Unit 6

6.0 PowerShell
Welcome to unit 6 of our journey into the world of Systems Administration and Maintenance.
In this unit, we will look into the Powershell. Understanding PowerShell's automation
capabilities, cross-platform support, Windows integration, extensibility, and object-oriented
approach make it an essential tool for modern system administrators and IT professionals.
Mastering PowerShell can significantly improve the efficiency, reliability, and consistency of
system management tasks.
What to Expect: In this unit, we will explore Powershell and key aspects of Powershell
Why Powershell Matters: PowerShell is a critical tool for modern system administration
and IT management, and here are some of the key reasons why PowerShell matters:
 Automation and Productivity Gains: PowerShell's scripting capabilities allow
administrators to automate repetitive tasks, streamline workflows, and save a
significant amount of time. This increased efficiency and productivity can have a
substantial impact on an organization's operations and bottom line.
 Cross-platform Capabilities: The availability of PowerShell on Windows, mac OS,
and Linux has made it a versatile tool that can be used across different operating
systems. This allows for a consistent management approach, regardless of the
underlying platform.
 Windows Integration: As a native Windows technology, PowerShell provides deep
integration with the Windows operating system and its management capabilities. This
tight integration makes PowerShell an indispensable tool for Windows system
administration.
 Extensibility and Flexibility: PowerShell's modular design and extensive cmdlet
library allow administrators to extend its functionality by creating custom modules,
functions, and scripts. This flexibility enables the creation of tailored solutions to
address specific organizational needs.
 Object-oriented Approach: PowerShell's object-oriented design provides a more
intuitive and powerful way of interacting with system components. This approach
simplifies the development of complex scripts and enables better data manipulation
and integration.
 Cloud and Hybrid Environments: PowerShell's cloud integration capabilities, such as
support for Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud, make it a valuable tool for managing
hybrid and cloud-based infrastructures. This helps to maintain a consistent
management approach across on-premises and cloud-based resources.
 Reporting and Monitoring: PowerShell can be used to generate detailed reports and
monitor various system components, including performance, security, and
compliance. This helps administrators to have a better understanding of the overall
health and state of their IT infrastructure.
 Community and Ecosystem: PowerShell has a large and active community of users
and contributors who share scripts, modules, and best practices. This ecosystem
provides a wealth of resources and support for administrators looking to enhance their
PowerShell skills and capabilities.
  Skills and Career Advancement: Proficiency in PowerShell is a highly sought-after
skill for system administrators and IT professionals. Mastering PowerShell can
significantly enhance one's career prospects and open up new opportunities in the
industry.
In conclusion, PowerShell's automation capabilities, cross-platform support, Windows
integration, extensibility, and object-oriented approach make it a crucial tool for modern IT
management. As organizations continue to adopt cloud and hybrid environments, the
importance of PowerShell will only grow, ensuring that it remains an indispensable skill for
system administrators and IT professionals.
6.1 Objectives
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
 Familiarize with the PowerShell command-line interface (CLI) and its basic syntax
 Grasp the concepts of cmdlets, parameters, and piping
 Explore the PowerShell help system and learn how to access built-in documentation
 Configure PowerShell execution policies and security settings
 Administer user accounts, groups, and Active Directory
 Learn PowerShell scripting language and syntax
 Understand PowerShell's object-oriented nature
 Follow PowerShell community and industry trends
6.2 Powershell definition
PowerShell is a command-line shell and scripting language developed by Microsoft for
managing and automating tasks in Windows environments. It is built on the .NET framework
and provides administrators and power users with a powerful tool for system administration,
configuration management, and automation.
Throughout this unit, we will examine the key aspects of Powershell
6.3 Key features and aspects of PowerShell:
Command-Line Interface: PowerShell provides a command-line interface (CLI) that allows
users to interact with the operating system and execute commands. It offers a rich set of built-
in commands, known as cmdlets, which are designed to perform specific tasks. Cmdlets can
be combined and piped together to create complex command sequences.
Scripting Language: PowerShell is also a robust scripting language that enables the creation
of scripts and automation of administrative tasks. It supports variables, loops, conditionals,
functions, and error handling, making it suitable for writing sophisticated scripts and
automation workflows.
Object-Oriented: PowerShell treats data as objects rather than plain text, allowing for easier
manipulation and interaction with system resources. Cmdlets return structured objects that
can be further processed and manipulated, enabling powerful data handling capabilities.
Extensible: PowerShell is highly extensible and can leverage existing .NET libraries and
modules. It supports the integration of custom cmdlets, functions, and modules, allowing
users to extend its functionality to meet specific needs.
Remoting and Automation: PowerShell includes remoting capabilities that enable the
execution of commands and scripts on remote systems, making it useful for managing and
automating tasks across multiple machines or servers. It allows administrators to remotely
manage and configure systems without needing to log in to each individual machine.
Integration with Windows Management: PowerShell integrates tightly with various
Windows management technologies, such as WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation),
COM (Component Object Model), and .NET. This integration enables administrators to
manage and configure a wide range of Windows components and services using PowerShell
commands and scripts.
Script Execution Policy: PowerShell has a security feature called "execution policy" that
controls the execution of scripts on a system. The execution policy can be set to various
levels, allowing or restricting the execution of scripts based on their source and digital
signature. This helps prevent unauthorized or malicious scripts from running on a system.
PowerShell has become a powerful and widely adopted tool for Windows administrators and
IT professionals due to its flexibility, automation capabilities, and integration with Windows
technologies. It provides a robust environment for managing and automating tasks,
simplifying administrative tasks, and improving productivity.
Active Directory cmdlets in PowerShell use the underlying technology called the Active
Directory Web Services (ADWS) to communicate with the Active Directory Domain. ADWS
is a web service interface that allows clients, including PowerShell, to interact with Active
Directory over the network using the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP).

