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What is Azure PowerShell?

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Azure PowerShell is the product name for the collection of official Microsoft PowerShell modules for managing Azure resources. It requires PowerShell, a command-line shell and scripting language.

You can use Azure PowerShell interactively by running commands from PowerShell or creating and executing scripts that consist of multiple commands.

The Az PowerShell module

The current version of Azure PowerShell is the Az PowerShell module. It's the recommended PowerShell module for managing Azure resources with PowerShell on all platforms including Windows, Linux, and macOS. It includes thousands of commands that control almost every aspect of Azure. The Az PowerShell module is cross-platform.

Note

PowerShell 7 or higher is the recommended version of PowerShell for use with the Az PowerShell module. It's also compatible with Windows PowerShell 5.1.

There are a few different options for using the Az PowerShell module:

  • Azure Cloud Shell: A browser-based shell that allows you to run Azure PowerShell commands without installing anything on your local machine.
  • Local installation: To run commands directly from your terminal, install Azure PowerShell on your local machine.
  • Docker container: Run Azure PowerShell in a Docker container.

Authentication

Azure PowerShell supports several authentication methods. For detailed information about authenticating to Azure from the Az PowerShell module, see Sign into Azure from Azure PowerShell.

Module Design

The Az PowerShell module is a wrapper module for Azure service-related PowerShell modules, usually one module per Azure service, such as Az.Network for Azure networking services and Az.AKS for Azure Kubernetes Service.

The cmdlets in the Az PowerShell module make REST calls to the Azure Resource Manager API. Breaking changes in the Az PowerShell module are limited to twice a year. Many breaking changes at the API level are handled within the cmdlets to prevent the perception of a breaking change.

The Az PowerShell module contains cmdlets for performing both control plane and data plane operations in Azure. You use the control plane to manage resources in your subscription. You use the data plane to control capabilities exposed by your instance of a resource type. For more information, see Azure control plane and data plane.

Output Objects

The cmdlets in the Az PowerShell module produce .NET objects. As with any PowerShell command that produces output, the cmdlets in the Az PowerShell module can be piped to the Get-Member cmdlet to determine what type of object is produced, along with a list of the available properties and methods. For more information, see Query output of Azure PowerShell and Format Azure PowerShell cmdlet output.

The AzPreview PowerShell module

The AzPreview PowerShell module includes all generally available (GA) modules from the Az PowerShell module and all preview modules for managing Azure resources. It isn't recommended for use in production environments since preview modules don't adhere to breaking change policies.

The AzPreview module is always the same version and is released at the same time as the Az PowerShell module.

The AzureRM PowerShell module

While you might find examples online that use the AzureRM PowerShell module, it's the previous generation of Azure PowerShell. It's deprecated, no longer maintained or supported, and not recommended. Commands in the AzureRM PowerShell module use the *-AzureRM* format. For more information, see Overview of the AzureRM PowerShell module.

The Azure PowerShell module

You might also encounter a version of Azure PowerShell named the Azure PowerShell module, which is for managing legacy Azure resources that use Azure Service Manager (ASM) APIs. This module isn't recommended for creating new resources as ASM is scheduled for retirement. For more information, see Overview of the Azure PowerShell Service Management module.

The following PowerShell modules aren't part of Azure PowerShell:

  • Microsoft.Graph
  • Microsoft.Graph.Entra
  • AzureAD PowerShell Module
  • MSOnline PowerShell Module

References

Get-Member