Use PowerShell to create a data factory pipeline to copy data in the cloud

Article
01/05/2024

This sample PowerShell script creates a pipeline in Azure Data Factory that copies data from one location to another location in an Azure Blob Storage.

Note

We recommend that you use the Azure Az PowerShell module to interact with Azure. See Install Azure PowerShell to get started. To learn how to migrate to the Az PowerShell module, see Migrate Azure PowerShell from AzureRM to Az.

This sample requires Azure PowerShell. Run Get-Module -ListAvailable Az to find the version. If you need to install or upgrade, see Install Azure PowerShell module.

Run the Connect-AzAccount cmdlet to connect to Azure.

Prerequisites

Azure Storage account. You use the blob storage as both the source and sink data stores. If you don't have an Azure storage account, see the Create a storage account on creating one.
Create a blob container in Blob Storage, create an input folder in the container, and upload some files to the folder. You can use tools such as Azure Storage Explorer to connect to Azure Blob storage, create a blob container, upload input file, and verify the output file.

Sample script

Important

This script creates JSON files that define Data Factory entities (linked service, dataset, and pipeline) on your hard drive in the c:\ folder.

# Set variables with your own values
$resourceGroupName = "<Azure resource group name>"
$dataFactoryName = "<Data factory name>" # must be globally unquie
$dataFactoryRegion = "East US" 
$storageAccountName = "<Az.Storage account name>"
$storageAccountKey = "<Az.Storage account key>"
$sourceBlobPath = "<Azure blob container name>/<Azure blob input folder name>" # example: adftutorial/input
$sinkBlobPath = "<Azure blob container name>/<Azure blob output folder name>" # example: adftutorial/output
$pipelineName = "CopyPipeline"

# Create a resource group
New-AzResourceGroup -Name $resourceGroupName -Location $dataFactoryRegion

# Create a data factory
$df = Set-AzDataFactoryV2 -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName -Location $dataFactoryRegion -Name $dataFactoryName 

# Create an Az.Storage linked service in the data factory

## JSON definition of the linked service. 
$storageLinkedServiceDefinition = @"
{
    "name": "AzureStorageLinkedService",
    "properties": {
        "type": "AzureStorage",
        "typeProperties": {
            "connectionString": {
                "value": "DefaultEndpointsProtocol=https;AccountName=$storageAccountName;AccountKey=$storageAccountKey",
                "type": "SecureString"
            }
        }
    }
}
"@

## IMPORTANT: stores the JSON definition in a file that will be used by the Set-AzDataFactoryV2LinkedService command. 
$storageLinkedServiceDefinition | Out-File ./StorageLinkedService.json

## Creates a linked service in the data factory
Set-AzDataFactoryV2LinkedService -DataFactoryName $dataFactoryName -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName -Name "AzureStorageLinkedService" -File ./StorageLinkedService.json

# Create an Azure Blob dataset in the data factory

## JSON definition of the dataset
$datasetDefiniton = @"
{
    "name": "BlobDataset",
    "properties": {
        "type": "AzureBlob",
        "typeProperties": {
            "folderPath": {
                "value": "@{dataset().path}",
                "type": "Expression"
            }
        },
        "linkedServiceName": {
            "referenceName": "AzureStorageLinkedService",
            "type": "LinkedServiceReference"
        },
        "parameters": {
            "path": {
                "type": "String"
            }
        }
    }
}
"@

## IMPORTANT: store the JSON definition in a file that will be used by the Set-AzDataFactoryV2Dataset command. 
$datasetDefiniton | Out-File ./BlobDataset.json

## Create a dataset in the data factory
Set-AzDataFactoryV2Dataset -DataFactoryName $dataFactoryName -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName -Name "BlobDataset" -File "./BlobDataset.json"

