Azure Automation is Microsoft’s cloud-hosted automation solution. It uses Python or PowerShell based scripts, referred to as runbooks, to launch automation jobs in Azure or on-premises. These runbooks are started in multiple ways. The information below details starting automation jobs with a webhook.
Continue reading “Webhooks and Azure Automation Runbooks”
The Azure AD and MSOnline PowerShell Modules will be depreciated soon. The replacement is the Microsoft Graph PowerShell module based on the Microsoft Graph API. This video is for those new to the Microsoft Graph API. The video starts by reviewing the change and outlining differences between the Azure AD and MSOnline modules and the new Microsoft Graph module. We then move on to examples using groups. We search for a group, add a group, update group membership, and then remove the group.
Continue reading “Getting Started with Microsoft Graph and PowerShell”
This video is a step-by-step introduction for using an Elgato Stream Deck to send a Webhook that starts or stops computers in Azure based on their tag settings. We go over creating the Azure Function App, setting up system assigned identities and creating a custom RBAC role in Azure to grant the identity permissions to the subscription. Then we configure the start stop function to use values passed in from the web hook to start or stop the computers. Finally, we configure the Elgato Stream Deck with start and stop buttons that control the lab.
Continue reading “Starting Lab Computers with Stream Deck, a Webhook, and an Azure PowerShell Function”
This video goes over two Azure IP addresses used for Azure VM’s. The WireServer IP of 168.63.129.16 and the Azure Instance Metadata Service (IMDS) IP address 169.254.169.254. In the video, I go over what each is used for and then give a demonstration on using the WireServer IP address to query DNS. After that, I use the IMDS REST Endpoint to pull metadata including the Azure environment and scheduled events.
Continue reading “Two Azure IP Addresses You Need to Know About”
In this video, I demonstrate how to use Postman, a free API development and testing tool, to format URL’s and make requests against web endpoints and use those URL’s to get data in PowerShell. I also give a quick walk through of viewing the data in PowerShell.
Continue reading “How to use Postman and PowerShell to Query API Data”
I see a lot of potential in Azure Log Analytics. That should go without saying considering the amount of time I have spent learning and documenting it over the past few weeks. One of the most exciting features that adds tremendous flexibility is the ability to log directly to Log Analytics with the Web API. Logging to the Web API enables anything to be written to Log Analytics without the use of the Microsoft Monitoring agent. Continue reading “Azure OMS Log Analytics Step by Step – Data Collector API”