Automating AD Administration with Windows PowerShell

Automating AD Administration with Windows PowerShellDon Jones@concentrateddon

What We’ll Cover

• Key Active Directory Management Tasks• Core PowerShell Patterns and Practices• Use these same patterns with almost any command from

almost any technology• Pipeline Parameter Binding• Parenthetical Expressions• Property Value Expansion

A Quick Note

• This session will primarily use demonstrations• I will capture a transcript of my shell activity• Will be available from ConcentratedTech.com (“Downloads”)

by next week

3

Ways to Manage Active Directory

• Microsoft ActiveDirectory Module• Supplied with Windows Server 2008 R2• Available in RSAT for Windows 7• Cannot run on other versions of Windows• Talks to 2008R2 domains natively• 2003-2008 domain controllers require free Management Gateway

RTW• Quest Active Directory Snap-In

• Talks to 2000+ domain controllers natively• Also talks to ADAM/ADLDS• Runs on any version of Windows• Better support for schema extensions• Essentially the same use patterns• Free!

Download Locations

• Windows 7 RSAT: http://bit.ly/auHwcO• AD Management Gateway: http://bit.ly/eZNYr0• Quest AD cmdlets: http://bit.ly/1EAVF0

The AD: Drive

• Provides a persisted security context• Mapped to your logon domain• Switch to this drive and run New-PSDrive to map additional

domains• MS AD cmdlets “inherit” the credentials of the current drive• Can also use the –credential parameter to provide a credential• Map drives in your profile to have them always available

Let the Demos Begin

• Enough slides… on to the product!• Please raise questions as we go!

DEMOPipeline Parameter BindingCreating New AD UsersPipelining and –passThru(Re)Setting Passwords

DEMOCreating a profile scriptGetting computer names: Three WaysExploring the MS AD CmdletsExploring the Quest AD CmdletsQuerying Properties of AD Objects

Final Chance for Q&A

• Additional Resources:• http://ConcentratedTech.com• http://manning.com/jones• @concentrateddon• http://www.youtube.com/

concentrateddon• See me for add’l resources• Recorded PowerShell workshops• Demo videos• Etc.

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