DevOps Azure PowerShell Extensions Updates

Azure PowerShell Extensions Updates

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The Azure PowerShell Extensions module (AzureExt) for Windows PowerShell has seen another interesting update! Let’s take a look at some of the high-level changes:

  • External dependencies have been completely removed
  • The module now supports PowerShell ISE Snippets for Azure Resource Manager (ARM) Resources
  • New command: Remove-AzureRmResourceGroupGui
  • New command: Start-AzureRM

Check out Art of Shell’s Microsoft Azure Resource Manager (ARM) training course, if you’re provisioning cloud resources on Microsoft Azure!

External Dependencies

Previously, the Azure PowerShell Extensions module took a dependency on the TabExpansion++ PowerShell module. This was necessary to provide auto-completer functions for parameter values in the core Azure PowerShell module. Because PowerShell version 5.0 provides the Register-ArgumentCompleter command out of the box, we have changed the code to use this command, instead of TabExpansion++. As long as you’re running PowerShell version 5.0, you’ll be able to use the auto-completion (Intellisense) functionality for the Azure PowerShell module.

Give it a try, and let us know what you think!

Get-AzureRmResource -ResourceName {CTRL + SPACE}

New-AzureRmVirtualNetwork -ResourceGroupname {CTRL + SPACE}

Azure Resource Auto-Completion / IntellisenseARM PowerShell ISE Snippets

If you’re interested in developing a Microsoft Azure Resource Manager (ARM) JSON Template, and would prefer not to leave the PowerShell ISE environment each time you need to create a new resource, then you can import the snippets directly from the AzureExt PowerShell module. Simply type Import-IseSnippet -Module AzureExt, and you will automatically have access to a variety of ISE snippets that will help you to rapidly declare ARM resources inside a template file. While the PowerShell ISE doesn’t have native support for JSON, you can still store the JSON text in a PowerShell here-string, and use a command such as Set-Content or Out-File to write it to a JSON text file for deployment. For an ideal ARM JSON Template authoring experience, I encourage you to check out Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code, and install the Azure Resource Manager Extension for it.

Here’s a demonstration of the snippets in action.

Removing Multiple Azure Resource Manager Resource Groups

Do you need to clean up multiple Azure Resource Manager (ARM) Resource Groups? If so, and you want to avoid a lot of typing, you’ll want to check out this handy Remove-AzureRmResourceGroupGui command. This command enables you to visually select one or more Resource Groups to delete, instead of requiring you to type out a lengthy, complicated command, to filter and delete them on the command line. As of this writing, the Microsoft Azure Portal also doesn’t allow you to delete multiple Resource Groups at a time, which can turn out to be an expensive time-cost. By using this new command, you can “set and forget” and it will handle deleting all the Resource Groups you asked it to, while you go refill your coffee.

AzureExt Module: Remove-AzureRmResourceGroupGuiCreate / Load your cached Azure Profile

Are you tired of typing Login-AzureRmAccount every time you start PowerShell, followed by your Azure credentials? If so, install the Azure PowerShell Extensions, and use the Start-AzureRm command to cache your profile locally. Each time you run PowerShell, simply type Start-AzureRm, and your cached Azure profile will be loaded!

The Start-AzureRm command originally started out as a function that I added to my profile script, but I decided to incorporate it into the Azure PowerShell Extensions project instead, because modularity is better!

Development of the Azure PowerShell Extensions project takes place on GitHub.