azure-ps

Azure PowerShell Automation Scripts

This directory contains PowerShell scripts that automate Azure operations using the Az PowerShell modules. Scripts include both organized subfolder scripts and standalone automation scripts for common Azure tasks.

Prerequisites

• PowerShell 5.1+: Windows PowerShell or PowerShell Core
• Az PowerShell Modules: Automatically installed by scripts when needed
• Azure Subscription: Valid Azure subscription with appropriate permissions

Authentication

Scripts authenticate using Azure PowerShell authentication:

# Interactive login
Connect-AzAccount

# Service principal login
$credential = Get-Credential
Connect-AzAccount -ServicePrincipal -Credential $credential -Tenant "tenant-id"

# Managed identity (when running on Azure resources)
Connect-AzAccount -Identity

Directory Structure

Organized Scripts

Folder	Description	Service Focus
avd/	Azure Virtual Desktop	AVD host pools, session hosts, scaling

Standalone Scripts

Script	Description	Use Case
az-ps-create-linux-vm.ps1	Linux VM creation	Deploy Ubuntu/CentOS VMs
az-ps-start-vm.ps1	Start an Azure VM	Power on deallocated VMs
az-ps-stop-vm.ps1	Stop and deallocate a VM	Cost management, maintenance
az-ps-create-vm-snapshot.ps1	OS disk snapshot	Pre-change backup of VM OS disk
az-ps-enable-backup.ps1	Enable Azure Backup	Protect VMs with Recovery Services vault
az-ps-create-vm-scale-set.ps1	VM Scale Set deployment	Auto-scaling VM groups
az-ps-delete-running-vms.ps1	Bulk VM cleanup	Cost management, testing cleanup
az-ps-image-builder-windows-cleanup.ps1	Image Builder cleanup	Remove temporary resources
az-ps-install-nginx-linux-vm.ps1	NGINX web server setup	Web server automation
az-ps-install-webserver-windows.ps1	IIS web server setup	Windows web server deployment
Create-NewWindowsVm.ps1	Windows VM creation	Standard Windows VM deployment

Work-in-Progress Scripts

Script	Description	Status
wip_az-ps-create-image-avd.ps1	AVD image creation	Development
wip_az-ps-image-builder-windows.ps1	Windows image building	Development

Common Usage Patterns

Module Installation

Scripts automatically install required Az modules:

function Test-AzModule {
    param($ModuleName)

    if (-not (Get-Module -Name $ModuleName -ListAvailable)) {
        Write-Host "Installing $ModuleName..." -ForegroundColor Yellow
        Install-Module -Name $ModuleName -Force -AllowClobber -Scope CurrentUser
    }
    Import-Module $ModuleName -Force
}

Parameter Validation

All scripts use comprehensive validation:

[ValidateSet("East US", "West US 2", "West Europe")]
[string]$Location

[ValidatePattern('^[a-zA-Z0-9-]{3,24}$')]
[string]$ResourceGroupName

[ValidateSet("Standard_B2s", "Standard_D2s_v3", "Standard_F2s_v2")]
[string]$VMSize

Error Handling

Scripts implement robust error handling:

$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
try {
    $vm = New-AzVM -ResourceGroupName $ResourceGroupName `
                   -Name $VMName `
                   -Location $Location `
                   -Size $VMSize
}
catch {
    Write-Error "VM creation failed: $($_.Exception.Message)"
    # Cleanup partial resources
    exit 1
}

Quick Start Examples

Create Linux VM

.\az-ps-create-linux-vm.ps1 `
  -VMName "MyLinuxVM" `
  -ResourceGroupName "MyRG" `
  -Location "East US" `
  -AdminUsername "azureuser"

Create Windows VM

.\Create-NewWindowsVm.ps1 `
  -VMName "MyWindowsVM" `
  -ResourceGroupName "MyRG" `
  -Location "East US" `
  -AdminUsername "azureadmin"

Create VM Scale Set

.\az-ps-create-vm-scale-set.ps1 `
  -ScaleSetName "MyVMSS" `
  -ResourceGroupName "MyRG" `
  -Location "East US" `
  -InstanceCount 3

Install Web Server

# Install NGINX on Linux VM
.\az-ps-install-nginx-linux-vm.ps1 `
  -VMName "MyLinuxVM" `
  -ResourceGroupName "MyRG"

# Install IIS on Windows VM
.\az-ps-install-webserver-windows.ps1 `
  -VMName "MyWindowsVM" `
  -ResourceGroupName "MyRG"

Cleanup Operations

# Delete all running VMs in resource group
.\az-ps-delete-running-vms.ps1 `
  -ResourceGroupName "MyRG" `
  -Force

Security Considerations

1. Credential Management: Use Azure PowerShell credential management
2. RBAC: Ensure minimal required permissions for operations
3. Resource Tagging: All resources are tagged for governance
4. Secure Connections: Scripts use secure communication protocols

Best Practices

1. Module Management: Scripts handle Az module installation automatically
2. Resource Organization: Use consistent resource group strategies
3. Naming Conventions: Follow Azure naming best practices
4. Cost Management: Include cleanup scripts and resource monitoring
5. Documentation: Each script includes detailed help and examples

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Module Not Found

   Module 'Az.Compute' not found
   

   • Solution: Scripts auto-install modules or run Install-Module Az.Compute

2. Not Authenticated

   Run Connect-AzAccount to login
   

   • Solution: Run Connect-AzAccount to authenticate

3. Subscription Not Set

   No subscription found
   

   • Solution: Set subscription with Set-AzContext -SubscriptionId <id>

4. Resource Name Conflict

   Resource name already exists
   

   • Solution: Use unique names or check existing resources

5. Quota Exceeded

   Quota exceeded for resource type
   

   • Solution: Check quotas and request increases if needed

Script Features

Common Parameters

Most scripts support these standard parameters:

• Location: Azure region for resource deployment
• ResourceGroupName: Target resource group (created if doesn't exist)
• SubscriptionId: Specific subscription to use
• Force: Skip confirmation prompts
• WhatIf: Preview operations without executing
• Tags: Resource tags as hashtable

Resource Management

• Automatic resource group creation
• Consistent resource naming and tagging
• Cleanup procedures for failed deployments
• Resource dependency management

VM Management Features

• Custom script extensions for post-deployment configuration
• Network security group creation and configuration
• Public IP and DNS name assignment
• Disk encryption and backup configuration

Automation Features

• Progress reporting with colored output
• Detailed logging of operations
• Performance metrics and timing
• Parallel processing where applicable

Module Dependencies

Common Az modules used:

• Az.Accounts: Authentication and subscription management
• Az.Compute: Virtual machines and scale sets
• Az.Network: Virtual networks and security groups
• Az.Storage: Storage accounts and disk management
• Az.Resources: Resource groups and deployments
• Az.KeyVault: Key and secret management

Contributing

When adding new scripts:

1. Follow the established parameter validation patterns
2. Include automatic module installation
3. Add comprehensive error handling with cleanup
4. Include detailed help documentation with examples
5. Test with multiple Azure regions and scenarios
6. Update this README with new script descriptions

Performance Considerations

• Use parallel processing for bulk operations
• Implement progress reporting for long-running tasks
• Include timeout handling for network operations
• Optimize resource creation order for dependencies

Support

For issues or questions:

1. Check the individual script help documentation
2. Review Azure PowerShell documentation
3. Consult Azure service-specific PowerShell cmdlet reference
4. Verify Azure credentials and permissions