Automate Administration with PowerShell (AZ-040) Training in Canada

The Automate Administration with PowerShell (AZ-040) course provides IT professionals with the core knowledge and practical skills required to administer Windows environments and automate administrative tasks using Windows PowerShell.

Participants learn how to identify the commands they need for specific administration tasks, work effectively with cmdlets and parameters, and combine commands to create more advanced automation workflows.

The programme goes beyond basic command execution. Learners develop the ability to create scripts, automate repetitive activities, query system information, produce administrative reports, manage remote computers, and administer a range of Microsoft cloud and infrastructure services through PowerShell.

The skills covered in this course support a broad range of Microsoft technologies, including Windows Server, Windows Client, Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft SharePoint Server, Microsoft SQL Server, and Microsoft System Center.

The course is not focused exclusively on any one Microsoft product. However, Windows Server is used frequently in examples because it provides a common platform across many Microsoft enterprise technologies.

This programme is intended for IT professionals who already have experience administering Windows Server and Windows client environments.

Previous experience with PowerShell or another scripting language is not required.

However, familiarity with the following areas will be useful:

• Windows Server administration
• Windows Client administration
• User and group management
• Permissions
• Network and service administration
• General Microsoft infrastructure technologies

Professionals with experience administering Exchange Server, SharePoint Server, SQL Server, or System Center will also benefit from the course.

MFA Requirements

Access to Microsoft services during the programme may require Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).

Participants are encouraged to configure the required MFA application before attending and confirm that they can authenticate successfully with the accounts used during training.

The course is particularly suitable for:

• Windows Server administrators
• Windows Client administrators
• System administrators
• Infrastructure specialists
• Microsoft 365 administrators
• Azure administrators
• Exchange administrators
• SharePoint administrators
• IT professionals working with SQL Server or System Center environments
• Technical specialists who want to automate administration using PowerShell

Job Role: Administrator

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Describe the core functionality of Windows PowerShell
• Find and run basic PowerShell commands
• Identify cmdlets for local system administration
• Work effectively with the PowerShell pipeline
• Use PSProviders and PSDrives to access different data stores
• Query system information using WMI and CIM
• Work with variables, arrays, and hash tables
• Create basic PowerShell scripts
• Manage remote computers through PowerShell
• Administer Azure resources with PowerShell
• Manage Microsoft 365 services using PowerShell
• Create and manage background jobs
• Create and manage scheduled jobs
• Automate repetitive administration tasks
• Generate administrative output and reports

Module 1: Review Windows PowerShell

This module introduces the PowerShell environment, its major versions, and the applications commonly used to host and develop PowerShell.

Topics include:

• Windows PowerShell fundamentals
• Major PowerShell versions
• Common hosting applications
• Considerations when using PowerShell
• Configuring the PowerShell console
• Configuring PowerShell ISE
• Using Visual Studio Code for PowerShell scripting

Module 2: Understand PowerShell Command Syntax

Topics include:

• Cmdlet structure
• Parameters
• Tab completion
• About files
• Working with built-in PowerShell documentation

Module 3: Find Commands and Use Get-Help

Topics include:

• Modules and cmdlets
• Finding commands
• Aliases
• Show-Command
• Get-Help
• Interpreting help content
• Updating local help

Module 4: Manage Active Directory Domain Services

Topics include:

• User accounts
• Groups and memberships
• Computer accounts
• Organisational Units
• Active Directory objects
• AD administration cmdlets

Module 5: Manage Windows Network Service Settings

Topics include:

• TCP/IP settings
• IP addresses
• Routing
• DNS client settings
• Windows Firewall

Module 6: Manage Windows Server Settings

Topics include:

• Group Policy Objects
• Server roles
• Features
• Services
• Hyper-V
• Virtual machines
• Internet Information Services
• Windows Server automation

Module 7: Manage Local Windows Settings

Topics include:

• Managing Windows devices
• Local permissions
• Automating local system administration

Module 8: Understand the PowerShell Pipeline

Topics include:

• Pipeline concepts
• Pipeline objects
• Pipeline output
• Object members
• Discovering object properties
• Output formatting

Module 9: Select, Sort and Measure Pipeline Objects

Topics include:

• Sort-Object
• Measure-Object
• Select-Object
• Selecting properties
• Calculated properties

Module 10: Filter Pipeline Objects

Topics include:

• Comparison operators
• Where-Object
• Basic filtering
• Advanced filtering
• Improving pipeline filter performance

Module 11: Enumerate Pipeline Objects

Topics include:

• Enumeration concepts
• Basic enumeration
• Advanced enumeration
• Processing individual objects

Module 12: Send and Export Pipeline Data

Topics include:

• Writing output to files
• CSV
• XML
• JSON
• HTML
• Exporting data
• Passing pipeline data to other destinations
• Cmdlet parameter matching

Module 13: Pass Pipeline Objects

Topics include:

• Pipeline parameter binding
• ByValue
• ByPropertyName
• Manual parameter overrides
• Parenthetical commands
• Expanding property values

Module 14: Connect to Data Stores with PowerShell Providers

Topics include:

• PowerShell providers
• Provider capabilities
• Built-in providers
• Provider help

