins
to tackle sophisticated management chores. PowerShell's underlying object orientation
and the ability to pipeline cmdlets play the key role here. Output from one cmdlet can
be used by other cmdlets in sequence, enabling admins to more readily take on
complex tasks than they could when using conventional command statements. The
ability to use cmdlets in combination also provides visibility into the task automation
workflow.
According to Microsoft's cmdlet overview, cmdlets differ from commands in that they
are instances of .NET framework classes, rather than stand-alone executables.
Microsoft also points to PowerShell runtime's ability to handle parsing and output
formatting for cmdlets as a point of differentiation.
PowerShell learning: Basics
Learning PowerShell typically begins with getting acquainted with some basic cmdlets
and using the technology as a command-line shell.
"That is really the key starting point for anybody," Jones said. "You need to understand
how the shell works and why it works to get a job done."
Common PowerShell commands and cmdlets let admins carry out a range of tasks,
from manipulating files and directories to managing software and machines.
PowerShell's consistency means that becoming familiar with a few cmdlets gives
Page 7 of 20
In this e-guide
Comprehensive PowerShell guide for new and seasoned admins p. 2
What is PowerShell? p. 3
Powershell commands p. 4
PowerShell learning: Basics p. 6
How to create and run PowerShell scripts . . p. 7
PowerShell learning: Advanced concepts . p. 10
PowerShell features p. 11
PowerShell Active Directory management . p. 13
On-premises management, monitoring and deployment p. 14
Public cloud and workload management . p. 15
PowerShell products and services p. 16
PowerShell 7 p. 17
The future of PowerShell p. 19
Further reading p. 20
E-guide
admins insight into others. Jonathan Hassell, an author and consultant with 82
Ventures in Charlotte, N.C., said learning how to automate basic tasks with PowerShell
reveals the syntax and structure of PowerShell commands in general.
A few examples of foundational cmdlets for admins include Restart-Service for
stopping and restarting a service; Get-Childitem -Force for listing every item in a folder
and Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_ComputerSystem for gleaning information on the
make and model of a computer.
Admins can also avail themselves of PowerShell modules, which are packages
containing PowerShell commands. Modules serve as a tool for organizing commands
and passing them along to other admins. Microsoft's PowerShell Gallery, as of Q1
2020, offers nearly 6,500 PowerShell modules and other code that users can
download. Modules available in the PowerShell Gallery run the gamut from Pester,
which runs a testing framework for PowerShell code and infrastructure configurations,
to Dbatools, which provides myriad commands for automating SQL Server database
development and administration.
How to create and run PowerShell scripts
PowerShell users with a grasp of the command-line shell can make the move to the
next level of learning: tool making. Admins can "get into the scripting language and
start making their own tools to automate the business processes, moving from a tool
user to a tool creator," Jones said.
Page 8 of 20
In this e-guide
Comprehensive PowerShell guide for new and seasoned admins p. 2
What is PowerShell? p. 3
Powershell commands p. 4
PowerShell learning: Basics p. 6
How to create and run PowerShell scripts . . p. 7
PowerShell learning: Advanced concepts . p. 10
PowerShell features p. 11
PowerShell Active Directory management . p. 13
On-premises management, monitoring and deployment p. 14
Public cloud and workload management . p. 15
PowerShell products and services p. 16
PowerShell 7 p. 17
The future of PowerShell p. 19
Further reading p. 20
E-guide
Learning how to script elevates an admin's productivity -- and that of his or her
colleagues. "Someone who is creating these reusable units of execution makes things
faster for everyone else in the organization," Jones noted.
Admins familiar with executing cmdlets can stitch commands together into a script,
said Adam Bertram, a 20-year IT veteran and freelance writer. Going from basic use to
more advanced activities is matter of expanding upon the foundational cmdlets. For
example, PowerShell's Get-Service cmdlet queries all the services running on a local
computer, but scripting lets an admin find all the stopped services, attempt to restart
them and add some logging capabilities, Bertram noted. His PowerShell scripting
tutorial for beginners provides details on how to build and execute such a script.
Scripts can automate commonplace tasks such as moving files from one place to
another. Admins can use a PowerShell FTP script, for example, to upload and download
files. They can also create advanced scripts to copy files between folders, drives and
machines using PowerShell providers and cmdlets.
At some point, admins might want to harden PowerShell scripts or functions -- groups
of PowerShell statements that might be included in scripts -- for use in production
environments. If that's the case, a better understanding of the parameters of
PowerShell functions might be in order. Other languages compel tool creators to
design their own parameter and error handlers, but PowerShell includes much of this
functionality on its own, noted Brandon Shell, CTO at Shell Consulting, in his problem-
solving article.
