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Azure PowerShell

Azure PowerShell (Az module) enables DevOps engineers to automate, configure, and manage Azure resources directly from the command line or CI/CD pipelines. Below are practical installation and usage instructions for Windows, Linux, and containerized environments.

Windows Installation & Setup

# Check for legacy AzureRM module
Get-Module -Name AzureRM -ListAvailable

# Set execution policy for current user
Get-ExecutionPolicy -List
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

# Install Az module from PSGallery
Install-Module -Name Az -Repository PSGallery -Force

Enable Command Prediction (Productivity Boost)

Install-Module -Name Az.Tools.Predictor -Force
Enable-AzPredictor -AllSession
Set-PSReadLineOption -PredictionViewStyle ListView
Set-PSReadLineOption -PredictionViewStyle InlineView

Sign In to Azure

Connect-AzAccount

Linux Installation & Setup

Tip: Use PowerShell Core (pwsh) for best cross-platform compatibility.

# Install Az module
Install-Module -Name Az -Repository PSGallery -Force

# Sign in to Azure
Connect-AzAccount

Docker/Podman (Containerized Azure PowerShell)

Run Azure PowerShell in an isolated container—ideal for CI/CD or ephemeral environments:

docker pull mcr.microsoft.com/azure-powershell
docker run -it mcr.microsoft.com/azure-powershell pwsh

Real-Life DevOps Example: Automate Resource Group Creation

# Create a resource group if it doesn't exist
$rgName = "devops-rg"
$location = "westeurope"
if (-not (Get-AzResourceGroup -Name $rgName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {
    New-AzResourceGroup -Name $rgName -Location $location
}

Best Practices

  • Always use the latest Az module for new scripts.
  • Avoid mixing AzureRM and Az modules in the same session.
  • Use -ErrorAction to handle errors gracefully in automation.
  • Prefer PowerShell Core (pwsh) for cross-platform scripts.
  • Use containers for ephemeral or CI/CD automation tasks.

References

Azure PowerShell Joke: Why did the DevOps engineer use Azure PowerShell in a container? To keep their scripts clean and their clusters cleaner!