Module 15: Use PowerShell Drives

Topics include:

• PSDrives
• File system administration
• Creating and deleting files and directories
• Registry management
• Certificates
• Other PowerShell drives

Module 16: Review CIM and WMI

Topics include:

• CIM architecture
• WMI architecture
• Management repositories
• Repository classes
• Online class documentation

Module 17: Query Configuration Information with CIM and WMI

Topics include:

• Namespaces
• Classes
• CIMv2
• WMI Query Language
• Remote queries
• CIM sessions
• Querying remote repository classes

Module 18: Manipulate Repository Objects with CIM and WMI

Topics include:

• Repository methods
• Discovering methods
• Win32_Service
• Win32_OperatingSystem
• Win32_Process
• Invoking CIM and WMI methods

Module 19: Manage Variables in PowerShell Scripts

Topics include:

• Variables
• Naming rules
• Values
• Data types
• String variables
• Date variables
• Variable methods and properties

Module 20: Work with Arrays and Hash Tables

Topics include:

• Arrays
• Array lists
• Array manipulation
• Hash tables
• Managing hash table content

Module 21: Create and Run PowerShell Scripts

Topics include:

• PowerShell scripts
• Creating and modifying scripts
• PowerShell Gallery
• PowerShellGet
• Execution policies
• AppLocker
• Digital signatures
• Script signing

Module 22: Work with Scripting Constructs

Topics include:

• ForEach
• If
• Switch
• For
• Loop constructs
• Break
• Continue

Module 23: Import Data into Scripts

Topics include:

• Get-Content
• Import-Csv
• Import-Clixml
• ConvertFrom-Json
• Working with text, CSV, XML, and JSON input

Module 24: Accept User Input

Topics include:

• Read-Host
• Get-Credential
• Out-GridView
• Script parameters
• Handling variable user input

Module 25: Troubleshoot Scripts and Handle Errors

Topics include:

• Error messages
• Troubleshooting output
• Breakpoints
• Error actions
• Debugging PowerShell scripts

Module 26: Use Functions and Modules

Topics include:

• Functions
• Variable scope
• Dot sourcing
• Creating modules
• Building reusable PowerShell components

Module 27: Manage Computers with PowerShell Remoting

Topics include:

• PowerShell remoting architecture
• Remote administration
• Remoting security
• Enabling remoting
• One-to-one remoting
• One-to-many remoting
• Local and remote output differences

Module 28: Use Advanced PowerShell Remoting

Topics include:

• Advanced remoting settings
• Sending parameters remotely
• Working with local variables
• Scope modifiers
• Multi-hop remoting
• Authentication

Module 29: Manage Persistent PowerShell Sessions

Topics include:

• Persistent connections
• PSSessions
• Sending commands
• Disconnecting
• Reconnecting
• Implicit remoting

Module 30: Review Azure PowerShell and the Az Module

Topics include:

• Azure PowerShell
• Az module
• Installing the Az module
• Migrating from AzureRM to Az
• Microsoft Entra ID PowerShell modules

Module 31: Review Azure Cloud Shell

Topics include:

• Azure Cloud Shell
• Cloud Shell capabilities
• Available tools
• Using Azure Cloud Shell

Module 32: Manage Azure Resources with PowerShell

Topics include:

• Azure PowerShell environment
• Azure virtual machines
• Azure Storage
• Azure subscriptions
• Cloud resource administration

Module 33: Manage Microsoft Entra ID Users, Groups and Licences

Topics include:

• Benefits of PowerShell for Microsoft 365
• Connecting to a Microsoft 365 tenant
• Users
• Groups
• Roles
• Licences
• Microsoft Entra ID administration

Module 34: Manage Exchange Online

Topics include:

• Connecting to Exchange Online
• Mailboxes
• Resources
• Administrative roles
• Exchange Online PowerShell

Module 35: Manage SharePoint Online

Topics include:

• SharePoint Online Management Shell
• Users
• Groups
• Sites
• External sharing
• SharePoint Online administration

Module 36: Manage Microsoft Teams

Topics include:

• Microsoft Teams PowerShell module
• Module installation
• Connecting to Microsoft Teams
• Managing teams
• Managing user permissions

Module 37: Create and Manage Background Jobs

Topics include:

• Local jobs
• Remote jobs
• CIM/WMI jobs
• Starting jobs
• Monitoring jobs
• Retrieving job results

Module 38: Create and Manage Scheduled Jobs

Topics include:

• Running PowerShell scripts as scheduled tasks
• Scheduled jobs
• Job options
• Job triggers
• Registering scheduled jobs
• Retrieving scheduled job results

Hands-On Learning

Throughout the programme, participants practise:

• Building PowerShell commands
• Working with pipeline-based administration
• Automating Windows Server tasks
• Managing Active Directory objects
• Querying systems with CIM and WMI
• Developing reusable PowerShell scripts
• Managing Azure resources
• Administering Microsoft 365 services
• Working with PowerShell remoting
• Creating background and scheduled jobs

The course is designed to help participants use PowerShell not simply as a command-line interface, but as a complete automation and administration platform for modern Microsoft environments.