Page 9 of 20
In this e-guide
Comprehensive PowerShell guide for new and seasoned admins p. 2
What is PowerShell? p. 3
Powershell commands p. 4
PowerShell learning: Basics p. 6
How to create and run PowerShell scripts . . p. 7
PowerShell learning: Advanced concepts . p. 10
PowerShell features p. 11
PowerShell Active Directory management . p. 13
On-premises management, monitoring and deployment p. 14
Public cloud and workload management . p. 15
PowerShell products and services p. 16
PowerShell 7 p. 17
The future of PowerShell p. 19
Further reading p. 20
E-guide
As admins continue their scripting journey, they can tap into the PowerShell Integrated
Scripting Environment (ISE). ISE lets users build and test PowerShell scripts without
operating directly in PowerShell's CLI. Bertram's tutorial provides an overview of useful
features for editing and managing scripts with PowerShell ISE.
Page 10 of 20
In this e-guide
Comprehensive PowerShell guide for new and seasoned admins p. 2
What is PowerShell? p. 3
Powershell commands p. 4
PowerShell learning: Basics p. 6
How to create and run PowerShell scripts . . p. 7
PowerShell learning: Advanced concepts . p. 10
PowerShell features p. 11
PowerShell Active Directory management . p. 13
On-premises management, monitoring and deployment p. 14
Public cloud and workload management . p. 15
PowerShell products and services p. 16
PowerShell 7 p. 17
The future of PowerShell p. 19
Further reading p. 20
E-guide
PowerShell learning: Advanced concepts
Admins might eventually move into the third tier of PowerShell learning, in which they
make a transition to professional software development. Jones said admins are still
creating tools but are doing so in a more scalable and reliable fashion. At this point,
PowerShell might be employed to create a continuous integration/continuous
deployment (CI/CD) pipeline.
"We see PowerShell used more and more in CI/CD scenarios, especially with regards to
cross-platform applications," Aiello said.
Here are some other advanced concepts admins can study.
Manipulating text. Building skills in PowerShell text manipulation can help admins with
their advanced infrastructure management issues, according to independent
consultant Richard Siddaway. Cmdlets for working with text include Add-Content,
Clear-Content, Get-Content, Set-Content and Out-File.
Catching errors. To err is human, but proper logging can make troubleshooting a more
forgiving process. Bertram outlined the steps for creating a custom PowerShell logging
function from deciding on the logging options to include -- host, file and database, for
example -- to defining the logic.
Page 11 of 20
In this e-guide
Comprehensive PowerShell guide for new and seasoned admins p. 2
What is PowerShell? p. 3
Powershell commands p. 4
PowerShell learning: Basics p. 6
How to create and run PowerShell scripts . . p. 7
PowerShell learning: Advanced concepts . p. 10
PowerShell features p. 11
PowerShell Active Directory management . p. 13
On-premises management, monitoring and deployment p. 14
Public cloud and workload management . p. 15
PowerShell products and services p. 16
PowerShell 7 p. 17
The future of PowerShell p. 19
Further reading p. 20
E-guide
Troubleshooting remote server management. Admins managing remote servers with
PowerShell might encounter the so-called double-hop problem when moving from one
machine to another. But there are workarounds. For one, admins can tie a credential
to a PowerShell session configuration and reuse it for subsequent connections, as
detailed in this double-hop avoidance tutorial.
Performing tasks in parallel. Using PowerShell workflows lets admins run tasks in
parallel -- a useful approach when automating the same commands across a multitude
of servers or desktops.
Coding PowerShell workflows is more complex than creating standard PowerShell
scripts and functions. In addition, PowerShell, going forward, will drop PowerShell
Workflow as a feature (see "PowerShell 7" section below for more detail).
PowerShell features
PowerShell has added capabilities over the course of numerous iterations. (Please see
the "PowerShell 7" section below for a discussion of the latest version.) But some
characteristics of the technology have remained steady over time.
