Episode 41 – Jeff Hicks "I am Ironman"

15 09 2008

A Podcast about Windows PowerShell.

Listen:

In This Episode

Today on the PowerScripting Podcast we are interviewing Jeffrey Hicks from SAPIEN Technologies. We’ve also got news, resources, and tips!

News

The news is brought to you today by iTripoli

What can you really do with PowerShell?  With Admin Script Editor the question becomes what can’t you do with PowerShell?  Besides all the advanced code generating tools this is the only tool offering a true PowerShell Forms Designer.  To illustrate what can be done the guys at iTripoli created a full-featured MP3/Podcast player written entirely in PowerShell and delivered as a single script.  Check it out at adminscripteditor.com/player.

Interview

This segment is brought to you by Idera

What’s better than getting the new version of PowerShellPlus for $79? …… Getting it for FREE! … Dr. Tobias Weltner, well-known PowerShell guru, has partnered with Idera Software to bring you PowerShellPlus Professional Edition. The new version has vastly improved code completion and a slick interactive help center.  Idera is offering listeners of this podcast a special deal. Download the beta during the month of September and while supplies last, you will get PowerShellPlus for free! To get this offer, go to www.idera.com/podcastpeople to download the beta.

Questions for our guest:

  1. Been in IT for 17 yrs, deployment, AD, Exchange.
  2. Works for SAPIEN full time as a Scripting Guru
  3. PowerShell MVP
  4. Columns
    1. Mr. Roboto column for Redmond Mag (http://redmondmag.com)
    2. "Professor PowerShell" for MCP Mag.
    3. Realtime Publishers, "Practical PowerShell"
  5. Latest book: Managing Active Directory with PowerShell: TFM
    1. ADSI
    2. Quest cmdlets, SDM, PSCX
  6. glnsize : ##really quest over [adsi], did i hear that right
  7. rfoust : ## what’s the coolest script you’ve written
  8. Pasdargent : ## What need did PowerShell immediately meet for you that VBScript lacked?
  9. gaurhoth : ## Do you personally prefer VBScript or Powershell at this point?
  10. glnsize : ##what is your "wish microsoft would do that" cmdlet
    1. Get-Beer!
  11. Kryten: The Sapien Powershell Online Training. How did he feel it went? Will there be more courses? How does he think it might be improved?
  12. Kryten: Will there be any possibility of training in Europe? Tell us more about these ‘Boot Camps’ they run.
  13. Kryten: What can we say to our employers to get them to buy this training?
  14. Kryten: Why not issue training certificates Eg Sapien Certified Powershell Scripter(!). Something that we can stick in out resume’
  15. trac3r726 : ## How much to they Cost?
    1. go to ScriptingOutpost.com or ScriptingTraining.com
  16. meson : ## Will they ever come to Atlanta?
  17. rfoust : ## is on-site training available?
  18. Kryten: Where are ppl going WRONG when they try to learn Powershell? What are the 5 biggest mistakes, or misconceptions that walk into his classroom?
  19. aleksandar : ## if jeff can improve something in quest cmdlets what would that be?
    1. They need infrastructure cmdlets. The cmdlets there are great, but there’s nothing for creating sites, subnets, replication, etc.
  20. jpavleck : ## What is the huge difference between x86 and x64 snapins, and why aren’t there any available for x64
  21. rfoust : ## whats the best way to handle script revision management in a large environment?  subversion?
    1. source control
    2. PrimalScript does support VSS, SVN and others
  22. jpavleck : ## How do you figure out if you should be using a vbscript, posh or a C# app – especially when it comes to going overboard with a posh script
    1. JH: very good question, will be future blog post
    2. vbscript: end user related, login scripts, configuring user’s desktop
    3. powershell: managing server, services, resources, disks
    4. compiled: run something as a service
  23. rfoust : ## how to determine when to write a script or a function?
  24. meson : ## Do you have problems with wanting to write scripts for CTP2 but having to write version 1 scripts for the masses?
  25. aleksandar : ## name the chapter in the latest book that has given you the hardest time
    1. AD permissions are HARD
    2. Group Policy chapter was time consuming and tedious
  26. DManVid : ##  (Get-QADUser <name>).MemberOf  does not list the Primary Group of the user
  27. jpavleck : ## Don’t suppose the book has anything about System Center Operations Manager in it, hrm?
  28. meson : ## what application (ie robocopy) would you like to see as a cmdlet?
    1. netsh.exe
    2. DNS, DHCP
    3. (hal) 2008 new cmds
  29. rfoust : ## what blogs and forums do you read on a daily basis?
    1. (get his blogroll url)
  30. meson : ## So what new Sapien books are being written?
  31. When will your book be available?
    1. By the time you hear this podcast!
  32. Pasdargent : ## What PowerShell cmdlet or script could you not live without (day to day)?
    1. Get-Member
    2. Get-WMIObject
  33. What superhero are you most like?
  34. Where to find Jeff:
    1. twitter.com/jeffhicks
    2. blog.sapien.com
    3. scriptinganswers.com forums
Resource

