Articles by David Hall

Basic and Advanced Filtering of PowerShell Objects using Where-Object
May 17, 2017 David Hall Comment

This is a very minimal introduction into filtering pipeline objects using Where-Object and comparison operators. This video will give you the syntax and a simple example. To unleash the full capabilities of comparison operators take a look at the help file.

# Basic Syntax example
Get-Service | Where-Object Status -eq Running

# Advanced Syntax example
Get-Service | Where-Object {$PSItem.Status -eq 'Running' -and $PSItem.StartType -eq 'Automatic'}
# Same as above
Get-Service | Where-Object {$_.Status -eq 'Running' -and $_.StartType -eq 'Automatic'}

# Basic Syntax example

Get-Service | Where-Object Status -eq Running

# Advanced Syntax example

Get-Service | Where-Object {$PSItem.Status -eq 'Running' -and $PSItem.StartType -eq 'Automatic'}

# Same as above

Get-Service | Where-Object {$_.Status -eq 'Running' -and $_.StartType -eq 'Automatic'}

Azure VM Connect Button is Greyed out, lets fix it.
May 11, 2017 David Hall Comment

Something a little different with this video, no PowerShell goodness. I’m an Azure rookie, and I’ve had a few challenges getting a VMs up and running. I’ll have a few more videos documenting what I’ve learned so hopefully, it will allow you to get spun up quicker than I.

PowerShell Quicktip #2: Filter-Left
May 8, 2017 David Hall Comment

A practical example of why you should filter as far left in your scripts as possible. It might matter.

#1
Get-Service | Where-object { $_.Status -eq 'Running' -and $_.name -like 's*'}
#2
Get-Service -name s*| Where-object { $_.Status -eq 'Running'}

#1
Measure-Command -Expression {Get-Service | Where-object { $_.Status -eq 'Running' -and $_.name -like 's*'}}
#2
Measure-Command -Expression {Get-Service -name s*| Where-object { $_.Status -eq 'Running'}}

Get-Service | Where-object { $_.Status -eq 'Running' -and $_.name -like 's*'}

Get-Service -name s*| Where-object { $_.Status -eq 'Running'}

Measure-Command -Expression {Get-Service | Where-object { $_.Status -eq 'Running' -and $_.name -like 's*'}}

Measure-Command -Expression {Get-Service -name s*| Where-object { $_.Status -eq 'Running'}}

PowerShell Basics: Sorting and Selecting Objects with Sort-Object and Select-Object
May 1, 2017 David Hall Comment

# Selecting
#Default
Get-Process

# All Properties
Get-Process | Select-Object -Property * | Out-GridView

# Sorting
# Changes the default sorting order for Get-Process
Get-Process | Sort-Object CPU

# Minimize the data and sort
Get-Process | Select-Object ProcessName, CPU | Sort-Object CPU -Descending

## Caution 
# Mission: Get the top 10 processes by CPU usage (which 10 processes have the most CPU usage)
Get-Process | 
    Select-Object ProcessName, CPU -First 10 | 
    Sort-Object CPU -Descending

# or

Get-Process | 
    Sort-Object CPU -Descending | 
    Select-Object ProcessName, CPU -First 10

# Selecting

#Default

Get-Process

# All Properties

Get-Process | Select-Object -Property * | Out-GridView

# Sorting

# Changes the default sorting order for Get-Process

Get-Process | Sort-Object CPU

# Minimize the data and sort

Get-Process | Select-Object ProcessName, CPU | Sort-Object CPU -Descending

## Caution

# Mission: Get the top 10 processes by CPU usage (which 10 processes have the most CPU usage)

Get-Process |

Select-Object ProcessName, CPU -First 10 |

Sort-Object CPU -Descending

# or

Get-Process |

Sort-Object CPU -Descending |

Select-Object ProcessName, CPU -First 10

PowerShell Hash Tables and Calculated Properties Basics
April 24, 2017 David Hall 2 Comments

This video is a basic overview of how to use hash tables and calculated properties to make PowerShell data more usable.

