PowerShell

PowerShell is based upon the .NET framework, giving users direct access to the CLR. That foundation allows Windows sysadmins to create scripts that modify existing ActiveX and WMI objects, tasks previously accomplished with VBScript, or manage the file system, Active Directory, Exchange Server and other common tasks. As a result of the heavy optimization for Windows-centic administrative scripting, however, PowerShell is not as useful for manipulating non-Microsoft technologies.

PowerShell was specifically designed by Microsoft to automate system tasks, such as batch processing, and create systems management tools for commonly implemented processes, using a powerful language similar to Perl. PowerShell replaces functions that formerly required users to create scripts in VB, VBScript or C# with more than 130 standard command line tools, instituting a consistent syntax and including several utilities.

PowerShell was designed to be a highly extensible environment, allowing programmers to create not just scripts but several other classes or assemblies, including:

• Cmdlets (very small .NET classes that appear as system commands)
• Providers (sets of .NET classes which expose data as "drives" with which users can interact, like file system drives)
• Snap-ins (assemblies which contain cmdlets and may be loaded during startup, according to registry settings)

Watch a video of Jason Fossen of the SANS Institute introducing his Powershell course, including an excellent basic introduction.

PowerShell is available as a free download that runs on Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Vista. Support for PowerShell is built into Windows Server 2008, where it is included as an optionally installed feature.

Getting started with PowerShell

To explore how the PowerShell is used in the enterprise, here is an additional resource:

Learning Center: Windows PowerShell for beginners: Ready to get started with Windows PowerShell? This collection of screencasts, book excerpts and tutorials lays the groundwork for anyone that wants to get the most out of Microsoft's scripting language.

Read more about PowerShell: - You can download PowerShell V 1.0 here, though you will need to install the .NET Framework first. - You can find the PowerShell home page at Microsoft here. - For more information, see Windows scripting tutorials for system administrators. - The official PowerShell blog can be found at MSDN.com. - WindowsDevCenter.com features "Top 10 Tips for using PowerShell."

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