This segment is brought to you by Quest

Do you have what it takes to be the ultimate script warrior? Find out with Quest’s PowerPack Challenge ’08.

Quest Software is sponsoring a PowerShell Scripting contest where you can test your skills and get paid. Just create some cool PowerShell scripts using Quest’s PowerGUI and then post them to our site. You’ll get a score and our celebrity judges will weigh in as well.

Do you have the muscle to bring home the prize? Check out the details here.

One-Liner

This one-liner to start a process on a remote PC was submitted by jpavlek

([WMICLASS]"\\$computer\ROOT\CIMV2:win32_process").Create("notepad")




Submit Your Active Directory Questions Now!

9 09 2008

We will be having Jeffrey Hicks on the podcast for Episode 41. It would be great to have some questions from the field to ask regarding his latest book, Managing Active Directory with Powershell. So please submit questions to us either by sending email to feedback@powerscripting.net, or leaving comments on this post. Also don’t forget you can attend the interview live on our Ustream channel this Thursday night.

Everyone who submits a question is entered into a drawing to win a prize. I don’t know what it will be yet, I’m thinking a gift certificate of some kind because I’m running low on sponsor swag. 🙂





Episode 40 – Poshboard part duex

7 09 2008

A Podcast about Windows PowerShell.

Listen:

In This Episode

Today on the PowerScripting Podcast we have an awesome roundtable discussion with guests Jeffrey Snover, Keith Hill, Oisin Grehan, and Joel Bennett. We’ve also got news, tips, and some contest winners to announce.

News

The news is brought to you by Idera

What’s better than getting the new version of PowerShellPlus for $79? …… Getting it for FREE! … Tobias Weltner, well-known PowerShell guru, has partnered with Idera Software to bring you PowerShellPlus Professional Edition. The new version has vastly improved code completion and a slick interactive help center.  Idera is offering listeners of this podcast a special deal. Download the beta during the month of September, and while supplies last, you get PowerShellPlus free. Go towww.idera.com/podcastpeople to download the beta.  When PowerShellPlus goes GA at the end of September, Idera will automatically send you a license key…for free.”

Roundtable

Today’s roundtable is brought to you by Quest.
Do you have what it takes to be the ultimate script warrior? Find out with Quest’s PowerPack Challenge ’08.

Quest Software is sponsoring a PowerShell Scripting contest where you can test your skills and get paid. Just create some cool PowerShell scripts using Quest’s PowerGUI and then post them to our site. You’ll get a score and our celebrity judges will weigh in as well.

Do you have the muscle to bring home the prize? Check out the details here.

We had a great discussion with our guests Jeffrey Snover, Keith Hill, Oisin Grehan, and Joel Bennett.

 

 

Resource

This segment is brought to you by iTripoli!

Admin Script Editor (which recently received Windows IT Pro’s top award) provides a true integrated scripting environment for PowerShell.  Advanced features include an integrated PowerShell debugger, advanced code generating tools for Active Directory, Databases, XML files and more.  Let’s not forget about the exclusive PowerShell forms designer.  Come see for yourself– Admin Script Editor v3.5 is availble for a 45 day trial at AdminScriptEditor.com.