<#
.SYNOPSIS
    How to use Hash Table and Calculated Properties

.DESCRIPTION
    A basic walk through of how to use Hash Tables and Calculated properties

.PARAMETER <Parameter_Name>
    None

.INPUTS
    None

.OUTPUTS
    None

.NOTES
    Author:         David Hall
    Creation Date:  04/24/2017
      
.EXAMPLE
  None 

.SCRIPT
    - Can contain 1 or multiple items in key / value pairs
        - Label / L / name / n / expression / e

#>
# Example No Hash table or Calculated Properties
Get-WmiObject -Class WIN32_volume -ComputerName localhost -Filter 'drivetype = 3' | 
    Select-Object -Property PScomputerName, 
                            DriveLetter, 
                            Label, 
                            FreeSpace

# Example using a Hash table
Get-WmiObject -Class WIN32_volume -ComputerName localhost -Filter 'drivetype = 3' | 
    Select-Object -Property PScomputerName, 
                            DriveLetter, 
                            Label, 
                            @{
                                LABEL='FreeSpace(GB)';
                                EXPRESSION={($_.freespace/1GB)}
                             }
# Better but not exactly what we're looking for.

Get-WmiObject -Class WIN32_volume -ComputerName localhost -Filter 'drivetype = 3' | 
    Select-Object -Property PScomputerName, 
                            DriveLetter, 
                            Label, 
                            @{
                                LABEL='FreeSpace(GB)';
                                EXPRESSION={'{0:N2}' -f ($_.freespace/1GB)}
                             }

.SYNOPSIS

How to use Hash Table and Calculated Properties

.DESCRIPTION

A basic walk through of how to use Hash Tables and Calculated properties

.PARAMETER <Parameter_Name>

None

.INPUTS

None

.OUTPUTS

None

.NOTES

Author: David Hall

Creation Date: 04/24/2017

.EXAMPLE

None

.SCRIPT

- Can contain 1 or multiple items in key / value pairs

- Label / L / name / n / expression / e

# Example No Hash table or Calculated Properties

Get-WmiObject -Class WIN32_volume -ComputerName localhost -Filter 'drivetype = 3' |

Select-Object -Property PScomputerName,

DriveLetter,

Label,

FreeSpace

# Example using a Hash table

Get-WmiObject -Class WIN32_volume -ComputerName localhost -Filter 'drivetype = 3' |

Select-Object -Property PScomputerName,

DriveLetter,

Label,

LABEL='FreeSpace(GB)';

EXPRESSION={($_.freespace/1GB)}

}

# Better but not exactly what we're looking for.

Get-WmiObject -Class WIN32_volume -ComputerName localhost -Filter 'drivetype = 3' |

Select-Object -Property PScomputerName,

DriveLetter,

Label,

LABEL='FreeSpace(GB)';

EXPRESSION={'{0:N2}' -f ($_.freespace/1GB)}

}

PowerShell QuickTip #1 – Exploring PowerShell CMDlets with Show-Command
April 17, 2017 David Hall Comment

Using Show-Command can be useful for those with little PowerShell experience to get a quick idea of what you can do with a particular CMDlet.

How to view PowerShell Desired State Configuration Manager resource properties
April 9, 2017 David Hall Comment

Since my two previous Desired State Configuration Manager videos, I have gotten more than a few questions asking how to view a specific DSC resources properties. Unlike your typical PowerShell CMDlet, you can’t view properties of a DSC resource using Get-Member. To view DSC resource properties you have to use

PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC) How-To for Beginners (Pull Mode)
February 28, 2017 David Hall Comment

This script will accomplish 3 things; configure a pull server, create a basic configuration to be pulled by a target node, and create a Local Configuration Manager configuration for the target node. Execute the following code on the Pull Server:

# Step 1 Install xPSDesiredStateConfiguration
Install-Module -Name xPSDesiredStateConfiguration

# Step 2
# Create the Pull Server. 

Configuration CreatePullServer {
  param (
    [string[]]$ComputerName = 'localhost'
  )

  Import-DSCResource -ModuleName xPSDesiredStateConfiguration
  Import-DSCResource –ModuleName PSDesiredStateConfiguration

  Node $ComputerName {
    WindowsFeature DSCServiceFeature {
      Ensure = "Present"
      Name  = "DSC-Service"
    }

    xDscWebService PSDSCPullServer {
      Ensure         = "Present"
      UseSecurityBestPractices = 0
      EndpointName      = "PSDSCPullServer"
      Port          = 8080
      PhysicalPath      = "$env:SystemDrive\inetpub\wwwroot\PSDSCPullServer"
      CertificateThumbPrint  = "AllowUnencryptedTraffic"
      ModulePath       = "$env:PROGRAMFILES\WindowsPowerShell\DscService\Modules"
      ConfigurationPath    = "$env:PROGRAMFILES\WindowsPowerShell\DscService\Configuration"
      State          = "Started"
      DependsOn        = "[WindowsFeature]DSCServiceFeature"
    }

