Azure PowerShell

The Azure PowerShell Az module is a rollup module. Installing the Az PowerShell module downloads the generally available modules and makes their cmdlets available for use.

Azure PowerShell (Az module) enables DevOps engineers to automate, configure, and manage Azure resources directly from the command line or CI/CD pipelines. Below are practical installation and usage instructions for Windows, Linux, and containerized environments.

Windows Installation & Setup

# Check for legacy AzureRM module
Get-Module -Name AzureRM -ListAvailable

# Set execution policy for current user
Get-ExecutionPolicy -List
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

# Install Az module from PSGallery
Install-Module -Name Az -Repository PSGallery -Force

Enable Command Prediction (Productivity Boost)

Install-Module -Name Az.Tools.Predictor -Force
Enable-AzPredictor -AllSession
Set-PSReadLineOption -PredictionViewStyle ListView
Set-PSReadLineOption -PredictionViewStyle InlineView

Sign In to Azure

Connect-AzAccount

Linux Installation & Setup

Tip: Use PowerShell Core (pwsh) for best cross-platform compatibility.

# Install Az module
Install-Module -Name Az -Repository PSGallery -Force

# Sign in to Azure
Connect-AzAccount

Docker/Podman (Containerized Azure PowerShell)

Run Azure PowerShell in an isolated container—ideal for CI/CD or ephemeral environments:

docker pull mcr.microsoft.com/azure-powershell
docker run -it mcr.microsoft.com/azure-powershell pwsh

Real-Life DevOps Example: Automate Resource Group Creation

# Create a resource group if it doesn't exist
$rgName = "devops-rg"
$location = "westeurope"
if (-not (Get-AzResourceGroup -Name $rgName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {
    New-AzResourceGroup -Name $rgName -Location $location
}

Best Practices

• Always use the latest Az module for new scripts.

• Avoid mixing AzureRM and Az modules in the same session.

• Use -ErrorAction to handle errors gracefully in automation.

• Prefer PowerShell Core (pwsh) for cross-platform scripts.

• Use containers for ephemeral or CI/CD automation tasks.

References

• Official Az Module Docs

• Azure PowerShell Samples

• Az.Tools.Predictor

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Azure PowerShell Joke: Why did the DevOps engineer use Azure PowerShell in a container? To keep their scripts clean and their clusters cleaner!