Windows Server Windows Server

2012 R2

2012 R2 – Windows
PowerShell Desired
State Configuration Hands-on lab

In this lab, you will explore the use of Windows PowerShell

Desired State Configuration (DCS). Windows PowerShell
Desired State Configuration is a new set of Windows
PowerShell extensions that allow you to define a statement-
based configuration without having to worry about the
specific implementation details of that configuration. In this
lab, you will explore some basic DSC configurations, and then
implement a more complex configuration to satisfy the
prerequisites for SharePoint 2013 Foundation.

Produced by HynesITe, Inc.

Version 1.3
11/13/2013
This document supports a preliminary release of a software product that may be changed substantially prior to final commercial
release. This document is provided for informational purposes only and Microsoft makes no warranties, either express or implied, in
this document. Information in this document, including URL and other Internet Web site references, is subject to change without
notice. The entire risk of the use or the results from the use of this document remains with the user. Unless otherwise noted, the
companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places, and events depicted in examples herein
are fictitious. No association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, place, or
event is intended or should be inferred. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without
limiting the rights under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without
the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation.

Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter
in this document. Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document
does not give you any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property.

Copyright 2013 © Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Microsoft Hyper-V, Internet Explorer, Windows, Windows PowerShell, and Windows Server 2012 are trademarks of the Microsoft
group of companies.

All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Windows Server 2012 R2 – Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration

Introduction
Objectives
After completing this lab, you will be able to:

 Explore new features in Management.

 Explore the features of Desired State Configuration in Windows PowerShell.

Prerequisites
Before working on this lab, you must have:

 An understanding of networking concepts.

 Familiarity with Windows PowerShell.

Overview of the lab

In this lab, you will explore the use of Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DCS). Windows
PowerShell Desired State Configuration is a new set of Windows PowerShell extensions that allow you to
define a statement-based configuration without having to worry about the specific implementation details
of that configuration. In this lab, you will explore some basic DSC configurations, and then implement a
more complex configuration to satisfy the prerequisites for SharePoint 2013 Foundation.

Virtual machine technology

This lab is completed using virtual machines that run on Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V technology. To
log on to the virtual machines, press CTRL+ALT+END and enter your logon credentials.

Computers in this lab

This lab uses computers as described in the following table. Before you begin the lab, you must ensure
that the virtual machines are started and then log on to the computers.

Computer Role Configuration

DC Domain controller Domain controller
Server1 Sample server that is managed Virtualized Hyper-V server
Admin Administration client Windows 8.1 with RSAT.
All user accounts in this lab use the password Passw0rd!

Note regarding pre-release software

Portions of this lab include software that is not yet released, and as such may still contain active or known
issues. While every effort has been made to ensure this lab functions as written, unknown or unanticipated
results may be encountered as a result of using pre-release software.

Note regarding user account control

Some steps in this lab may be subject to user account control. User account control is a technology which
provides additional security to computers by requesting that users confirm actions that require
administrative rights. Tasks that generate a user account control confirmation are denoted using a shield

Lab created by HynesITe, Inc. For questions or comments, send an email message to [email protected] Page | 3
Windows Server 2012 R2 – Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration

icon. If you encounter a shield icon, confirm your action by selecting the appropriate button in the dialog
box that is presented.

Note on activation
The virtual machines for these labs may have been built by using software that has not been activated.
This is by design in the lab to prevent the redistribution of activated software. The unactivated state of
software has been taken into account in the design of the lab. Consequently, the lab is in no way affected
by this state. For operating systems other than Windows 8.1, click Cancel or Close if prompted by an
activation dialog box. If you are prompted by an Activate screen for Windows 8.1, press the Windows key
to display the Start screen.

Lab created by HynesITe, Inc. For questions or comments, send an email message to [email protected] Page | 4
Windows Server 2012 R2 – Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration

Exercise 1: Exploring Windows PowerShell Desired State

Configuration
In this exercise, you will explore some of the new enhancements in management for Windows Server 2012
R2. You will then explore a key new feature called Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DCS).
This feature allows you provide standardization of services across server farms and server deployments for
specific roles within your organization. DCS makes use of different types of resources to extend the type
of server functionality validation.

Reviewing Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration components

In this task, you will review the different types of resources used by Windows PowerShell Desired State
Configuration. The resources to use are presented as providers.

Begin this task logged on to Server1 as Contoso\Administrator using the password Passw0rd!

1. Using File Explorer, navigate to

C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\Modules\PSDesiredStateConfiguration\P

SProviders.
The resources available are:

Resource Purpose
Archive Unpack archive files (.zip) at a path
Registry Manage registry keys and values
Script Ability to run Windows PowerShell script blocks
Package Install and manage MSI packages
Environment Manage system environment variables
Group Manage local groups
User Manage local user accounts
Service Manage services
File Manage files and folders
Log Write messages to the Microsoft-Windows-Desired State Configuration
even log
Process Configure processes
Role Add or remove Windows Roles and Features

Implementing basic DCS

In this task, you will use create a DCS script to deploy fully functional websites to an unconfigured
Windows Server 2012 R2 server. You will also learn how DCS can be used to mitigate configuration drift.