Tips

Mailbag

Stuart H. writes:

“My observation is that the show is not really about learning Powershell anymore is it? It’s more a Powershell magazine now, with the interviews and prizes and all that jazz. When was the last time you reviewed a Powershell book? Holger Switzenbergers Powershell book came out and didn’t get a mention… Not a complaint though!! I LOVE IT the way it is but I’d quite like more Powershell instructional stuff too.”

Contest

  • Congratulations to Stefan D, he won a copy of PrimalScript Enterprise for guessing Alex Riedel’s country of origin (Germany).
  • Congrats also to Robbie F.       

 





We Have a Winner, and Jeffrey Snover Returns!

3 09 2008

Stefan D. from Belgium is the winner of our latest contest. He guessed correctly the nationality of our previous guest, Alex from SAPIEN.

Keep listening, I’m sure we’ll have more goodies in upcoming shows.

 

Oh and by the way—Jeffrey Snover among the guests in our next roundtable for Episode 40! You’ll be able to interact with him and our other guests live this Thursday at 9pm Eastern (UTC-4). You can find the live show details at the top right corner of the side nav bar on  powerscripting.net.





Episode 39 – Alex Riedel talks PrimalScript

1 09 2008

A Podcast about Windows PowerShell.

Listen:

In This Episode

Today on the PowerScripting Podcast we will be speaking Alex Riedel, lead developer for PrimalScript at SAPIEN Technologies.  While he was on he gave away a bunch of great prizes to the people on Ustream (see what you missed?) We also have a contest for a copy of PrimalScript at the end of the show if you missed it live.

News

Today’s interview is brought to you by Quest.

Do you have what it takes to be the ultimate script warrior? Find out with Quest’s PowerPack Challenge ’08.
Quest Software is sponsoring a PowerShell Scripting contest where you can test your skills and get paid. Just create some cool PowerShell scripts using Quest’s PowerGUI and then post them to our site. You’ll get a score and our celebrity judges will weigh in as well.

Do you have the muscle to bring home the prize? Check out the details here.

Interview

This segment is brought to you by iTripoli!

What can you really do with PowerShell?  With Admin Script Editor the question becomes what can’t you do with PowerShell?  Besides all the advanced code generating tools this is the only tool offering a true PowerShell Forms Designer.  To illustrate what can be done the guys at iTripoli created a full-featured MP3/Podcast player written entirely in PowerShell and delivered as a single script.  Check it out at adminscripteditor.com/player.

We had a great talk with Alex Riedel, listen to the show to hear it!

Resource

Tips





Come Watch PowerScripting Live!

27 08 2008

Tonight at 9pm Eastern, Jonathan and I will be streaming live over Ustream. If you think you’ll make it, and you use Facebook, I’d really appreciate it if you sign up for the event I created.





Episode 38 – PoshCode and PowerShellPlus

25 08 2008

A Podcast about Windows PowerShell.

Listen:

In This Episode

Today on the PowerScripting Podcast we have a special roundtable with guests Joel Bennett and Mark Schill. We also have the usual cornucopia of of news, tips, and resources. We’ll also be announcing the winner of our /n Software contest from show 36.

News

This segment is brought to you by iTripoli!
“Admin Script Editor (which recently received Windows IT Pro’s top award) provides a true integrated scripting environment for PowerShell.  The guys at iTripoli haven’t done a great job getting the word out about Admin Script Editor so to make up for it they are offering a 50% competitive discount.  Go to adminscripteditor.com to find out if you qualify.”

Community Roundtable

This segment is brought to you by Quest.
Do you have what it takes to be the ultimate script warrior? Find out with Quest’s PowerPack Challenge ’08.

Quest Software is sponsoring a PowerShell Scripting contest where you can test your skills and get paid. Just create some cool PowerShell scripts using Quest’s PowerGUI and then post them to our site. You’ll get a score and our celebrity judges will weigh in as well.

Do you have the muscle to bring home the prize? Check out the details here.

[This segment mostly revolves around a discussion of PoshCode.org, the script repository for PowerShell which aims to match CPAN or PEAR in scope. After an introduction to PoshCode and an update on the site activity, we launch into a discussion of the future of the tool.]