6.3.1 How Active Directory cmdlets use ADWS to communicate with a domain:
Establishing Connection: When executing an Active Directory cmdlet in PowerShell, the
cmdlet first establishes a connection to the Active Directory Domain using the ADWS
service. The connection is typically made to a domain controller, which is a server running
the Active Directory Domain Services role.
Authenticating: After establishing the connection, the cmdlet authenticates with the domain
controller using the credentials provided by the user executing the cmdlet. The credentials are
passed securely over the network to the domain controller for verification.
Querying and Modifying Data: Once the connection is established and authentication is
successful, the Active Directory cmdlet can perform various operations on the Active
Directory Domain. This includes querying for information, creating or modifying objects,
managing user accounts and groups, configuring access control, and more.
Using LDAP Protocol: Under the hood, the Active Directory cmdlets use the LDAP
protocol to communicate with the ADWS service. LDAP is a standardized protocol for
accessing and managing directory services, including Active Directory. It provides a set of
operations and data formats for querying and updating directory information.
Returning Results: When an Active Directory cmdlet retrieves information from the Active
Directory Domain, it receives the response from the ADWS service in a structured format,
typically as a collection of objects. These objects can be further processed, filtered, or
formatted within the PowerShell environment.
By utilizing ADWS and the LDAP protocol, Active Directory cmdlets provide a powerful
and efficient way to manage and interact with the Active Directory Domain. They abstract
the complexities of the underlying communication protocols, allowing administrators and
users to perform various administrative tasks and automation workflows easily.
6.4 How to create a new local user account using PowerShell:
You can utilize the New-LocalUser cmdlet. Here's an example of how to create a new local
user account:
powershell
Copy
# Specify the username and password for the new user
$username = "NewUser"
$password = ConvertTo-SecureString -String "P@ssw0rd" -AsPlainText -Force

# Create the new local user account

New-LocalUser -Name $username -Password $password -FullName "New User" -
Description "Description of the user account" -AccountNeverExpires -
UserMayNotChangePassword
In the above example, the New-LocalUser cmdlet is used to create a new local user account.
Here's a breakdown of the parameters used:

-Name: Specifies the username for the new user.

-Password: Specifies the password for the new user. The ConvertTo-SecureString cmdlet is
used to convert the plain text password to a secure string.
-FullName: Specifies the full name of the new user.
-Description: Specifies a description for the user account.
-AccountNeverExpires: Sets the user account to never expire.
-UserMayNotChangePassword: Prevents the user from changing the account password.
You can modify the example code to include the desired values for the username, password,
full name, description, and any other relevant parameters. Once you run the PowerShell
script, it will create a new local user account on the machine with the specified details.
6.5 Conclusion: PowerShell
In conclusion, PowerShell is an essential tool for IT professionals and system administrators,
offering powerful capabilities for automation, configuration management, and system
administration. Its versatility and integration with various Microsoft products make it
invaluable for managing complex IT environments.
Key points to consider include:
Automation and Efficiency: PowerShell enables users to automate repetitive tasks,
significantly improving efficiency and reducing the potential for human error.
Comprehensive Management: With its command-line interface and scripting capabilities,
PowerShell allows for detailed management of both local and remote systems, making it ideal
for large-scale environments.
Integration with Other Technologies: PowerShell seamlessly integrates with various
Microsoft services and applications, enhancing its utility in hybrid and cloud environments.
Community and Resources: A robust community and extensive documentation provide
users with a wealth of resources, making it easier to learn and troubleshoot.
Security Features: PowerShell includes built-in security features, such as script signing and
execution policies, which help protect against unauthorized scripts and potential threats.
By mastering PowerShell, IT professionals can streamline operations, improve system
management, and enhance their ability to respond to organizational needs effectively. As
technology continues to advance, PowerShell will remain a critical skill for anyone involved
in systems administration and IT management.
Activities
 Identify a repetitive, time-consuming task in your work environment.
 Develop a PowerShell script or function to automate this task, including error
handling and input validation.
 Create a PowerShell script to generate a report on the state of your IT infrastructure.
 Identify a set of related cmdlets or functions that could be packaged into a custom
PowerShell module.
 Configure PowerShell Remoting on your systems and establish remote sessions.
 Identify a complex PowerShell script or function that is experiencing issues.
References
 PowerShell in Action, 3rd Edition by Bruce Payette and Richard Siddaway
 Windows PowerShell Cookbook, 4th Edition by Lee Holmes
 Learn PowerShell in a Month of Lunches, 3rd Edition by Don Jones and Jeffery Hicks
 PowerShell for Sysadmins: Workflow Automation Made Easy by Adam Bertram
 PowerShell for Developers by Thomas Lee
Online Resources:
 Comprehensive documentation provided by Microsoft: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-
us/powershell/
 The official repository for PowerShell modules and scripts:
https://www.powershellgallery.com/
 PowerShell.org: https://www.youtube.com/user/PowerShellOrg
 PowerShell Team: https://www.youtube.com/user/MicrosoftPowerShell
 Active community on Reddit for discussions, questions, and resources:
https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/
 Explore community-contributed PowerShell scripts and modules on GitHub:
https://github.com/PowerShell