Discoverability. Finding information on PowerShell's features is possible through
cmdlets such as Get-Command, which lists the commands, including cmdlets and
functions, available on a system. PowerShell was "very much designed with exploration
and interactive usage in mind," according to Aiello. In that regard, Jones said
Page 12 of 20
In this e-guide
Comprehensive PowerShell guide for new and seasoned admins p. 2
What is PowerShell? p. 3
Powershell commands p. 4
PowerShell learning: Basics p. 6
How to create and run PowerShell scripts . . p. 7
PowerShell learning: Advanced concepts . p. 10
PowerShell features p. 11
PowerShell Active Directory management . p. 13
On-premises management, monitoring and deployment p. 14
Public cloud and workload management . p. 15
PowerShell products and services p. 16
PowerShell 7 p. 17
The future of PowerShell p. 19
Further reading p. 20
E-guide
PowerShell has taken a cue from, and expanded upon, man pages from the Unix/Linux
world. Man pages, or manual pages, provide documentation on commands.
Help capabilities. Admins can gain insight into PowerShell concepts and components
through the Get-Help cmdlet. The help system, Jones said, reinforces a design
philosophy that protects the user's investment in learning. For example, the consistent
set of verbs used in cmdlets -- Get, Set and Start for example -- helps admins deduce
the purpose of any command using the same verb. "Once PowerShell asks you to learn
something, you get a return on that same learning," Jones said. "The help system is a
huge part of that promise."
Remote commands. PowerShell was built with enterprise management and the ability
to accomplish tasks at scale as design considerations, Aiello noted. This direction put
an emphasis on remoting from the beginning, and Microsoft's protocol support has
expanded amid PowerShell's cross-platform makeover. Microsoft has added support
for SSH, a staple of remote Linux administration, in addition to other protocols such as
WS-Management.
Pipelining. In another borrowing from Unix, PowerShell pipelining lets admins link a
series of commands together. This approach lets the output from one command
become the input for the next command in the sequence. Pipelining enables users to
take PowerShell's Lego-like pieces and assemble them in different ways depending on
what they want to accomplish, Jones said.
Page 13 of 20
In this e-guide
Comprehensive PowerShell guide for new and seasoned admins p. 2
What is PowerShell? p. 3
Powershell commands p. 4
PowerShell learning: Basics p. 6
How to create and run PowerShell scripts . . p. 7
PowerShell learning: Advanced concepts . p. 10
PowerShell features p. 11
PowerShell Active Directory management . p. 13
On-premises management, monitoring and deployment p. 14
Public cloud and workload management . p. 15
PowerShell products and services p. 16
PowerShell 7 p. 17
The future of PowerShell p. 19
Further reading p. 20
E-guide
Some important features that were added in later editions of PowerShell include
Desired State Configuration. DSC, which arrived with PowerShell 4.0 in 2013, aims to
offer admins a method for maintaining consistent configuration sets across computing
devices.
PowerShell Active Directory management
PowerShell's features and functionality extend to a cornerstone technology of
Windows environments: Active Directory (AD).
PowerShell as an automation tool can play a couple of roles with AD. Group
administration, for instance, can prove a time-consuming burden for AD managers.
Page 14 of 20
In this e-guide
Comprehensive PowerShell guide for new and seasoned admins p. 2
What is PowerShell? p. 3
Powershell commands p. 4
PowerShell learning: Basics p. 6
How to create and run PowerShell scripts . . p. 7
PowerShell learning: Advanced concepts . p. 10
PowerShell features p. 11
PowerShell Active Directory management . p. 13
On-premises management, monitoring and deployment p. 14
Public cloud and workload management . p. 15
PowerShell products and services p. 16
PowerShell 7 p. 17
The future of PowerShell p. 19
Further reading p. 20
E-guide
However, a handful of AD-oriented PowerShell cmdlets can help admins manage AD
groups
In addition, PowerShell can be used to find and transfer AD flexible server master
operations (FSMO) roles. FSMO roles can prove hard to track because they might be
dispersed across different domain controllers. PowerShell commands, coupled with the
ability to create specialized functions, can simplify this activity.
On-premises management, monitoring and deployment
Admins can use PowerShell to manage and troubleshoot systems, taking advantage of
modules available in PowerShell Gallery, GitHub and Microsoft products such as
Internet Information Services (IIS).
Rebooting machines is a common administrative activity, and PowerShell can help
simplify the process. As its name suggests, the PowerShell pending reboot module lets
admins check if Windows has a pending reboot, an important consideration because
Windows requires a reboot to wrap up tasks such as patch installation.
In addition, organizations can use PowerShell to configure Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
when building an IIS website. Admins can get the details on SSL configuration with
PowerShell in a tutorial based on the WebAdministration module installed by default
on IIS 10.0.
