James Petty
6x Microsoft MVP | IT Director @ TextRequest | Author | CEO PowerShell.Org
Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States
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James currently holds the position of Director of Information Technology at TextRequest. He is a five-time awardee of the Microsoft MVP award. In a dedicated capacity, he also assumes the role of volunteer CEO at DevOps Collective INC, a non-profit organization operating within technology education. The organization's primary focus revolves around PowerShell, automation, and DevOps. It has garnered recognition for providing an array of free online resources, notably PowerShell.org.
In the literary domain, James is the lead author of two published works: "Learn PowerShell in a Month of Lunches," now in its fourth edition, and "Learn PowerShell Scripting in a Month of Lunches," in its second edition. Manning proudly publishes both of these insightful publications.
At the core of James's passion lies automation, where he adeptly wields tools like PowerShell, Azure, and all facets of Windows Server environments. His prowess in this domain has been honed over more than a decade of service as an infrastructure administrator, catering to businesses spanning a diverse range of sizes.
James has woven his life in the tranquil environs outside Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he resides with his cherished wife, daughters, two dogs, and two cats.
Area of Expertise
Topics
Introduction to PowerShell: Modern Command-Line Automation for IT Professionals
This hands-on workshop introduces IT professionals to PowerShell 7, Microsoft's powerful cross-platform automation framework. Designed for those new to PowerShell or with limited scripting experience, this intensive one-day session covers the essential concepts and practical skills needed to begin automating common IT tasks.
The workshop begins with PowerShell fundamentals, including the command-line interface, basic syntax, and the powerful pipeline concept that makes PowerShell unique. Attendees will learn to navigate file systems, query system information, and work with PowerShell's object-oriented approach to data. The session then progresses to writing simple scripts, understanding variables and data types, and using basic flow control structures like loops and conditional statements. Participants will also explore how to safely work with common administrative tasks such as managing files, services, and processes.
Throughout the day, hands-on labs reinforce each concept, giving attendees immediate practice with real-world scenarios. The workshop concludes with an introduction to getting help in PowerShell, understanding errors, and leveraging modern resources including AI-assisted tools to accelerate learning and troubleshooting. By the end of the session, participants will have written their first automation scripts and gained the confidence to continue developing their PowerShell skills independently.
This workshop is ideal for system administrators, help desk technicians, IT support staff, and anyone responsible for Windows or cross-platform environments who wants to work more efficiently through automation.
PowerShell's Streams Explained
Why doesn't your error handling work? Why does Write-Host break everything? The answer is streams and it only takes 20 minutes to understand them.
PowerShell has seven output streams, not one. Most people only know about the success stream, and that's why their scripts behave unpredictably. In this rapid-fire session, we'll demystify what streams are, show you the most common mistakes (looking at you, Write-Host), and give you three practical techniques you can use immediately.
You'll walk away understanding why your errors disappear, how to capture them properly, and what stream to actually use for different types of output. No fluff, no theory just the essential knowledge that separates working scripts from broken ones.
PowerShell Output Formatting That Doesn't Suck
Tired of squinting at wall-of-text PowerShell output? Let's fix that. In this fast-paced session, we'll transform ugly console dumps into clear, actionable data. You'll learn to create custom table views, build HTML reports that executives actually want to read, and format automated emails that won't make your colleagues cringe.
Through live demos, we'll explore Format-Table tricks you've never seen, GridView wizardry, and HTML reporting that works. No more embarrassing formatting fails - just clean, professional output that makes sense.
PowerShell + AI: Enhancement, Not Replacement
Lets explore how to effectively integrate AI tools into your PowerShell development workflow without losing sight of what really matters: solid scripting fundamentals. This session shows you where AI can genuinely help with things like rapid prototyping and learning new concepts but also reveals the common traps that can bite you in production, from security holes to missing error handling that AI just doesn’t catch.
Through live demos and real-world examples, you’ll see a practical approach that uses AI to speed up the boring stuff while relying on your expertise to make sure everything actually works when it counts. We’ll cover specific techniques for writing better prompts, validating AI-generated code, and building review processes that catch problems before they become expensive mistakes. By the end, you’ll have concrete strategies you can use right away, and a clear understanding of why your PowerShell knowledge is actually more important now, not less, in a world where anyone can generate code in seconds.
The Secret's Out: Practical PowerShell Credential Management That Won't Make Your Security Team Cry
Let's face it - we've all been tempted to hardcode credentials in our scripts (admit it, you've done it). But with data breaches making headlines daily, it's time to level up our security game. Join me for a practical look at PowerShell's secret management capabilities that won't have you pulling your hair out.
We'll explore real-world scenarios using PowerShell's SecretManagement module, showing you how to safely handle credentials, API keys, and certificates. Through live demos and war stories, you'll learn how to integrate with popular vaults like Azure Key Vault and HashiCorp, and most importantly, how to avoid common pitfalls that can expose sensitive data.
Perfect for anyone who's ever thought "there must be a better way than storing passwords in plain text." Bring your laptop and your security concerns - let's make secure automation achievable and maybe even fun.
PowerShell Security and Best Practices: Strengthening Your Scripting Environment
PowerShell has revolutionized automation and scripting capabilities for system administrators, enabling them to manage and administer complex environments efficiently. However, with great power comes great responsibility, and it is crucial to understand the fundamentals of PowerShell security to safeguard your scripting environment. This session aims to provide an overview of PowerShell security best practices, empowering attendees to secure their PowerShell infrastructure effectively.
In this session, we will begin by discussing the inherent security features of PowerShell, exploring the execution policies that govern script execution and mitigate potential risks. Next, we will dive into PowerShell remoting security, emphasizing the importance of secure communication channels when managing remote systems. The session will also cover PowerShell module security, highlighting best practices for managing and securing PowerShell modules within your environment. By the end of this session, attendees will have a solid understanding of PowerShell security fundamentals and best practices.
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