This book was written as a reference for system administrators. You can read the book cover to cover, and we’ve tried to arrange the chapters in a logical progression, but, in the end, it works best as a reference, where you can explore a topic more deeply in the chapter that is devoted to a particular subject. Chapter 1 will tell you more about what you will learn in the book, and what you need to know before you start.

The 40 chapters in the book are arranged into four parts, as follows:

• Part 1 “Fundamentals” includes chapters 1 through 9 which cover the basics associated with using PowerShell. Although we didn’t write this book as a tutorial, there are a few basics you’ll need to explore before you can use PowerShell effectively: the pipeline, the concept of PowerShell hosts, the shell’s help system, and so forth. We’ll dive deeper into some of these topics than a tutorial normally would, so even if you’re already familiar with these foundational concepts, it’s worth a quick read-through of these chapters.
• Part 2 “PowerShell management” covers topics such as remote control, background jobs, regular expressions, and HTML and XML. These are just a few of the core technologies accessible within PowerShell that make server and client management easier, more scalable, and more effective. Chapters 10 through 18 tackle these technologies individually, and we dive as deeply as we can into them, so that you can master their intricacies and subtleties.
• Part 3 “PowerShell Scripting and Automation” includes chapters 19 through 33 which have a single goal: repeatability. Using PowerShell’s scripting language, along with associated technologies like workflow, you can begin to create reusable tools that automate key tasks and processes in your environment.
• Part 4 “Advanced PowerShell” consists of chapters 34 through 40. One of PowerShell’s greatest strengths is its ability to connect to other technologies, such as WMI, CIM, COM, .NET, and a host of other acronyms. The chapters in part 4 look at each of these and demonstrate how PowerShell can utilize them. We give you a starting place for doing this, and then we provide you with some direction for further independent exploration.

Code conventions and downloads

All source code in listings or in text is in a fixed-width font like this to separate it from ordinary text. Code annotations accompany many of the listings, highlighting important concepts. In some cases, numbered bullets link to explanations that follow the listing.

The code samples are based on PowerShell 3.0. We intended the samples to be instructive, but we did not design them for production use. They may not always be the “best” PowerShell—our code examples were designed to reinforce concepts and make points.

We have tried to fit code samples into the confines of a printed page, which means that sometimes we have had to bend some rules. You are welcome to try the code snippets on your computer, but remember that the book is not intended as a tutorial. Longer code samples are displayed as code listings; we don’t expect you to type these. If you want to try them, the files can be downloaded from the book’s page on the publisher’s website at www.manning.com/PowerShellinDepth.

We, along with our technical reviewer, have strived to test and retest everything. But sometimes errors will still sneak through. We encourage you to use the Author Online forum for this book at www.manning.com/PowerShellinDepth to post any corrections, as well as your comments or questions on the book’s content.

Author Online

Purchase of PowerShell in Depth includes free access to a private web forum run by Manning Publications, where you can make comments about the book, ask technical questions, and receive help from the authors and from other users. To access the forum and subscribe to it, point your web browser to www.manning.com/PowerShellinDepth. This page provides information on how to get on the forum once you are registered, what kind of help is available, and the rules of conduct on the forum.

Manning’s commitment to our readers is to provide a venue where a meaningful dialogue between individual readers and between readers and the authors can take place. It is not a commitment to any specific amount of participation on the part of the authors, whose contribution to the book’s forum remains voluntary (and unpaid). We suggest you try asking the authors some challenging questions, lest their interest stray!

The Author Online forum and the archives of previous discussions will be accessible from the publisher’s website as long as the book is in print.