Lab created by HynesITe, Inc. For questions or comments, send an email message to [email protected] Page | 5
Windows Server 2012 R2 – Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration

Begin this task logged on to Admin as Contoso\Administrator using the password Passw0rd!

1. On the taskbar, right-click the Windows PowerShell icon, and then click Windows PowerShell

ISE.
2. On the File menu, click New Remote PowerShell Tab.

3. In the New Remote PowerShell Tab window, in computer, type Server1, and then in the User

name, type Administrator, and then click Connect.

4. Enter the password Passw0rd! when prompted, and then click OK.
5. On the View menu, click Show Script Pane.

6. In the Windows PowerShell ISE Script Pane, type the following commands, pressing ENTER after

each one.
The code for this script file can also be found in c:\LabFiles\DSC-Scripts.ps1. Instead of typing you can
optionally copy the relevant code sections from that file.

You will be creating a script to add IIS and ASP.NET 4.5 to Server1.

↪ Configuration IISWebsite
↪ {
↪ Node Server1
↪ {
↪ WindowsFeature IIS
↪ {
↪ Ensure = “Present”
↪ Name = “Web-Server”
↪ }
↪ WindowsFeature ASP
↪ {
↪ Ensure = “Present”
↪ Name = “Web-Asp-Net45”
↪ }
↪ }
↪ }
↪ IISWebSite

7. Save the script in C:\Labfiles\ as DSC-Server1-IIS.ps1.

8. Press F5 to run the file.

This basic state configuration file describes the desire to have a basic web server with ASP.NET 4.5

installed.

Lab created by HynesITe, Inc. For questions or comments, send an email message to [email protected] Page | 6
Windows Server 2012 R2 – Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration

The output of this configuration statement is a MOF file for the server Server1, in a folder named

IISWebSite. The folder represents the configuration set, and the MOF file a specific NODE (Server) in that
configuration set.

9. In Windows PowerShell ISE, type the following commands, pressing ENTER after each one.
This will verify that the web server and ASP.NET are not installed, apply the desired state which will

install the web server and ASP.NET, and then verify the results.

↪ Get-WindowsFeature –ComputerName Server1 –Name Web-ASP*

↪ Start-DSCConfiguration –ComputerName Server1 –Path IISWebSite –Wait
–Verbose
↪ Get-WindowsFeature –ComputerName Server1 –Name Web-ASP*

WEB-ASP-NET45 is now installed.

10. In Windows PowerShell ISE, type the following command, and then press ENTER.

↪ Get-Service –Name W3SVC –ComputerName Server1

This will verify that the web server and website are now running,

Implementing more detailed DCS

In this task, you will expand the Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration setup to include the
configuration of a website, in addition to the basic installation requirement deployed in the previous
tasks.

Begin this task logged on to Admin as Contoso\Administrator using the password Passw0rd!

1. On the taskbar, right-click Windows PowerShell, and then click Windows PowerShell ISE.

2. On the File menu, open a New Remote PowerShell Tab, and then connect to Server1.
3. In Windows PowerShell ISE, navigate to C:\LabFIles\Server1, and then open

DSC-Server1-IIS.ps1.
This is the file you created in the previous tasks

4. In the Windows PowerShell ISE Script Pane, review the script.

↪ Configuration IISWebsite
↪ {
↪ Node Server1
↪ {
↪ WindowsFeature IIS
↪ {
↪ Ensure = “Present”
↪ Name = “Web-Server”
↪ }

Lab created by HynesITe, Inc. For questions or comments, send an email message to [email protected] Page | 7
Windows Server 2012 R2 – Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration

↪ WindowsFeature ASP
↪ {
↪ Ensure = “Present”
↪ Name = “Web-Asp-Net45”
↪ }
↪ }
↪ }
↪ IISWebSite

5. Add the following commands on line 15 after the closing brace in the ASP WindowsFeature

section.
This script is a file block. It will copy the BakeryWebsite content from a source directory to the standard
IIS folder path.

The code for this script file can also be found in c:\LabFiles\DSC-Scripts.ps1. Instead of typing, you can

copy the relevant code sections from that file.

↪ File WebContent
↪ {
↪ Ensure = “Present”
↪ Type = “Directory”
↪ SourcePath = “C:\labfiles\Source\BakeryWebsite”
↪ DestinationPath = “C:\inetpub\WWWRoot\”
↪ Recurse = $true
↪ }

6. The completed script:

↪ Configuration IISWebsite
↪ {
↪ Node Server1
↪ {
↪ WindowsFeature IIS
↪ {
↪ Ensure = “Present”
↪ Name = “Web-Server”
↪ }
↪ WindowsFeature ASP
↪ {
↪ Ensure = “Present”
↪ Name = “Web-Asp-Net45”
↪ }
↪ File WebContent

Lab created by HynesITe, Inc. For questions or comments, send an email message to [email protected] Page | 8
Windows Server 2012 R2 – Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration

↪ {
↪ Ensure = “Present”
↪ Type = “Directory”
↪ SourcePath = “C:\labfiles\Source\BakeryWebsite”
↪ DestinationPath = “C:\inetpub\WWWRoot\”
↪ Recurse = $true
↪ }
↪ }
↪ }
↪ IISWebSite

7. Press F5 to run the file.

This configuration set, in addition to ensuring the role for web server is present, will configure the initial
website by copying the files from a distribution source. It will produce an updated MOF file.

