Getting started with PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC)

PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC) is a Windows-centric Infrastructure as Code (IaC) technology that uses PowerShell to programmatically configure and maintain the desired state of Windows-based servers by creating Managed Object Format (MOF) files for Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). It offers a free alternative to paid Linux-based configuration management tools like Ansible, Chef, and Puppet, allowing users to define and apply configurations using either the push or pull methods. DSC not only monitors the state of configured resources but also has the capability to automatically correct any deviations, known as drift, to ensure consistency across the infrastructure. The tutorial guides new users through the initial setup of DSC using the push method, provides a basic example of configuring Windows Features, and demonstrates how to separate configuration data to enhance script dynamism. Additionally, it explains how to detect drift using the Test-DscConfiguration cmdlet and configure the Local Configuration Manager (LCM) to automatically correct drift, emphasizing the importance of documenting such configurations to avoid confusion during troubleshooting.