Configuration at Scale

We can install features very easily in Windows Server by using Power Shell. The command

Get-WindowsFeature

returns a list of available roles and features.

The command

Install-WindowsFeature

installs the required role or feature and

Uninstall-WindowsFeature 

removes a feature.

However, maintaining a server can be more of a challenge, ensuring it is always in the correct state. Doing so for a fleet of servers is another problem again!

These notes are provided to introduce you to Desired State Configuration (DSC) in Windows Server. Managed Object Format (MOF) is the language used to describe Common Information Model (CIM) classes; we need to compile MOF files for using with DSC.

To do these exercises, you will need access to some Windows VMs.

If you are completing this on Azure Labs, you cannot do the following section, read and understand.

If you are working on campus, or using a home machine with VMWare Workstation, you should be able to complete these exercises.