PoshCode Requirements List

The “use” requirements

  1. Host snippets of code
  2. Host scripts with multiple functions (including a way to search on verb/noun which will find all the functions in a script)
  3. Host script modules — which may contain multiple files (need ui for multiple files, and download for “all at once”)
  4. Easy in, easy out. (low barrier to entry to contribute, multiple ways to download, view, browse, sort, filter)
  5. Compiled Modules would require source code to be uploaded and PoshCode online would compile
    • I don’t think we want to get into compiling things on the server … let them compile them themselves (we’d have to require *proj files after all) (Joel)
    • I’m not actually sure we want to do this at all, it’s a deep overlap with every other source control service …
    • This may be v2 stuff (hal)
  6. Users would be able to select from a list of approved licenses to be applied to their scripts.
    • License information would be prepended into script upon download
    • licenses:
      • CC-By (Attribution)
      • CC-PD (Public Domain)
      • GPL (sucks [says Hal])
      • MS-PL
  7. Repository would have the following fields: Description, Usage, PSVersion,  and Version History
    • Fields would be inserted as comments into the scripts when retrieved.
    • Dependency on other scripts would be controlled by a link to the other script(s).
    • Tags would be used to signify requirements on external dependencies. ex. “VMWare ESX 3.5”, “AD 2003”, etc.
    • Well we do need a version field for specifing PS version.
      • We should ask that users be explicit about versions by using the #requires -version n.n header in their scripts/modules. (oisin)
    • Comments
  8. Published WCF interface for external use.
  9. Repository would designed so that users can host their own repositories.
  10. RSS fallback

Resources

  • Installing DotNetNuke with PowerShell – “I started building a series of PowerShell scripts for simplifying the process. Although there are installers available for DotNetNuke, they are often out of date and are fairly rigid in how they perform the install. Using PowerShell provides a lot of advantages over a traditional installation program. I have complete control over the installation in an interactive environment and can change any one of dozens of parameters that control the installation.”
  • PowerShell Team Blog : V2 Interview: Universal Code Execution Model – “At TechEd, I did an interview with Kevin Remde where I discussed the V2 Universal Code Execution model in detail. You can see it at: Universal Code Execution Model (UCEM)—a vision of how PowerShell scripts can run anywhere, anytime in just the right semantics.”
  • Dmitry posted about a SQL Reporting Services PowerPack for PowerGui

Tips

Contest

Winners for the /n software Netcmdlets contest are:

  1. Steve Hiner – Wrote a wrapper for Send-Email script to send email using Gmail’s SMTP server
  2. Mark Schill – Sent in two entries, the one we’ve chosen to highlight is his Twitter IM client bot thingy. It uses Send-IM and Get-Http
  3. Quintus – A script to download an ESPN podcast using the Get-Rss cmdlet

We will be posting the scripts over the next week, so watch the site for those.

Gotcha

  • Downgrading from PS v2 to v1 causes the snapins installed from v2 to quit functioning–even if they are compatible with v1.  A reinstall of the snapin will fix.

We would like to thank Joel and Mark for coming on the show. We’d also like to thank Ye11owbeard, JPayleck, and BrandonF for helping us test the UStream channel.

Don’t forget to follow us on twitter (halr9000, jonwalz), UStream, and Facebook!





PowerScripting Podcast, now recorded live on UStream

23 08 2008

Hi everyone. We recorded the upcoming Eposide 38 this past Thursday. We decided to try and stream it live on UStream and wonder of wonders, it worked great. Our success was due mostly to Jonathan and UStream. Hal had nothing to do with it.

Thanks to JPayleck, BrandonF, and Ye11owbeard who helped us test stuff.

So, if you want to get a sneak peek at the upcoming show, or want to chat and interact with us live on air, please drop by. We will be on our UStream channel every Thursday at 9PM EST.

We have updated our (heretofore unused) public calendar with this weekly event. You can find it these ways:





Vacation Delay

17 08 2008

Hey boys and girls, we regret to inform you that we won’t be releasing episode 38 this coming Monday per our normal schedule.  I don’t want to point fingers, but this lapse is totally and exclusively Jonathan’s fault.

