Comunidade do SQL Server

Powershell is a command line interface for Windows that offers a very powerful and flexible model.
It is now a feature included with Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, not an optional download as before.
In this post, I show some sample commands that can help you understand some of the basic features and a few more complex ones. 
If you never played with it before, try running some commands in a PowerShell prompt.

Let's use the Dir command now (actually an alias for Get-ChildItem) and a number of ways to transform the output using pipeline functions:

Now exploring other “drives” in PowerShell, including the certificate store and the registry.

Another easy way to get interesting data is with Get-Process.

Combining PowerShell with WMI is also very interesting. You can leverage any WMI provider on the box using Get-WmiObject.
You can get a list of WMI Classes from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa394554(VS.85).aspx

PowerShell also lets you call the .NET Framework, which is a huge library.
You need to use a syntax where the full class name (library.class) is mentioned in [], followed by a :: and the method name.

You can find a reference for it at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms229335.aspx

It’s also interesting to iterate through the list of resulting objects, to perform additional actions.
You use the foreach construct, which allows you to run something for each item. The item is referred to as $_.

A similar syntax is used for Where (actually an alias for Where-Object), which can be used to filter objects in the pipeline.

Now let's focus on the DFS-Namespaces service, which is something I’m working on (these will only work if the box is a Windows Server file server with the DFS-N role service installed):

I hope that has helped you see how interesting PowerShell can be. Here are a few links for additional information and tutorials:

• Windows Powershell Owner's Manual: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/topics/winpsh/manual/default.mspx 
• Powershell ScriptCenter: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/scriptcenter/dd742419.aspx 
• Powershell on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_PowerShell
• Some free video tutorials: http://www.idera.com/Promo/Practical-PowerShell
• Official Powershell team blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/powershell
• Powershell Guy blog: http://thepowershellguy.com/blogs/posh

I admire people who have overcome difficulties to achieve. I find so few people today that can stand any adversity - people whine and complain at the slightest inconvenience. In the past character seemed to matter more, and Helen Keller was one such person of character. She said: 

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved."  - Helen Keller

Earlier today in my, “Connect with your peers in the Yellow Lounge at Worldwide Partner Conference,” post, I mentioned how one of the greatest values Partners tell us they get from conferences such as #wpc09 is the peer to peer and Partner to Microsoft connections they make while at the conference. To help foster this and make it even easier for you to make these invaluable connections, we have WPC Connect available to all attendees, and here is a quick overview (click images for full size) on how you can make connections right now using WPC Connect:

Log on to Digital WPC and click on “Connect” (you will be prompted to sign in with your Windows Live ID if you haven’t yet).
Click on WPC Connect & then Click on My Opt-In Status
Select Yes & Click on Save

Click on WPC Connect Click on My Profile
Review and Update your profile information to enable others to connect with you Click Update

That’s it!  You are read to start scheduling sessions!

Don’t hesitate any longer. Get out to the Digital WPC site today and opt in to WPC Connect so that you can start setting up your connections for next week’s #WPC09!  I look forward to seeing you there.

Also, be sure to catch up on some of the pre-WPC networking taking place already by joining WPC09 on Facebook or following #WPC09 on Twitter or on LinkedIn.

Thank you and have a wonderful day,

Eric Ligman – Follow me on
Global Partner Experience Lead
Microsoft Worldwide Partner Group
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights