Desired State Configuration (DSC) is a powerful configuration management platform that makes it easier than ever to perform cross-platform configuration management of your infrastructure, whether on-premise or in the cloud. DSC provides the management platform and Application Programming Interface (API) that can be used with any programming language. Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration Revealed will take you through this new technology from start to finish and demonstrates the DSC interfaces through Windows PowerShell. DSC allows you to manage target devices by simply declaring what state you want them to be in, using new declarative language extensions, rather than writing detailed instructions to get them into that state. This makes continuous delivery in Windows easier than ever before. In an environment where changes and deployments are happening all the time, DSC makes the necessary adjustments to the system so you don’t have to. Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration Revealed starts with an overview of the configuration management features in Windows, followed by a discussion of the architecture of DSC and its components. You’ll then explore DSC’s built-in features and resources, followed by some of the different methods provided for delivering configuration information within your ecosystem, and learn about configuration monitoring and reporting. In the latter part of the book, you’ll find out how to get more power out of DSC by writing your own custom DSC resources, including a range of useful examples, and the book concludes with vital information on deploying and troubleshooting DSC in a production environment, along with some expert tips and tricks you might find useful along the way. Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration Revealed is your one-stop guide to this new technology and how it can change your working life for the better.

This book is written for Windows professionals who are familiar with PowerShell and want to learn to build, operate, and administer their Windows workloads in the Microsoft cloud. Pro PowerShell for Microsoft Azure is packed with practical examples and scripts, with easy-to-follow explanations for a wide range of day-to-day needs and essential administration tasks. Author Sherif Talaat begins by explaining the fundamental concepts behind the Microsoft Azure platform and how to get started configuring it through PowerShell. Readers will find out how to deploy, configure and manage the various components of the Azure platform, from storage and virtual networks to Azure Web Sites, HDInsight clusters and the Azure SQL Database. Workload automation, scheduling and resource management are covered in depth to help build efficiency in everyday tasks, and administrators will gain full control over Azure identity and access rights using Azure Active Directory and Rights Management Services. Put your PowerShell skills to good use and ensure that your applications and data are available anywhere at any time, with Pro PowerShell for Microsoft Azure. What You'll Learn Create and manage virtual networks and VPNs using PowerShell. Configure and maintain Azure Storage accounts, blobs, and containers. Provision and manage a redundant Windows or Linux server. Deploy and configure your sites in the cloud using Microsoft Azure Web Sites. Provision Apache Hadoop clusters in the cloud using Azure HDInsight. Deploy, configure and manage a Microsoft Azure SQL Database. Protect and secure identities and resources with Azure Active Directory and Azure Rights Management Services. Who This Book Is For This is book is for the intermediate to advanced Windows professional who is ready to make the leap to the cloud.

Learn the basics of Microsoft Azure and see how SQL Server on Azure VMs (Infrastructure-as-a-Service) and Azure SQL Databases (Platform-as-a-Service) work. This concise book shows you how to deploy, operate, and maintain your data using any one or a combination of these offerings along with your on-premise environment. Pro SQL Server on Microsoft Azure is a quintessential book for any IT professional who is planning to host their data on Microsoft Azure. This book will not only equip you with the tips, tricks, and tools to manage SQL Server offerings on Azure, but will also help you in deciding between PaaS, IaaS, or hybrid. In the ever-changing world of operations, IT administrators and SQL Server DBAs often find that the biggest challenges occur once they’ve deployed to the cloud. This is precisely why Pro SQL Server on Microsoft Azure was written; it will help you master today’s cloud world. What You'll Learn Understand the Microsoft Azure IaaS architecture Work with Azure Storage and Networking Deploy SQL Server on Azure VMs using best practices Apply effective security principles to SQL Azure Databases Measure and optimize the performance of SQL Server offerings on Azure Implement Business continuity and disaster recovery options with Azure SQL Databases Who This Book Is For This book is for IT admins and SQL Server DBAs who are managing or would be managing SQL Server deployments on Microsoft Azure. v>

Use Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC) to configure your infrastructure on-premises and in the cloud. In an environment where changes and deployments are happening all the time, DSC makes the necessary adjustments to the system so you don’t have to. Pro PowerShell Desired State Configuration shows you how. PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC) is a powerful configuration management platform that makes it easier than ever to perform configuration management of your infrastructure, whether on-premises or in the cloud. With Pro PowerShell Desired State Configuration, Ravikanth Chaganti revises and significantly expands his previous edition, bringing you a complete in-depth reference for applying this evolving technology in your day-to-day work. What’s new in this edition? Get up-to-date, in-depth guidance on DSC in the data center Understand the central role that DSC plays in DevOps today Integrate DSC into build and release management tools Learn to think and act like a developer when automating your configuration management, creating a testable, robust process that you can use again and again Find out why and how DSC has an important role to play in public and private cloud deployments Apply DSC in the cloud with Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud Platform Who This Book Is For IT administrators, developers and DevOps engineers working in Windows-based data center environments. With a little prior PowerShell scripting experience, this book can be used as an in-depth reference to creating, customizing, and extending DSC in Windows. IT administrators with limited scripting experience will also find this book a useful overview of what DSC offers and how to use DSC resources to automate configuration management and deployment.