I’m just teasing—we’re both super busy and recording did not happen when we wanted it to. Never fear, we’ll get a new show out to you the following Monday.

The good news is that this gives you all more time to send in entries for our Netcmdlets giveaway sponsored by /n Software. We have several good ones so far that I can’t wait to share with everyone.

Talk to you soon!





Episode 37 – Brandon is back

10 08 2008

A Podcast about Windows PowerShell.

Listen:

In This Episode

Today on the PowerScripting Podcast we will be speaking with Brandon Shell, PowerShell MVP and all around nice guy.  We also have plenty of news, tips, and resources to cover.  And be sure to listen till the end to hear how to win  free commercial licenses for /n Software’s Net cmdlets!

News

Today’s interview is brought to you by Quest.

Do you have what it takes to be the ultimate script warrior? Find out with Quest’s PowerPack Challenge ’08.

Quest Software is sponsoring a PowerShell Scripting contest where you can test your skills and get paid. Just create some cool PowerShell scripts using Quest’s PowerGUI and then post them to our site. You’ll get a score and our celebrity judges will weigh in as well.

Do you have the muscle to bring home the prize? Check out the details here.

  • PrimalScript 2007 Enterprise Edition now comes with PowerShell 101 class-on-disc -if you already own a valid key you can get it by ordering a replacement CD
  • Congratulation to PrimalScript for winning two awards: Redmond Magazine’s Reader’s Choice Award (4th year running) for best scripting tool and Windows ITPro Editor’s Best Award (silver) for scripting tools
  • Cool new PoshBoard video (this time in English or French) which shows datagrid tools in PoshBoard
  • SQL Server 2008 has been released.  You can download a 180-day trial now or if you have MSDN you can get the full version that way.

Interview

This segment is brought to you by iTripoli!“Admin Script Editor (which recently received Windows IT Pro’s top award) provides a true integrated scripting environment for PowerShell.  The guys at iTripoli haven’t done a great job getting the word out about Admin Script Editor so to make up for it they are offering a 50% competitive discount.  Go to adminscripteditor.com to find out if you qualify.”

Some of the topics covered:

 

  • Performance considerations with regards to Foreach vs. Foreach-Object
  • Performance considerations of ADSI v. S.DS.P
  • When NOT to use one-liners
  • Custom Objects – don’t make 380,000 of them
  • .NET Reflector
  • Citrix stuff incl. their Provisioning Server, Xen Server

Resources

  • We found a couple of cool PowerGUI Power Packs we wanted to highlight which people have submitted for Quest’s contest.
    • Advanced file management PowerPack – Includes cool features like: browse folders seeing their total size, total volume of files by owner, largest files, temporary files, old files, compressed files
    • PowerShell Disk Defragmenter – This additional action for the “volumes” power pack will spawn defrag for you.
  • Be sure to check out blog.sapien.com if you have not seen it before. Jeffrey Hicks and Alex Reidel from SAPIEN Technologies must have been upping their caffiene intake lately because the blog posts have been coming fast and furious lately.  Lots of good stuff on the site.
  • Ying Li brings us a PowerShell script to schedule a task
  • Here’s an Exchange tip and a story from a guy who took a co-worker’s 220-line VBscript as an opportunity to, as he says, “flex the powershell”.

 

Tips

  • Hal’s blog post: Access TSclient Mapped Drives with PowerShell
  • Marco Shaw sends us this tip he found recently on the Technet Forums.  Try “ii .” sometime.  This is an alias to Invoke-Item cmdlet.  Simply giving it a single period as a parameter and hitting enter will open Windows Explorer to your current working directory. 

Contest

We have two copies of Netcmdlets to give away this week.  Prizes will be awarded on Episode 38.  All you have to do to win is be one of the first two people to send in a script that uses the Netcmdlets OR a PowerShellASP page.  You can use their “hobbyist” license to get the job done.  And don’t send in a little single statement one-liner–give us a few lines of code at least.  🙂  All entries become the property of the PowerScripting Podcast, some rights reserved, do not taunt happy fun ball.  (Just kidding, we’ll publish all entries on the website.  But seriously–don’t taunt happy fun ball.)








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