Automation DSC

In the previous step, we demonstrated using ARM templates to deploy objects in Azure. In this step, we will introduce the concept of a Desired State Configuration.

Azure Automation Desired State Configuration (DSC) is a cloud-based solution for Windows PowerShell DSC. The solution lets you manage, deploy and enforce configurations for physical or virtual machines. Automation DSC uses declarative Windows PowerShell syntax to define your configurations. A centralised pull server retrieves and applies configurations to a set of computers (also known as target nodes).

Use Cases

The following are some example scenarios where you can use built-in DSC resources to configure and manage a set of target nodes in an automated way:

• Enabling or disabling server roles and features.
• Managing files and directories.
• Starting, stopping and managing processes and services.
• Deploying new software or software updates.
• Fixing a configuration that has drifted away from the desired state.

Note: If you are not familiar with DSC, take some time to read Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration Overview

How Automation DSC Works

1. Create a PowerShell script with the configuration element.
2. Upload the script to Azure Automation and compile the script into a Managed Object Format (MOF) file. The file is transferred to the DSC pull server.
3. Define the nodes that will use the configuration.