Page 15 of 20
In this e-guide
Comprehensive PowerShell guide for new and seasoned admins p. 2
What is PowerShell? p. 3
Powershell commands p. 4
PowerShell learning: Basics p. 6
How to create and run PowerShell scripts . . p. 7
PowerShell learning: Advanced concepts . p. 10
PowerShell features p. 11
PowerShell Active Directory management . p. 13
On-premises management, monitoring and deployment p. 14
Public cloud and workload management . p. 15
PowerShell products and services p. 16
PowerShell 7 p. 17
The future of PowerShell p. 19
Further reading p. 20
E-guide
Other PowerShell modules that can help IT professionals in their daily tasks include
PSWindowsUpdate, which enables admins to view update installation history and
pending updates; PoshWSUS, which manages Windows Server Update Services;
Carbon, which interacts with users, websites, certificates and other areas to handle a
range of tasks; and NTFSSecurity, which puts a user-friendly spin on working with NTFS
file permissions.
As for troubleshooting, PowerShell can help admins filter and query Windows event
logs. Commands built on PowerShell's Get-EventLog cmdlet can reveal the most recent
errors contained in a specific event log.
Public cloud and workload management
More IT assets are moving to the cloud, and PowerShell plays several roles in that
environment.
PowerShell can provide an automated way to access Azure resources, for example.
Admins can use an Azure service principal authentication script as part of an
automated workflow that manages Microsoft's cloud. The Az PowerShell module
provides the toolkit to get started.
Microsoft's Cloud Shell, meanwhile, provides a browser-based shell that lets users
work with PowerShell or BASH to manage Azure resources. "Cloud Shell is the most
Page 16 of 20
In this e-guide
Comprehensive PowerShell guide for new and seasoned admins p. 2
What is PowerShell? p. 3
Powershell commands p. 4
PowerShell learning: Basics p. 6
How to create and run PowerShell scripts . . p. 7
PowerShell learning: Advanced concepts . p. 10
PowerShell features p. 11
PowerShell Active Directory management . p. 13
On-premises management, monitoring and deployment p. 14
Public cloud and workload management . p. 15
PowerShell products and services p. 16
PowerShell 7 p. 17
The future of PowerShell p. 19
Further reading p. 20
E-guide
brilliant thing you can do to make people use PowerShell," Jones said, noting Cloud
Shell introduces technicians unfamiliar with PowerShell to the technology.
PowerShell's reach, however, extends beyond Azure -- in keeping with Microsoft's
cross-platform aspirations. The AWS Tools for PowerShell module gives admins
another, and possibly familiar, option for AWS administration. Windows admins
already working with PowerShell can quickly learn to use cmdlets to manage AWS
offerings, noted Dan Franciscus, a systems engineer in the higher education sector.
Digging deeper into AWS services, admins can also use PowerShell to create an AWS
Lambda function that provisions Elastic Compute Cloud instances. Lambda is AWS'
serverless computing service.
PowerShell products and services
Although PowerShell covers a lot of ground on its own, users can take advantage of
numerous third-party tools in the broader scripting language ecosystem.
A range of products are available that aim to help admins boost their PowerShell script
building. Those tools include advanced editors, low-code offerings and services
targeting specific platforms such as AD. Bertram cited several PowerShell tools in a
product roundup: Cimitra Software's Cimitra Server, Ironman Software's Universal
Automation, Sapien Technologies' PowerShell Studio, ScriptRunner Software's
Page 17 of 20
In this e-guide
Comprehensive PowerShell guide for new and seasoned admins p. 2
What is PowerShell? p. 3
Powershell commands p. 4
PowerShell learning: Basics p. 6
How to create and run PowerShell scripts . . p. 7
PowerShell learning: Advanced concepts . p. 10
PowerShell features p. 11
PowerShell Active Directory management . p. 13
On-premises management, monitoring and deployment p. 14
Public cloud and workload management . p. 15
PowerShell products and services p. 16
PowerShell 7 p. 17
The future of PowerShell p. 19
Further reading p. 20
E-guide
PowerShell automation and delegation platform and System Frontier's privilege access
management product.
Services around PowerShell include online training courses, which aim to
accommodate people with varying levels of expertise. Offerings range from a
PowerShell tutorial for beginners on the Udemy learning platform to courses that focus
on specific technologies such as DSC. Pluralsight, meanwhile, offers a multi-course
learning path that provides content for entry-level to advanced users.
PowerShell 7
In 2018, Microsoft's cross-platform plans led to the creation of PowerShell Core, an
edition of PowerShell the supports Linux and macOS. That product emerged in addition
to traditional Windows PowerShell. The arrival of PowerShell 7, however, ends what
Aiello described as a temporary fork in development. PowerShell 7 and its successors,
according to a Microsoft statement, represent "the one, true PowerShell going
forward."
