Active Directory Powershell Overview

  • Article

Although it is pretty easy to get the list of AD cmdlets using Powershell, many of you might be looking for a high level view of cmdlets classified by AD administrative scenarios and tasks. So here it goes…

The current set of AD Powershell cmdlets can be classified into four broad categories:

  1. Account Management
  2. Topology management
  3. Directory object management
  4. Provider cmdlets

In the account management set we have cmdlets that –

  • Create, delete, write and read users, groups, computers, managed service accounts and Organizational units (OUs).
  • Manage account settings such as: expiration date, password etc.
  • Manage group membership, get account token groups.
  • Manage fine grained password policy and default domain password policy.

In the topology management set we have cmdlets that –

  • Discover DCs, manage FSMOs, move DCs across site and get DC info.
  • Manage password replication policy of RODCs.
  • Manage domain and forest, set forest and domain functional level.
  • Manage optional features.

In the directory object management set we have cmdlets that –

  • Create, delete, write and read all types of AD object.
  • Move, rename and restore AD objects.

In the Provider cmdlets set we have cmdlets that enables file-system like browsing capabilities in Active Directory PSDrive.

Click below for a table that shows various cmdlets available in each set. It should also serve as a quick reference card on your office desk :)

Active Directory Powershell Quick Reference Card

Cheers!
Swami

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Swaminathan Pattabiraman [MSFT]
Developer – Active Directory Powershell Team