Windows PowerShell 2 For Dummies

Prepare for the future of Microsoft automation with this no-nonsense guide

Windows PowerShell 2 is the scripting language that enables automation within the Windows operating system. Packed with powerful new features, this latest version is complex, and Windows PowerShell 2 For Dummies is the perfect guide to help system administrators get up to speed.

Written by a Microsoft MVP with direct access to the program managers and developers, this book covers every new feature of Windows PowerShell 2 in a friendly, easy-to-follow format.
* Windows PowerShell 2 is the updated scripting language that enables system administrators to automate Windows operating systems
* System administrators with limited scripting experience will find this book helps them learn the fundamentals of Windows PowerShell 2 quickly and easily
* Translates the jargon and complex syntax of Windows PowerShell 2
* Covers script debugging improvements, the ability to invoke commands remotely, and the new user interface
* Uses real-world applications to clarify the theory, fundamentals, and techniques of the scripting language
* Written by a Microsoft MVP with direct access to the developers of Windows PowerShell 2

Windows PowerShell 2 For Dummies makes this tool easily accessible to administrators of every experience level.

Windows PowerShell 2 For Dummies breaks down the jargon and complex syntax of Windows PowerShell to make it truly accessible for users of all skill levels. Although focused on beginners, the book incorporates many real-world elements to demonstrat how Windows PowerShell 2 can be leveraged to make administrative tasks much easier. This book covers all the new advanced features introduced with PowerShell 2, including the script debugging improvements, the ability to invoke commands remotely, and the new user interface. Windows PowerShell 2 For Dummies does not focus just on the scripting language. It also gives substance to the theory, fundamentals, and techniques of the scripting language through practical applications that give context to these techniques and make for a much more solid and fun learning experience. As a Microsoft MVP, the author has direct access to the program managers and developers for Windows PowerShell 2, so he can be current with new developments introduced into this technology. Windows PowerShell 2 For Dummies is written in the friendly, humorous, and easy-to-understand style that is hallmark of the For Dummies brand.

Introduction. Part I: Get ting a Birds-Eye View of PowerShell 2. Chapter 1: The Windows PowerShell Rap Sheet. Chapter 2: Customizing and Shortcutting the Environment. Chapter 3: A Pinch of Shell, a Pound of Power. Part II: PowerShells Basic Structure and Syntax. Chapter 4: Shelling Out Commands and Scripts. Chapter 5: When Dollars Turn into Variables. Chapter 6: A Bit of Logic to Save the Day. Chapter 7: Working on a Pipeline. Part III: Complex Data Description and Sharing. Chapter 8: Working with Windows Management Instrumentation. Chapter 9: Bringing Strings into the Limelight. Chapter 10: Ill Take Numbers for $100, Please. Chapter 11: Grouping Data Using Arrays and Hash Tables. Chapter 12: Readin and Writin Files. Chapter 13: Going On a Date with PowerShell. Part IV: Controlling Where and How You Operate PowerShell. Chapter 14: Using Functions to Divide and Conquer. Chapter 15: PowerShell Ninjas: Running Jobs Remotely or in the Background. Chapter 16: Making Your Script Speak Different Languages. Chapter 17: Smashing Those Bugs. Part V: Real-World Windows Administration Using PowerShell. Chapter 18: Mission Control: All Systems Go. Chapter 19: Taming the Windows Registry. Chapter 20: Reaching Out to Active Directory. Chapter 21: PowerShell Lockdown. Chapter 22: Converting Your Old Scripts: Out with the Old, In with the New. Part VI: Configuring and Reporting Via PowerShell. Chapter 23: Controlling Your Network Confi guration. Chapter 24: Managing Your Hardware. Chapter 25: Making Reporting Easy. Part VII: The Par t of Tens. Chapter 26: The Ten Most Important Cmdlets. Chapter 27: Ten Common PowerShell Mistakes. Bonus Chapter 1: Handling Exceptions. Index.