Microsoft Azure PowerShell: Automate and Manage Azure Services

Learn about Azure PowerShell, a powerful command-line tool designed to help users automate and manage Azure services efficiently. With Azure PowerShell, you can create scripts or use cmdlets for tasks like setting up storage accounts and virtual machines, making it easier to streamline your cloud operations. This guide also covers the steps to install Azure PowerShell.

Microsoft Azure - PowerShell

Azure PowerShell is a framework and command-line tool developed by Azure that allows users to automate and manage Azure services. It uses scripts or cmdlets to perform tasks such as creating and managing storage accounts or virtual machines, streamlining processes with preset commands.

Installing Azure PowerShell

1. Log in to the Azure Management Portal.
2. Click on the ‘Downloads’ section.
3. In the downloads screen, locate ‘Command-Line Tools’ and find ‘Windows Azure PowerShell’. Click ‘Install’ to download the setup and proceed with the installation.

Alternatively, you can download Azure PowerShell from the Azure Downloads page.

Connecting to Your Azure Subscription

After installing Azure PowerShell, you need to connect it to your Azure subscription.

1. Find ‘Microsoft Azure PowerShell’ in your programs list.
2. Pin Azure PowerShell to the taskbar for easy access. You can also run it as ISE (Integrated Scripting Environment) by pinning it to the taskbar in Windows 8 or higher, which allows easy copy-pasting of commands.
3. Right-click on ‘Microsoft Azure PowerShell’ and select ‘Run ISE as Administrator’.

Connecting to Your Azure Account

Using Active Directory

To perform Azure tasks, you must first add your Azure account to PowerShell. This step only needs to be performed once, and Azure PowerShell will connect to your account automatically each time you run it.

1. Open Azure PowerShell and enter the following cmdlet:

Syntax

Add-AzureAccount

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2. A login screen will pop up. Enter your Azure credentials and sign in.
3. Once logged in, you're ready to perform tasks in Azure using Azure PowerShell.

Using Certificate

Alternatively, you can connect to your Azure account using a certificate.

1. In Azure PowerShell, run the following cmdlet to download a publish settings file:

Syntax

Get-AzurePublishSettingsFile

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This command will prompt you to save the file, which will have a .publishsettings extension.

2. Import the publish settings file by running:

Syntax

Import-AzurePublishSettingsFile C:\Users\YourUserName\Downloads\YourPublishSettingsFile.publishsettings

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Replace the file path and name with the correct values for your setup.

3. To verify your account and subscription details, run:

Syntax

Get-AzureAccount
Get-AzureSubscription

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Output

Azure Account and Subscription details displayed.
            

These commands will display details about your connected accounts and subscriptions. You can add multiple accounts to Azure PowerShell.

Removing an Azure Account

To remove an Azure account from PowerShell, use the following cmdlet:

Remove-AzureAccount -Name your-email@example.com

Replace the email with your account ID. You’ll be asked for confirmation before the account is removed.

Getting Help with Azure PowerShell

To view a list of all available commands for Azure tasks, use:

Get-Help Azure

Azure PowerShell provides various cmdlets for managing Azure resources, including web applications, storage accounts, and virtual machines. Many users find PowerShell to be a faster and more efficient alternative to the Azure Management Portal for these tasks.