Book Image

Windows Server 2019 Cookbook - Second Edition

By : Mark Henderson, Jordan Krause
Book Image

Windows Server 2019 Cookbook - Second Edition

By: Mark Henderson, Jordan Krause

Overview of this book

Do you want to get up and running with essential administrative tasks in Windows Server 2019? This second edition of the Windows Server 2019 Cookbook is packed with practical recipes that will help you do just that. The book starts by taking you through the basics that you need to know to get a Windows Server operating system working, before teaching you how to navigate through daily tasks using the upgraded graphical user interface (GUI). You'll then learn how to compose an optimal Group Policy and perform task automation with PowerShell scripting. As you advance, you’ll get to grips with faster app innovation, improved Windows security measures, and hybrid cloud environments. After you’ve explored the functions available to provide remote network access to your users, you’ll cover the new Hyper-V enhancements. Finally, this Windows Server book will guide you through practical recipes relating to Azure integration and important tips for how to manage a Windows Server environment seamlessly. By the end of this book, you’ll be well-versed with Windows Server 2019 essentials and have the skills you need to configure Windows services and implement best practices for securing a Windows Server environment.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)

Chapter 15: Desired State Configuration and Automation

In this book so far, we've seen a lot of different ways of configuring our Windows servers—via the Server Manager, via the Admin Center, via PowerShell commands. Desired State Configuration (DSC) is yet another way of configuring our servers—but this one is perhaps the most powerful. DSC can be used to configure dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of servers in an identical fashion.

Sounds like Group Policy, right? There are similarities between the way DSC and a Group Policy Object (GPO) operate, but unlike Group Policy, DSC can be used to configure literally any part of your server. In addition to doing things that a GPO can do, such as setting power profiles and configuring Windows Update settings, DSC can also install virtually any piece of software, create directory structures, and do countless other things. It combines the concepts of Group Policy with the power of PowerShell.

DSC also manages what...