Chapter 15: Desired State Configuration and Automation
In this book so far, we've seen a lot of different ways of configuring our Windows servers—via the Server Manager, via the Admin Center, via PowerShell commands. Desired State Configuration (DSC) is yet another way of configuring our servers—but this one is perhaps the most powerful. DSC can be used to configure dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of servers in an identical fashion.
Sounds like Group Policy, right? There are similarities between the way DSC and a Group Policy Object (GPO) operate, but unlike Group Policy, DSC can be used to configure literally any part of your server. In addition to doing things that a GPO can do, such as setting power profiles and configuring Windows Update settings, DSC can also install virtually any piece of software, create directory structures, and do countless other things. It combines the concepts of Group Policy with the power of PowerShell.
DSC also manages what...