8. Using Internet Explorer, navigate to http://server1.

The default home page will be displayed.

9. In Windows PowerShell ISE, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

↪ Start-DSCConfiguration –ComputerName Server1 –Path IISWebSite –Wait

–Verbose

10. In Internet Explorer, refresh the website Server1.

The updated website content is displayed.

Implement repeatable configuration and change control

In this task, you will use DCS to recover from a change to a website which results in the website being
down.

Begin this task logged on to Admin as Contoso\Administrator using the password Passw0rd!

1. In Windows PowerShell ISE, type the following command, and then press ENTER.

↪ REMOVE-ITEM \\Server1\c$\inetpub\wwwroot\images -Force

2. Click Yes.
3. Navigate to http://server1.
Note that all images are missing.

4. In Windows PowerShell ISE, type the following command, and then press ENTER.

↪ Start-DSCConfiguration –ComputerName Server1 –Path IISWebSite –Wait

–Verbose

5. In Internet Explorer, refresh the website Server1.

Lab created by HynesITe, Inc. For questions or comments, send an email message to [email protected] Page | 9
Windows Server 2012 R2 – Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration

The corrected content is displayed.

6. If you are going to be performing the next (optional) exercise, leave the Windows PowerShell ISE

console open.

Lab created by HynesITe, Inc. For questions or comments, send an email message to [email protected] Page | 10
Windows Server 2012 R2 – Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration

(Optional) Exercise 2: Using Windows PowerShell Desired

State Configuration for SharePoint
In this exercise, you will implement a pre-created configuration script to prepare a server to receive a
SharePoint 2013 installation. This exercise is an example of how DCS scripts can be created and
distributed to simplify the process of server installation.

The prerequisites for SharePoint foundation are extensive and take quite a bit of time to apply. Only

complete this exercise if you are prepared to wait up to 15 minutes. This is due to extensive installation
and the need to download some components from the Internet.

Implement repeatable configuration and change control

In this task, you will use DCS to recover from the removal of a key item in the registry needed for local
access to the SharePoint site that will be deployed.

Begin this task logged on to Admin as Contoso\Administrator using the password Passw0rd!

1. In the Windows PowerShell ISE console you left open from the previous exercise, open the file
C:\LabFIles\DSC-SharePoint.ps1.
This file includes all role prerequisites needed for a SharePoint Foundation 2013 deployment.

You may observe that the Media Foundation has been marked as commented, causing it to be skipped.

Media Foundation requires a system restart so it was omitted from this configuration run simply to

expedite the configuration processing.

If you open a new Windows PowerShell ISE console, ensure that you connect to Server1 using the New

Remote PowerShell tab from the File menu.

2. In the Windows PowerShell ISE Script Pane, review the script.

3. Press F5 to run the file.

This configuration set, in addition to ensuring web server role is present, will configure the initial website

by copying the files from a distribution source. It will produce an updated MOF file.

4. In Windows PowerShell ISE, type the following command, and then press ENTER.

↪ Start-DSCConfiguration –ComputerName Server1 –Path SharePointPrereq

–Wait –Verbose

This command may take up to 15 minutes to complete.

5. In Windows PowerShell ISE, type the following command, and then press ENTER.

↪ Get-ItemProperty –Path HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\LSA

-Name DisableLoopbackCheck

The value and entry for DisableLoopbackCheck is presented.

Lab created by HynesITe, Inc. For questions or comments, send an email message to [email protected] Page | 11
Windows Server 2012 R2 – Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration

For this command to succeed, you must be connected to Server1 in the PowerShell ISE.

6. In Windows PowerShell ISE, type the following command, and then press ENTER.

↪ REMOVE-ITEMProperty –Path HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\LSA

-Name DisableLoopbackCheck

The registry key is removed.

7. In Windows PowerShell ISE, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

↪ Get-ItemProperty –Path HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\LSA

-Name DisableLoopbackCheck

The value and entry for DisableLoopbackCheck is no longer listed and the command returns an error.

8. In Windows PowerShell ISE, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

↪ Start-DSCConfiguration –ComputerName Server1 –Path SharePointPrereq

–Wait –Verbose

9. In Windows PowerShell ISE, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

↪ Get-ItemProperty –Path HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\LSA

-Name DisableLoopbackCheck

The value and entry for DisableLoopbackCheck is presented and restored based on the standardization

of the configuration for Server1.

Lab created by HynesITe, Inc. For questions or comments, send an email message to [email protected] Page | 12