Fully unleash your scripting powers and capabilities with PowerShell KEY FEATURES ● PowerShell administration fundamentals. ● Advanced scripting and automation. ● Enterprise and cloud administration. DESCRIPTION PowerShell is a powerful scripting language, automation framework and command-line shell developed by Microsoft that is built on the .NET framework. It is an essential tool because it allows system administrators and developers to automate and optimize complex administrative tasks across multiple systems efficiently. PowerShell's deep integration with Windows and other Microsoft products makes it an invaluable tool for administrating, managing and optimizing Windows environments. Designed as a cookbook, this book enables readers to expand and build upon their current PowerShell knowledge and skillset. Topics covered in detail include creating PowerShell unit tests using Pester, managing and administrating Azure and AWS cloud services, remote script execution, Active Directory management, PowerShell desired state configuration and more. Each chapter includes recipes that delves into the topics, accompanied by code examples and walkthroughs. After reading this book, readers would have gained the knowledge and skills that will enable them to build better and more advanced scripts and applications while also understanding key principles of automation and optimization. This will also aid the readers to streamline processes and enhance administrative tasks more efficiently using PowerShell. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN ● Develop advanced PowerShell functions, classes, and scripts with sophisticated flow control. ● Manage errors effectively, including custom error classes, in scripts and background jobs. ● Securely handle remote sessions using PowerShell remoting for enhanced management. ● Utilize Pester for unit testing and mocking dependencies, ensuring script reliability. ● Administer Active Directory objects and cloud services like Azure and AWS, including Microsoft 365 applications. ● Build GUI applications and Windows services from PowerShell scripts with SAPIEN PowerShell studio IDE. WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR This book is intended for developers and system administrators with a novice or intermediate understanding of PowerShell who are looking to advance their skills. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction to Advanced PowerShell Concepts 2. Advanced PowerShell Functions 3. Flow Control and Looping 4. Error Handling 5. Scripting Techniques 6. Remote Script Execution: PowerShell Remote Management 7. Testing with Pester 8. Working with XML and JSON 9. Active Directory Management 10. Managing Azure with PowerShell 11. Managing AWS with PowerShell 12. Microsoft 365 Applications Management 13. Desired State Configuration 14. Managing Windows Components 15. SAPIEN PowerShell Studio IDE

Prepare for Microsoft Exam 70-532--and help demonstrate your real-world mastery of Microsoft Azure solution development. Designed for experienced developers ready to advance their status, Exam Ref focuses on the critical-thinking and decision-making acumen needed for success at the Microsoft Specialist level. Focus on the expertise measured by these objectives: Design and implement Websites Create and manage Virtual Machines Design and implement Cloud Services Design and implement a storage strategy Manage application and network services This Microsoft Exam Ref: Organizes its coverage by exam objectives Features strategic, what-if scenarios to challenge you Will be valuable for Microsoft Azure developers, solution architects, DevOps engineers, and QA engineers Assumes you have experience designing, programming, implementing, automating, and monitoring Microsoft Azure solutions and that you are proficient with tools, techniques, and approaches for building scalable, resilient solutions Developing Microsoft Azure Solutions About the Exam Exam 70-532 focuses on the skills and knowledge needed to develop Microsoft Azure solutions that include websites, virtual machines, cloud services, storage, application services, and network services. About Microsoft Certification Passing this exam earns you a Microsoft Specialist certification in Microsoft Azure, demonstrating your expertise with the Microsoft Azure enterprise-grade cloud platform. You can earn this certification by passing Exam 70-532, Developing Microsoft Azure Solutions; or Exam 70-533, Implementing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions; or Exam 70-534, Architecting Microsoft Azure Solutions. See full details at: microsoft.com/learning

