Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration Fundamentals


Overview/Description
Target Audience
Prerequisites
Expected Duration
Lesson Objectives
Course Number
Expertise Level



Overview/Description
Windows PowerShell 4.0 Desired State Configuration (DSC) can be used to significantly improve the way an organization defines, reports on and manages server and workstation configuration states. In this course, you will learn about what DSC is, how it works, different approaches to implementing it, and how to consistently configure and maintain individual workstation nodes as well as entire server farms, all the way from Development to Test to Production.

Target Audience
Server and workstations administrators tasked with configuring and maintaining their state in a more consistent, scalable manner.

Prerequisites
None

Expected Duration (hours)
3.3

Lesson Objectives

Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration Fundamentals

  • start the course
  • provide an overview of DSC, its history, and the problems it aims to solve
  • configure and maintain system state in the GUI or via PowerShell, without using DSC, and recognize the problems it entails with regard to maintaining configuration state over time
  • recognize the operating system versions and PowerShell versions required for DSC, as well as some additional useful resources
  • configure servers and workstations using the core DSC MOF file
  • create a MOF file using DSC
  • describe the default resources available with DSC
  • describe how to use some of the out-of-the-box DSC resources
  • define the concept of dependencies between DSC resources and how to manage these
  • define the concept of DSC resource dependencies across machines in an environment
  • add log entries to the DSC logs
  • find, retrieve, and make use of new DSC Resources
  • describe what the Local Configuration Manager is and how it works in DSC
  • configure the DSC Local Configuration Manager using Push mode
  • query the status of a particular machine in an DSC environment
  • define the Pull and Push configuration modes in DSC
  • configure the DSC Local Configuration Manager using Pull mode
  • create an SMB-based DSC Pull server
  • create an HTTP-based DSC Pull server
  • configure clients to connect to a DSC Pull server
  • secure an HTTP DSC Pull server to introduce HTTPS security
  • deploy new DSC Resources to clients nodes when using an SMB-based Pull server
  • deploy new DSC Resources to clients nodes when using an HTTP-based Pull server
  • create an HTTP Compliance server to report on node status
  • improve DSC configurations using parameters
  • configure multiple server node and role types via DSC
  • configure similar sets of servers for replicated environments such as Development, Test, and Production via DSC
  • work with and appropriately secure credentials when using DSC
  • use DSC to configure an HTTPS Pull and Compliance Server, connect 2 nodes, update their configuration, and query their status
  • Course Number:
    mw_pscf_a01_it_enus

    Expertise Level
    Beginner