The short-term Windows PowerShell/PowerShell Core split, however, created some
functionality fissures and module incompatibilities between the editions. PowerShell 7
deals with some, but not all those gaps. Bertram said PowerShell 7's ability to run
modules previously unavailable under Core addresses "one of the key reasons that
Windows admins have avoided migrations to the newer version."
Page 18 of 20
In this e-guide
Comprehensive PowerShell guide for new and seasoned admins p. 2
What is PowerShell? p. 3
Powershell commands p. 4
PowerShell learning: Basics p. 6
How to create and run PowerShell scripts . . p. 7
PowerShell learning: Advanced concepts . p. 10
PowerShell features p. 11
PowerShell Active Directory management . p. 13
On-premises management, monitoring and deployment p. 14
Public cloud and workload management . p. 15
PowerShell products and services p. 16
PowerShell 7 p. 17
The future of PowerShell p. 19
Further reading p. 20
E-guide
Specifically, PowerShell 7 includes a compatibility layer that Microsoft said lets users
"import modules in an implicit Windows PowerShell session." With such PowerShell 7
features "backward compatibility is, essentially, as good as it's going to get," Aiello
added.
Features left behind with PowerShell 7 include PowerShell Workflow, which was also
absent from PowerShell Core 6.0. Workflow's role in paralyzing tasks is now replaced
with PowerShell 7's pipeline parallelization. That feature is provided via the ForEach-
Object cmdlet and the new -Parallel parameter.
"Customers told us that the only thing they really missed from Workflows was the
parallelization aspect, which is why we prioritized ForEach-Object -Parallel," Aiello said.
Pipeline parallelization will result in "massive performance gains," he added.
However, the -Parallel parameter isn't a complete Workflow replacement, according to
Jones, who noted Workflow was also designed for resumable, long-running tasks. He
said Workflow never had high adoption, adding that DSC has superseded Workflow in
many ways.
Other features in PowerShell 7 include a new Get-Error cmdlet, new ternary operators
and new pipeline operators. As for PowerShell error handing, PowerShell 7 offers a few
twists. In addition to Get-Error, which lets admins survey all the information within a
PowerShell error record, PowerShell 7 also includes ConciseView, which makes error
messages easier to understand.r
Page 19 of 20
In this e-guide
Comprehensive PowerShell guide for new and seasoned admins p. 2
What is PowerShell? p. 3
Powershell commands p. 4
PowerShell learning: Basics p. 6
How to create and run PowerShell scripts . . p. 7
PowerShell learning: Advanced concepts . p. 10
PowerShell features p. 11
PowerShell Active Directory management . p. 13
On-premises management, monitoring and deployment p. 14
Public cloud and workload management . p. 15
PowerShell products and services p. 16
PowerShell 7 p. 17
The future of PowerShell p. 19
Further reading p. 20
E-guide
The future of PowerShell
One issue ahead for PowerShell is migration from previous versions of the technology
to the consolidated PowerShell 7. Considerations that favor a move to PowerShell 7
from Windows PowerShell include the previously mentioned module compatibility and
features that seek to make the product easier and more efficient. Faster execution
speed, which stems from PowerShell 7's .NET Core foundation, is another argument in
favor of migration.
Going forward, Microsoft will continue to focus on distributed and cloud-based
scenarios, making sure PowerShell serves as an effective tool in those environments,
Jones noted. He expects Microsoft to pursue developments along the lines of Cloud
Shell.
Overall, Jones believes PowerShell has reached a "nice level of maturity" that will let
Microsoft focus on "tweaking the small things" rather than developing grand, new
features. An unanticipated IT revolution could compel Microsoft's PowerShell
development team to undertake a sweeping overhaul. But otherwise, incremental
changes will characterize the years ahead, he said.
"We are looking at continual evolution," Jones added. "The team created something
that can withstand the ages."
Further reading
Page 20 of 20
In this e-guide
Comprehensive PowerShell guide for new and seasoned admins p. 2
What is PowerShell? p. 3
Powershell commands p. 4
PowerShell learning: Basics p. 6
How to create and run PowerShell scripts . . p. 7
PowerShell learning: Advanced concepts . p. 10
PowerShell features p. 11
PowerShell Active Directory management . p. 13
On-premises management, monitoring and deployment p. 14
Public cloud and workload management . p. 15
PowerShell products and services p. 16
PowerShell 7 p. 17
The future of PowerShell p. 19
Further reading p. 20
E-guide
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