Azure Automation DSC: public preview details
Published date: September 18, 2015
Azure Automation Desired State Configuration (DSC) builds on Windows PowerShell DSC to provide an easier configuration management experience. Automation DSC brings the same management layer to PowerShell DSC as Azure Automation offers for PowerShell scripting today.Automation DSC allows you to author and manage PowerShell DSCs, import DSC resources, and generate DSC node configurations in the cloud. These DSC items are placed on the Automation DSC pull server so that target nodes (such as physical and virtual machines) in the cloud or on-premises can pick them up, automatically conform to the desired state, and report on compliance with the desired state.Now in public preview, Automation DSC is available in the Free and Basic tiers. It introduces a variety of new features since the private preview:
- Much improved UX in the Azure preview portal
- Better reporting of node status and errors
- Asset support in configurations
- Credential support and node configuration (MOF configuration document) encryption
- Configuration data support (via cmdlets)
- Ability to import MOFs as node configurations (via cmdlets)
- Easy onboarding for many Azure virtual machines at once via the Azure preview portal
- DSC Linux agent support