PowerShell Automation and Scripting

PowerShell has become the most versatile scripting language for automating administrative tasks and managing modern IT environments. PowerShell automation allows repetitive tasks to be automated, reduces errors, and as environments grow bigger and more complex, it becomes the key to keeping control and staying efficient.

This book focuses on how PowerShell really behaves and why scripts sometimes fail in unexpected ways. To understand the nature, the book covers PowerShell scripting fundamentals like objects, the pipeline, variables, and loops before exploring Active Directory and Entra ID management. The readers will learn to automate Azure VMs using PowerShell Desired State Configuration, schedule tasks with Azure Automation Hybrid Workers, and implement remote management via JEA. The advanced modules further focus on .NET libraries, Pester unit testing, debugging, and error handling to ensure your scripts are professional and maintainable.

By the end of the book, the readers will feel confident using PowerShell in daily tasks. Scripts will be easier to understand, safer to run, and easier to maintain. Automation will become reliable instead of risky, and repetitive work can finally be reduced. PowerShell will not only be used, but it will also be understood and appreciated.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
● PowerShell objects and pipeline processing.
● Configure VS Code for PowerShell scripting.
● Automate Active Directory and Entra ID.
● Write clean, reusable, predictable, and reliable PowerShell scripts.
● Build reliable automation using Pester and error handling.
● Optimize VS Code with GitHub Copilot and extensions.

WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR
This book is ideal for system administrators, cloud engineers, IT professionals, automation specialists, and consultants who want to master PowerShell, streamline daily tasks, manage systems efficiently, reduce errors, and build practical, reliable automation solutions across IT and cloud environments.

1. Getting Started with PowerShell
2. Enhancing Scripting with Visual Studio Code
3. Understanding Cmdlets and Modules
4. Variables, Operators, and Loops
5. Working with PowerShell Objects and Functions
6. Managing Files and Directories
7. Managing Active Directory with PowerShell
8. Managing Entra ID with PowerShell
9. Connecting to SQL Server
10. Scheduling Tasks and Workflows
11. PowerShell and Azure for VM Automation
12. Working with APIs and Web Services
13. Using .NET Libraries in PowerShell
14. Remote Management and Security with PowerShell
15. AI-powered PowerShell
16. Advanced Debugging and Error Handling
17. Testing PowerShell Scripts with Pester
18. Real-world Automation Examples

● Ahmed Uzejnovic is an IT automation and infrastructure specialist with more than 10 years of experience in the IT industry, including several years in consultancy. Based in Salzburg, Austria, he works with complex IT and infrastructure environments and turns them into simple, stable, and scalable automation solutions. His main areas of expertise include PowerShell scripting, IT infrastructure automation, Azure Automation, Microsoft Graph API, and Active Directory management.

He is passionate about sharing knowledge and helping others use automation to reduce manual work, save time, and lower costs. Ahmed regularly speaks at industry events, where he enjoys exchanging ideas with other professionals and discussing new trends in automation, scripting, and infrastructure management.

Outside of work, Ahmed enjoys ultra cycling and working with electronics. He believes that good automation follows the same principles as good engineering, which includes a clear structure, reliable components, and solutions that last. This book reflects his goal of helping IT professionals gain confidence with PowerShell and enjoy automation in their daily work.

● Michael Seidl is an Austrian IT process automation expert, consultant, and community speaker. Working in IT since 2000, he focuses on turning recurring operational work into reliable, repeatable automation. In 2015, he founded au2mator, a self-service portal that helps organizations delegate and scale Microsoft automation by triggering workflows from PowerShell, Azure Automation, and System Center Orchestrator.

Michael has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP (cloud and datacenter) for over a decade and is known for practical, no-fluff guidance on automation, service management, and the Microsoft ecosystem—including PowerShell and Microsoft Graph API. He shares what works in the real-world through conference sessions, published scripts and examples, and his long-running blog (founded in 2011). He also hosts a podcast, delivering short, high-impact episodes on productivity, execution, and staying effective in modern IT.