Automating technology is lazy admin's work, but clearly also the work of champions. Since the dawn of managed technology, IT staff have been devising ways to accomplish more tasks with less effort. Automation is the key. Batch files, VB Script, PowerShell, System Center Orchestrator – the evolving list continues to build.
But, in a Cloud world, is automation still important? Of course, it is. As we've watched over the last few years, the Cloud has definitely blossomed into a multi-service beast. And, with each new service, or combination of services, automating processes becomes even more important. Fortunately, there's PowerShell and this powerful scripting language integrates nicely with Microsoft's Azure.
Microsoft Press has just released a new, free eBook offering, titled: Microsoft Azure Essentials: Azure Automation. The 113 page book gives you a starting point to understand how automation fits in the Cloud world. Here's what it covers:
- Introduction to Azure Automation
- Runbook management
- Assets
- Runbook Deployment
- Azure Script Center, library, and community
- Best practices
- Scenarios
The examples are heavy with PowerShell, but you'll also get some insight into System Center Orchestrator.
The eBook is only available in PDF (Adobe) format right now, but Mobi and ePub versions are promised soon.
Download: Microsoft Azure Essentials: Azure Automation