Build a seamless, flexible, full-service datacenter solution Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Hyper-V is the IT administrator's guide to this rising datacenter solution. Hyper-V has already surpassed VMWare in datacenter management, identity service for multiple devices, and more; this book shows you how to harness the power of this hypervisor to simplify the infrastructure, reduce costs, improve productivity, and better manage system resources. From a tour of the technology through architecture, deployment, and integration of System Center, Microsoft Azure, and Microsoft Azure Stack, the discussion illustrates the skills you need to create a complete solution for optimum enterprise management. Coverage includes Windows Azure capabilities for virtual machines, managing a hybrid cloud, IaaS, storage capabilities, PowerShell, and more, with practical real-world guidance from a leading authority in the field. Hyper-V has recently undergone improvements in scalability and features that have positioned it as an ideal solution in the Small/Medium Business and Enterprise markets. This book shows you how to exploit these new capabilities to build a robust data solution for your organization. Discover the capabilities of Microsoft Hyper-V Architect a Hyper-V datacenter solution Plan and manage a deployment or migration Integrate complementary technologies for full scalability Data is everywhere—on desktops, laptops, phones, and multiple operating systems, accessed through email, text messages, web searches, online services, and more. All of this data must be stored, accessible, updated, backed up, secured, managed, sorted, and analyzed—sometimes instantly. Hyper-V is the rising star in the virtualization space, and Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Hyper-V shows you how to turn greater capabilities into better datacenter solutions.

This is the eBook of the printed book and may not include any media, website access codes, or print supplements that may come packaged with the bound book. The Exam Ref is the official study guide for Microsoft certification exams. Featuring concise coverage of the skills measured by the exam, challenging Thought Experiments, and pointers to more in-depth material for the candidate needing additional study, exam candidates get professional-level preparation for the exam. The Exam Ref helps candidates determine their readiness for the exam, and provides Exam Tips to help maximize their performance on the exam. The organization of the material mirrors the skills measured by the exam as presented on the certification exam webpage.

Create interactive cross-platform reports and dashboards using SQL Server 2016 Reporting Services About This Book Get up to speed with the newly-introduced enhancements and the more advanced query and reporting features Easily access your important data by creating visually appealing dashboards in the Power BI practical recipe Create cross-browser and cross-platform reports using SQL Server 2016 Reporting Services Who This Book Is For This book is for software professionals who develop and implement reporting solutions using Microsoft SQL Server. It is especially relevant for professionals who are software engineers, software architects, DW/BI engineers, and DW/BI architects who perform simple to complex report authoring implementations. This book is also suitable for those who develop software solutions that integrate reporting solutions and are keen to learn about Microsoft SQL Server 2016's features and capabilities. What You Will Learn Key capabilities, architecture, and components of Reporting Services New features that have been added to Reporting Services Design the architecture for reporting solutions Design the architecture for BI solutions Implement reporting solutions using Reporting Services Improve the performance, availability, and scalability of the reporting solution Enhance reporting solutions with custom programming and improved security In Detail Microsoft SQL Server 2016 Reporting Services comes with many new features. It offers different types of reporting such as Production, Ad-hoc, Dashboard, Mash-up, and Analytical. SQL Server 2016 also has a surfeit of new features including Mobile Reporting, and Power BI integration. This book contains recipes that explore the new and advanced features added to SQL Server 2016. The first few chapters cover recipes on configuring components and how to explore these new features. You'll learn to build your own reporting solution with data tools and report builder, along with learning techniques to create visually appealing reports. This book also has recipes for enhanced mobile reporting solutions, accessing these solutions effectively, and delivering interactive business intelligence solutions. Towards the end of the book, you'll get to grips with running reporting services in SharePoint integrated mode and be able to administer, monitor, and secure your reporting solution. This book covers about the new offerings of Microsoft SQL Server 2016 Reporting Services in comprehensive detail and uses examples of real-world problem-solving business scenarios. Style and approach This comprehensive cookbook follows a problem-solution approach to help you overcome any obstacle when creating interactive, visually-appealing reports using SQL Server 2016 Reporting Services. Each recipe focuses on a specific task and is written in a clear, solution-focused style.

The definitive study guide for the new CCNA and CCNP certifications CCNA Certification Practice Test: Exam 200-301 is the definitive practice guide for professionals preparing for the new CCNA or CCNP certifications, and for those looking to master the latest technologies in Cisco networking fundamentals. The practice exams, written by 17-year industry professional Jon Buhagiar, explore a broad range of exam objectives essential for passing the certification exam. The CCNA exam provides the certification needed to grow your IT career. Each practice exam in this book is designed to prepare you to pass the CCNA by imparting the skills, knowledge, and practical coursework needed to master all exam topics. This book includes access to six practice tests featuring 1,200 exam questions, as well as two full practice exams. Most importantly, the six practice tests featured in Certification Practice Tests Exam 200-301 cover a variety of topics, including: Security fundamentals Automation and programmability IP services IP connectivity Network success Network fundamentals In addition to a plethora of exam topics and plenty of sample questions to prepare you for the CCNA exam, readers will also have access to online test tools featuring additional practice questions and study tools to assist in reinforcing the knowledge you’ve gained with the book. Learn the foundational knowledge you need to pass the CCNA or CCNP and take your career to the next level by preparing with CCNA Certification Practice Tests.