The DSC Book

Table of Contents
About This Book
About the Authors
Feedback
A Note on Code Listings
	Code Samples
Introduction
	What is DSC?
	Not Just for Provisioning
	How Does DSC Compare to Group Policy?
	Cattle, Not Pets
	Technology, not Tool
	A 2018 Update: What is DSC Good For?
Part 1: Design Decisions
	Designing DSC
		The Players
		The Pieces
		The CIM Connection
		Uniqueness in MOFs
		Getting the MOF to the LCM
		Configuration Variations
		Understanding Dependencies
Part 2: Configuring the Infrastructure
	Infrastructure Prerequisites
	Configuring the LCM
		Checking the Configuration
		Changing the Configuration
		Deploying the LCM Configuration
		Specifying Configuration Pull Servers
		Specifying DSC Resource Pull Servers
		Specifying Reporting Servers
		Partial Configurations
		Versions and Troubleshooting
	Setting Up a Pull Server
		Before You Begin
		Reprising the Roles
		A Word of Caution
		Step 1: Install the Module
		Step 2: Get an SSL Certificate
		Step 3: Make a GUID
		Step 4: Set Up DSC
		Step 5: Run and Deploy the Config
		Confirming the Setup
		Life Choices
	Opting Out of the Pull Server Approach
Part 3: Testing the Infrastructure
	Testing Push Mode
		Creating the Configuration
		Running the Configuration to Produce a MOF
		Pushing the MOF
	Testing Pull Mode
		Creating the Configuration
		Running the Configuration to Produce a MOF
		Deploying the MOF and Module to a Pull Server
		Creating a Meta-Configuration
		Pushing the Meta-Configuration to a Node
		Pulling the Configuration from the Pull Server
		Verifying the Node's State
Part 4: Authoring Configurations
	Basic Configuration Authoring
		Getting Started: The Configuration Block
		Adding Nodes
		Adding a Parameter Block
		Adding Settings
		Adding Basic Logic
		Adding Node-Side Logic
		Documenting Dependencies
		Running the Configuration
		Deploying the MOF
		Wrapping Up
	Going Further with Configurations
		Again: DSC isn't Tooling
		Understanding ConfigurationData
		Defining Configuration Data
		Referencing and Using Configuration Data
		All-Nodes Data
		Using the $AllNodes Variable
		Configuration Script Strategies
		Using NonNodeData
	Poor Man's Configuration Modularization
		Dot Sourcing
		Approach Analysis
	Composite Configurations
		Creating a Composite Resource
		Turning the Configuration into a Resource Module
		Using the Composite Resource
		Deploying the Composite Resource
		Approach Analysis
		Design Considerations
	Partial Configurations
		Summarizing Partial Configuration Pros and Cons
		Authoring a Partial Configuration MOF
		Configuring the LCM for Partial Configurations
		Partial Configuration Dependencies
		Partial Configuration Authoritative Resources
		Mix `n' Match
		File Naming Details
	Deploying MOFs to a Pull Server
Part 5: Using and Authoring Resources
	Finding and Using Resources
		Finding What's Out There
		Installing What's Out There
		Finding What's Installed
		Figuring Out What a Resource Wants
	Custom Resources
		Before We Begin: Function-Based vs. Class-Based
		Writing the Functional Code
		Writing the Interface Module
		Preparing the Module for Use and Deployment
		Triggering a Reboot
	Class-Based Custom Resources
		Writing the Class-Based Interface Module
		Preparing the Module for Use
	Best Practices for Resource Design
		Principle One: Resources are an Interface
		Thinking About Design
		For Example
		Advantages of the Approach
		Disadvantage of the Approach
	The Script Resource
		The Basics
		Cool Tricks
Part 6: Advanced Stuff
	Reporting
		Understanding the Default Report Server
		Querying Report Data
		The AgentId
	Security and DSC
		A Word on Certificates
		Securing the Pull Server
		Securing Credentials in Configurations
		PSDSCRunAsCredential
		Digital Signing
	DSC in Azure
	DSC on Linux
	Troubleshooting and Debugging
		Getting Eyes-On
		Resource Debugging
		Stopping a Hung LCM
	Self-Modifying Configurations
		Understanding the LCM's Processing
		The Basic Self-Modifying Workflow
		Options
		A Problem to Consider
		Crazy Ideas for What the Bootstrap Can Do
	The Scaling Question
		DSC Already Scales - But You Don't
		Let's Set the Stage
		Raise Cattle, Not Pets
		Enter Containers
		Rock-Solid Infrastructure
		Getting Back to DSC
		The Perfect Example
	LCM and Pull Server Communications
		The Database
	Known Problems
		Error configuring the LCM: ``Specified Property does not exist,'' ``MI RESULT 12''
		Registration Key Problems
		maxEnvelopeSize Errors
		Reporting Server and Large Configurations
		Class-Based Resources Can't be ExclusiveResources in Partials