  }

}

#Creates the .mof file
CreatePullServer


# Apply the Pull Server configuration to the Pull Server
Start-DscConfiguration .\CreatePullServer -Wait

# Step 1 Install xPSDesiredStateConfiguration

Install-Module -Name xPSDesiredStateConfiguration

# Step 2

# Create the Pull Server.

Configuration CreatePullServer {

param (

[string[]]$ComputerName = 'localhost'

)

Import-DSCResource -ModuleName xPSDesiredStateConfiguration

Import-DSCResource –ModuleName PSDesiredStateConfiguration

Node $ComputerName {

WindowsFeature DSCServiceFeature {

Ensure = "Present"

Name = "DSC-Service"

}

xDscWebService PSDSCPullServer {

Ensure = "Present"

UseSecurityBestPractices = 0

EndpointName = "PSDSCPullServer"

Port = 8080

PhysicalPath = "$env:SystemDrive\inetpub\wwwroot\PSDSCPullServer"

CertificateThumbPrint = "AllowUnencryptedTraffic"

ModulePath = "$env:PROGRAMFILES\WindowsPowerShell\DscService\Modules"

ConfigurationPath = "$env:PROGRAMFILES\WindowsPowerShell\DscService\Configuration"

State = "Started"

DependsOn = "[WindowsFeature]DSCServiceFeature"

}

#Creates the .mof file

CreatePullServer

# Apply the Pull Server configuration to the Pull Server

Start-DscConfiguration .\CreatePullServer -Wait

# Your Configuration
Configuration ExchangeService {

    # Parameters
    # Accepts a string value computername or defaults to localhost
    Param([string[]]$ComputerName = "localhost")

    # Target Node
    Node $ComputerName {

        # Service Resource
        # Ensure a service is started
        Service MSExchangeTransport {
            Name = 'MSExchangeTransport'
            State = 'Running'
        }
    }
}

  # Generate the .MOF files
 ExchangeService -Computername EXCH
 
# Create a Checksum for the file listed above
 New-DscChecksum ".\exchangeservice\exch.mof"

# Your Configuration

Configuration ExchangeService {

# Parameters

# Accepts a string value computername or defaults to localhost

Param([string[]]$ComputerName = "localhost")

# Target Node

Node $ComputerName {

# Service Resource

# Ensure a service is started

Service MSExchangeTransport {

Name = 'MSExchangeTransport'

State = 'Running'

}

# Generate the .MOF files

ExchangeService -Computername EXCH

# Create a Checksum for the file listed above

New-DscChecksum ".\exchangeservice\exch.mof"

Execute this code on the Target Node:

# Run on the target node
Configuration LCMPullConfig 
{ 
    LocalConfigurationManager 
    { 
        ConfigurationID = "EXCH";
        RefreshMode = "PULL";
        DownloadManagerName = "WebDownloadManager";
        RebootNodeIfNeeded = $true;
        RefreshFrequencyMins = 30;
        ConfigurationModeFrequencyMins = 30; 
        ConfigurationMode = "ApplyAndAutoCorrect";
        DownloadManagerCustomData = @{
        ServerUrl = "http://SCCM:8080/PSDSCPullServer/PSDSCPullServer.svc"; 
        AllowUnsecureConnection = “TRUE”}
    } 
} 

# Create the .mof meta file for the target node
LCMPullConfig

# We're essentially turning on Pull Mode on the Target
Set-DSCLocalConfigurationManager -Computer localhost -Path ./LCMPullConfig -Verbose

# Run on the target node

Configuration LCMPullConfig

{

LocalConfigurationManager

{

ConfigurationID = "EXCH";

RefreshMode = "PULL";

DownloadManagerName = "WebDownloadManager";

RebootNodeIfNeeded = $true;

RefreshFrequencyMins = 30;

ConfigurationModeFrequencyMins = 30;

ConfigurationMode = "ApplyAndAutoCorrect";

DownloadManagerCustomData = @{

ServerUrl = "http://SCCM:8080/PSDSCPullServer/PSDSCPullServer.svc";

AllowUnsecureConnection = “TRUE”}

}

# Create the .mof meta file for the target node

LCMPullConfig

# We're essentially turning on Pull Mode on the Target

Set-DSCLocalConfigurationManager -Computer localhost -Path ./LCMPullConfig -Verbose

PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC) How-To for Beginners (Push Model)
January 19, 2017 David Hall 1 Comment

In this video, I cover only a few very basic PowerShell Desired State Configuration Manager (DSC) concepts. 1. The terminology 2. How to create a Local Configuration Manager (LCM) configuration 3. How to push the LCM configuration to the target node 4. How to create a basic DSC configuration to

Group Policy Management Tips
December 22, 2016 David Hall Comment

There is very little PowerShell goodness in this video.

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