Learn SQL Server Administration in a Month of Lunches

Chapter 16. Windows PowerShell and SQL Server

Windows PowerShell was introduced in 2007, and it has since become a standard platform for administrative automation across Microsoft business and server products. It’s a command-line shell, and product teams (like SQL Server’s team) extend the shell so it can help manage their products. In this chapter, we’ll look at how to use PowerShell with SQL Server.

16.1. Windows PowerShell overview

Windows PowerShell is a command-line shell, not unlike Unix-style shells like Bash or the old Windows Command Prompt (Cmd.exe). What’s different about PowerShell is that it’s a modern shell, designed around modern needs and with the Windows OS in mind. The shell itself contains minimal functionality; feature ...