PowerShell Desired State Configuration Essential Training

Learn the essentials of PowerShell DSC: creating DSC configurations, working with DSC resources, and applying DSC configurations to systems via both push and pull modes.

Introduction

• Welcome
• What you should know before watching this course
• Using the exercise files

1. DSC Overview

• Why we need DSC
• DSC architecture
• Configurations and resources for DSC
• DSC requirements

2. DSC Resources

• Built-in resources
• Custom resources
• Finding and using DSC resources

3. DSC Configurations

• Creating a DSC configuration
• Parameterized configurations
• Ordering with DependsOn
• Staging configuration data
• Cross-computer synchronization

4. Push Configurations

• Using Start-DscConfiguration
• Testing DSC configurations
• Restoring DSC configurations

5. Build a Pull Server

• Understanding the pull server role
• Configuring an SMB pull server
• Configuring an HTTP/HTTPS pull server

6. Pull Configurations

• Understanding the Local Configuration Manager (LCM)
• Configuring the LCM for pull-based deployment
• Automatically downloading resources

7. Cross-Platform DSC

• Understanding cross-platform DSC
• Basics of DSC for Linux
• Initial setup of DSC for Linux
• Configuring Linux with DSC

8. DSC Diagnostics and Troubleshooting

• Logging errors
• Working with event logs
• Using the xDscDiagnostics module

Conclusion

• Next steps