PowerShell Saturday North Carolina 2024

I led a presentation and "co-piloted" another two presentations.

The presentation I led was "PowerShell Everywhere: Unleashing the Power of Cross-Platform Scripting"

Abstract:
Join us for an engaging session on running PowerShell in some of the most exciting and diverse environments. We’ll cover supported OSes and distributions, delve into the unique behaviors of PowerShell on Linux and macOS, and explore its functionality on Raspberry Pi and ARM devices. This talk promises a comprehensive tour of PowerShell’s capabilities across platforms, from Azure Cloud Shell to the rarely seen Itanium. This talk is perfect for tech enthusiasts or PowerShell professionals eager to broaden their scripting horizons.

We’ll start with an overview of the OSes and distributions that support PowerShell, including various Linux distributions. Next, we’ll explore Azure Cloud Shell, a browser-accessible shell experience that integrates PowerShell and Azure CLI for cloud management.

We’ll compare how PowerShell behaves on Linux and macOS compared to Windows, highlighting key differences and practical insights. The talk will also feature PowerShell on Raspberry Pi, covering both Raspberry Pi OS and Windows versions, showcasing its versatility in IoT projects and home automation.

Additionally, we’ll discuss PowerShell on ARM32 and ARM64 Windows devices, including the old-school Surface 2 and newer ARM64 hardware. We will touch on a few items that make these platforms exciting and different from traditional PowerShell on x86-64 Windows. We’ll even include a segment on PowerShell’s functionality on Itanium processors, offering a unique historical perspective.

We’ll share fun facts, tips, and tricks throughout the talk. Attendees will leave with a deeper appreciation of PowerShell’s cross-platform prowess and practical knowledge they can apply in their environments.

We designed this session for seasoned PowerShell users and newcomers eager to explore its expansive capabilities. Whether managing cloud infrastructure, automating home projects, or experimenting with diverse hardware, this talk will inspire and equip you to harness PowerShell’s full potential in any setting.

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The first presentation I co-piloted was "Mastering Server Management with PowerShell and Redfish Protocol"

Abstract:
Unlock the capabilities of PowerShell as a server management utility using the open-source Redfish protocol, a standard in servers since 2020. In this session, we will use PowerShell to remotely manage server settings, adjust boot sequences, and monitor health indicators. Rather than broadly overviewing data center operations, we will dive into practical, scriptable commands to streamline your server management tasks.

We’ll start with an introduction to the Redfish protocol and its integration with modern servers, then will cover using PowerShell for tasks like inventory management and health monitoring. Through focused, demo-driven examples, you’ll learn how to effectively inventory, monitor, and manage physical servers using PowerShell and Redfish.

Key takeaways include:
- Utilizing PowerShell scripts for remote server management.
- Practical tips for adjusting server settings and boot sequences.
- Methods for monitoring server health indicators using Redfish.

This session offers hands-on experience with scriptable techniques that enhance server operations and control. Designed for PowerShell enthusiasts aiming to automate and improve their server management workflows, this talk provides the tools and knowledge to optimize server management capabilities.

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The second presentation I co-piloted was "Mastering EUC (End-User Chaos) and Service Desk Tickets using PowerShell"

Abstract:
Expect a journey through user-friendly explanations of complex concepts like k-means clustering and data scrubbing. We’ll illustrate these ideas with real-world scenarios (for example, the analysis of service desk tickets or survey data), showing how they can be applied to your unique challenges and user base.

We’ll review the custom scripts we’ve developed for data categorization. These scripts allow you to extract unique insights from a cluster of data that would otherwise require hours of manual analysis to determine common issues.

By the end of our time together, you’ll understand these advanced data analysis techniques and be ready to implement them in your context, today or in the future. Join us to unlock the potential of your data, gain crucial insights, and elevate your professional capabilities.

PowerShell + DevOps Global Summit 2024 Sessionize Event

Automation + DevOps Summit Sessionize Event

Chicago PowerShell Conference

I presented one session:

Presentation Title: Rapid Function Development
Presentation Abstract:
When you are first starting with PowerShell, determining when and how to get your code into a function quickly can be challenging. Let’s talk about when code should be moved into a function, and how to build scalable, maintainable code quickly.

In this talk, we will cover some “gut checks” to know when it might be time to move your code into a function, how to build a scalable, maintainable functional library using dot sourcing, and how to “scaffold” functions using repeatable patterns to support rapid development.

Attendees can expect to learn the criteria for when it is appropriate to move their code to a function. And when they do move their code, the speakers will share some function “scaffolding” (templates) for good performance, scale, and compatibility. Attendees will also learn how to create a function library and dot-source scripts to make their code more reusable and maintainable.

April Chicago PowerShell Users Group (CPUG) Virtual Meetup

Presented two sessions:

Session #1:
Presentation Title: Exotic PowerShell: Running PowerShell in Interesting Places
Presentation Abstract:
You may have heard of Azure Cloud Shell – which allows you to run PowerShell within a Linux container hosted in Azure. But there are lots of other cool places to run PowerShell: macOS, ARM computers, Raspberry Pis, and even Frank’s arcade machine. In this quick demo, Frank will show off some of these “exotic” ways to put PowerShell to work.

Session #2:
Presentation Title: Making Copies of Objects in PowerShell – More Difficult Than You Think!
Presentation Abstract:
$x = $y; $x is now a copy of $y, right? Nope!

Ever try and make a copy of an object in PowerShell and then write changes to the copy, only to find out that those changes messed up the original object? You are not alone. PowerShell uses the equals sign to assign a pointer to an object, not to make a copy of it as you might expect. In this talk, you will see why copying objects in PowerShell is very confusing and unexpectedly tricky, and knowing how to use backward-compatible and reliable code for dealing with this problem.

Frank will share code written to allow you to copy objects in PowerShell reliably; he will give a demonstration of it in this talk.

1st Quarter Chicago PowerShell User Group

Presented one session:

Presentation Title: Get Started with PowerShell (Beginner Session)
Presentation Abstract:
In this 10-minute lightning talk, Frank will show five things that everyone needs to know to be successful in learning PowerShell.

ChiCyberCon (Formerly Known as ForenSecure) 2014

I presented two sessions:

Session #1:
Presentation Title: Practical AD Security - How to Secure Your Active Directory Network Without Breaking It
Presentation Abstract:
IT professionals everywhere strive to secure their network, but it can be a daunting task. Luckily, Microsoft provides some boilerplate templates to get you started. In this session, Frank will demonstrate how to get started with Microsoft's security templates, and give you some tips on settings that he frequently needs to change in customer environments to maintain compatibility with existing applications or common configurations.

Session #2:
Presentation Title: Implementing a Modern, Effective PKI on Windows Server 2012 R2
Presentation Abstract:
The infrastructure that deploys and manages digital certificates, known as a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), is often the center for cryptography in an organization. It is also in service for 10+ years, which means that one must carefully consider design options before implementation. In this presentation, Frank will cover modern standards for cryptography, how they apply to a Microsoft PKI infrastructure, and share recommendations based on he has seen in the field.