1. Making PowerShell Useful
Real-Life Examples of Powershell in Action
Slides available here -

2. Thank you to our AWESOME sponsors!

3. Agenda 1 2 3 4 5 6 Who Why Where What How Finally
Just so you know what is happening today a quick agenda
Who
What
Why
How
Finally

4. Twitter: sqldbawithbeard
Who am I? 1
Profile:
Rob Sewell
Twitter: sqldbawithbeard
Blog:
sqldbawithabeard.com
Just to show you how to contact me – You don’t need any more than that

5. What is PowerShell? 2 According to MSDN Two-Faced Behind the Scenes
It’s a Shell
It’s a Scripting Language
Click Here
Behind the Scenes
Replacing the GUI
Ask what is Powershell and you will get a thousand different answers
MSDN says
It’s a Shell, everything you can do in CMD you can do in PS and you can use UNIX Aliasis too like ls rm etc but your outputs are .NET objects
It’s a language so you can create your own tools
Microsoft are using it and will continue to use it – It powers many GUIS and enables you to do things the GUI cannot in Exchange, Active Directory and especially in Azure
There is no GUI -= Server Core is getting more popular and
In the October 2009 issue of TechNet Magazine, Microsoft says, "It's safe to say that the single most important skill a Windows administrator will need in the coming years is proficiency with Windows PowerShell."
Server Core
Azure Paas
Powering the GUI
Remote Management

6. Why use PowerShell? 3 What I want to be doing What I end up doing
Building New Shiny Things
Exploring the best way to solve that ……….
Concentrating on writing and testing that complex procedure/script
Completing documentation*
Answering the phone
Answering
Performing mundane repetitive tasks

7. WARNING – PowerShell is not the ONLY resource you should use
Why use PowerShell? 3
AUTOMATE EVERYTHING
I read a post The Best DBAs Automate everything
I automate as much as is feasibly possible mostly through PowerShell
Backups and restores through Dev/SAT/FAT/UAT/Live environments
Daily Backup Checks, Drive Space Checks, Service Running Checks, File Space Checks, Failed Agent Job Checks, SQL Error Log Checks, DBCC Checks and more
The Answer?
WARNING – PowerShell is not the ONLY resource you should use
Automate from wikipedia
Automation is the use of machines, control systems and information technologies to optimize productivity in the production of goods and delivery of services

8. Why use PowerShell? 3 Disaster Recovery
make repetitive tasks easier and less tedious.
make complex tasks less complex by wrapping several commands together.
automate tasks and reduce the risk of human error.
Disaster Recovery

9. My Functions Why use PowerShell? 3 Find A Database Check Disk Space
Search All SQL Error Logs
Find A Database
make repetitive tasks easier and less tedious.
make complex tasks less complex by wrapping several commands together.
Show Last Database Backup
Show SQL Services
make repetitive tasks easier and less tedious.
Write Functions that work in your environment to answer your questions
SQL Error Log
Show Processes On Server
Show Databases
Create Windows Account
Add Users To Role
Show A Users Permissions
automate tasks and reduce the risk of human error.
Show Server Permissions
Create SQL Account
Show Windows Event Log
Check A Users Logins
Drop A User
Check Disk Space
Show Last Backups On Server
Show Automatic Start Services

10. How – Repetitive Tasks 4
Demo

11. How 4 Use CTRL + J How can I learn the syntax Can I make that easier?
That looks Difficult How will I learn that?
How can I learn the syntax
Can I make that easier?
Use CTRL + J

12. I can write scripts and functions
How 4
I can write scripts and functions
But I work in a Team
Do I have to teach them?
Can you make it easier

13. I can write scripts and functions
How 4
I can write scripts and functions ?
Demo
Can you make it easier

14. Or maybe for your Disaster Recovery Run Book
How – Complex Tasks 4
The Service needs a Database which uses Availability Groups for HADR
The System that Creates the data cannot be exposed externally
Or maybe for your Disaster Recovery Run Book
There is a scheduled window where data refreshes are required
Errors introduced by manual refreshes cost money

15. How – Complex Tasks 4
The Service needs a Database which uses Availability Groups for HADR
The System that Creates the data cannot be exposed externally
Demo
There is a scheduled window where data refreshes are required
Errors introduced by manual refreshes cost money

16. Where Can I Find Out More?5
Windows PowerShell Reference on MSDN
Hey Scripting Guy
Powershell Magazine
Script Center
Pluralsight
Laerte Junior
Simple Talk
DBA Stack Exchange
And Many More!! (I have missed loads)

17. Hopefully 6 You have learnt You can use Powershell
How to create a function
CTRL + J
How to pass on Knowledge to your team
How to set up more complex scripts
Where to go for more help

18. Questions 6

19. Twitter: sqldbawithbeard
Contact Me
Profile:
Rob Sewell
Twitter: sqldbawithbeard
Blog:
sqldbawithabeard.com
Just to show you how to contact me – You don’t need any more than that
SQL SATURDAY EXETER 12th March 2016 Open for Registrations and Session Submissions Come and Ask me if you have Questions