Windows PowerShell Cookbook

Chapter 23. Active Directory

23.0. Introduction

By far, the one thing that makes system administration on the Windows platform most unique is its interaction with Active Directory. As the centralized authorization, authentication, and information store for Windows networks, Active Directory automation forms the core of many enterprise administration tasks.

While PowerShell doesn’t include either Active Directory cmdlets or an Active Directory provider, its access through the .NET Framework provides support for the broad range of Active Directory administration.

23.1. Test Active Directory Scripts on a Local Installation

Problem

You want to test your Active Directory scripts against a local installation.

Solution

To test your scripts against a local system, install Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM) and its sample configuration.

Discussion

To test your scripts against a local installation, you’ll need to install ADAM, and then create a test instance.

Install ADAM

To install ADAM, the first step is to download it. Microsoft provides ADAM free of charge from the Download Center. You can obtain it by searching for "Active Directory Application Mode” at http://download.microsoft.com.

Once you’ve downloaded it, run the setup program to install ADAM. Figure 23-1 shows the ADAM setup wizard.

Figure 23-1. ADAM’s post-installation screen

Create a test instance

From the ADAM menu in the Windows Start ...