PowerShell 5.0 and Desired State Configuration — Lesson 2: DSC Resources and Reusable Configuration Design

Learning Objectives

• Use built-in resources for files, services, features, registry, and packages
• Find, assess, install, and version community resources
• Use configuration data, parameters, composite resources, and dependencies

Detailed Topics

• Use built-in resources for files: Use built-in resources for files, services, features, registry, and packages
• Find: Find, assess, install, and version community resources
• Use configuration data: Use configuration data, parameters, composite resources, and dependencies

Guided Demonstration

1. Review the requirement, environment, dependencies, roles, risks, and expected outcome.
2. Demonstrate the relevant configuration, analysis, code, or administration workflow step by step.
3. Capture settings, outputs, logs, screenshots, calculations, or test evidence.
4. Compare the observed result with the stated acceptance criteria.

Hands-On Activity

Build a reusable multi-node configuration with documented dependencies.

• Document assumptions and the planned sequence before making changes.
• Complete the activity and preserve evidence of normal and exception behavior.
• Record issues, corrective actions, and reusable operational or development notes.

Troubleshooting Focus

• Separate symptoms from causes and collect evidence before applying a fix.
• Check configuration, permissions, data, dependencies, capacity, connectivity, and recent changes.
• Validate rollback, recovery, support ownership, and user or business impact.

Validation Checklist

• The requirement and expected outcome are clear.
• The selected configuration, design, query, code, or process is documented.
• Normal, boundary, failure, security, and operational conditions are reviewed.
• The result is supported by evidence and the next improvement is prioritized.

Lesson Outcome

Learners can explain and apply DSC Resources and Reusable Configuration Design in a realistic scenario and validate the result with documented evidence.