Configuring a Desired State Configuration Client

Once we have our pull server in place and we’re starting to create configurations, we need to set up our client nodes to be able to connect to the pull server and how we want the node to behave.

The High Points

• Overview
• Configuring the Pull Server (REST version)
• Creating Configurations (one of two, two of two)
• Configuring Clients (this post)
• Building Custom Resources
• Packaging Custom Resources
• Advanced Client Targeting

Examining the Local Configuration Manager

The Desired State Configuration agent included in Windows Management Framework 4 (or natively on Server 2012 R2 / Windows 8.1) is exposed through the Local Configuration Manager.

Building a Desired State Configuration Configuration – Part 2

Ok, let’s get back to creating a DSC configuration.  If you haven’t read the last post in this series, go back and do that now, I’ll wait.  Now with that out of the way, let’s get back to it…

The High Points

• Overview
• Configuring the Pull Server (REST version)
• Creating Configurations (one of two, two of two - this post)
• Configuring Clients
• Building Custom Resources
• Packaging Custom Resources
• Advanced Client Targeting

Picking Back UP

Now that we have some of the basics down, we can start to look deeper at how composable these configurations are. A DSC configuration defined in PowerShell offers several advantages, not the least of which is that a configuration can be parameterized.

Building a Desired State Configuration Pull Server

Quick recap, I’m working through a series of posts about the Desired State Configuration infrastructure that I’m building at Stack Exchange, including some how-to’s.

The High Points

• Overview
• Configuring the Pull Server (REST version) (this post)
• Creating Configurations (one of two, two of two)
• Configuring Clients
• Building Custom Resources
• Packaging Custom Resources
• Advanced Client Targeting

I started with an overview of what and why.  Today, I’m going to start the how.

Building a Pull Server

I’m going to describe how to do this with Server 2012 R2 RTM (NOTE: this is not the General Availability  release, so there may be changes at GA), since that’s the environment I’m working most in.  If there is enough demand, I may follow up with how to do this using the Windows Management Framework on downlevel operating systems after the GA version of WMF 4 is released.
The first step is adding the required roles and features, including the DSC Service.

Building a Desired State Configuration Infrastructure

This is a the kickoff in a series of posts about building a Desired State Configuration (DSC) infrastructure. I’ll be leveraging concepts I’ve been working on as I’ve been building out our DSC deployment at Stack Exchange.

The High Points

• Overview (this post)

• Configuring the Pull Server (REST version)

• Creating Configurations (one of two, two of two)

• Configuring Clients

• Building Custom Resources

• Packaging Custom Resources

• Advanced Client Targeting

I’m starting today with the general overview of what I’m trying to accomplish and why I’m trying to accomplish this. The what and why are critical in determining the how

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