# Create a pipeline in the data factory

## JSON definition of the pipeline
$pipelineDefinition = @"
{
    "name": "$pipelineName",
    "properties": {
        "activities": [
            {
                "name": "CopyFromBlobToBlob",
                "type": "Copy",
                "inputs": [
                    {
                        "referenceName": "BlobDataset",
                        "parameters": {
                            "path": "@pipeline().parameters.inputPath"
                        },
                    "type": "DatasetReference"
                    }
                ],
                "outputs": [
                    {
                        "referenceName": "BlobDataset",
                        "parameters": {
                            "path": "@pipeline().parameters.outputPath"
                        },
                        "type": "DatasetReference"
                    }
                ],
                "typeProperties": {
                    "source": {
                        "type": "BlobSource"
                    },
                    "sink": {
                        "type": "BlobSink"
                    }
                }
            }
        ],
        "parameters": {
            "inputPath": {
                "type": "String"
            },
            "outputPath": {
                "type": "String"
            }
        }
    }
}
"@

## IMPORTANT: store the JSON definition in a file that will be used by the Set-AzDataFactoryV2Pipeline command. 
$pipelineDefinition | Out-File ./CopyPipeline.json

## Create a pipeline in the data factory
Set-AzDataFactoryV2Pipeline -DataFactoryName $dataFactoryName -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName -Name $pipelineName -File "./CopyPipeline.json"

# Create a pipeline run 

## JSON definition for pipeline parameters
$pipelineParameters = @"
{
    "inputPath": "$sourceBlobPath",
    "outputPath": "$sinkBlobPath"
}
"@

## IMPORTANT: store the JSON definition in a file that will be used by the Invoke-AzDataFactoryV2Pipeline command. 
$pipelineParameters | Out-File ./PipelineParameters.json

# Create a pipeline run by using parameters
$runId = Invoke-AzDataFactoryV2Pipeline -DataFactoryName $dataFactoryName -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName -PipelineName $pipelineName -ParameterFile ./PipelineParameters.json

# Check the pipeline run status until it finishes the copy operation
while ($True) {
    $result = Get-AzDataFactoryV2ActivityRun -DataFactoryName $dataFactoryName -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName -PipelineRunId $runId -RunStartedAfter (Get-Date).AddMinutes(-30) -RunStartedBefore (Get-Date).AddMinutes(30)

    if (($result | Where-Object { $_.Status -eq "InProgress" } | Measure-Object).count -ne 0) {
        Write-Host "Pipeline run status: In Progress" -foregroundcolor "Yellow"
        Start-Sleep -Seconds 30
    }
    else {
        Write-Host "Pipeline '$pipelineName' run finished. Result:" -foregroundcolor "Yellow"
        $result
        break
    }
}

# Get the activity run details 
    $result = Get-AzDataFactoryV2ActivityRun -DataFactoryName $dataFactoryName -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName `
        -PipelineRunId $runId `
        -RunStartedAfter (Get-Date).AddMinutes(-10) `
        -RunStartedBefore (Get-Date).AddMinutes(10) `
        -ErrorAction Stop

    $result

    if ($result.Status -eq "Succeeded") {`
        $result.Output -join "`r`n"`
    }`
    else {`
        $result.Error -join "`r`n"`
    }

# To remove the data factory from the resource gorup
# Remove-AzDataFactoryV2 -Name $dataFactoryName -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName
# 
# To remove the whole resource group
# Remove-AzResourceGroup  -Name $resourceGroupName

Clean up deployment

After you run the sample script, you can use the following command to remove the resource group and all resources associated with it:

Remove-AzResourceGroup -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName

To remove the data factory from the resource group, run the following command:

Remove-AzDataFactoryV2 -Name $dataFactoryName -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName

Script explanation

This script uses the following commands:

Command	Notes
New-AzResourceGroup	Creates a resource group in which all resources are stored.
Set-AzDataFactoryV2	Create a data factory.
Set-AzDataFactoryV2LinkedService	Creates a linked service in the data factory. A linked service links a data store or compute to a data factory.
Set-AzDataFactoryV2Dataset	Creates a dataset in the data factory. A dataset represents input/output for an activity in a pipeline.
Set-AzDataFactoryV2Pipeline	Creates a pipeline in the data factory. A pipeline contains one or more activities that perform a certain operation. In this pipeline, a copy activity copies data from one location to another location in an Azure Blob Storage.
Invoke-AzDataFactoryV2Pipeline	Creates a run for the pipeline. In other words, runs the pipeline.
Get-AzDataFactoryV2ActivityRun	Gets details about the run of the activity (activity run) in the pipeline.
Remove-AzResourceGroup	Deletes a resource group including all nested resources.

For more information on the Azure PowerShell, see Azure PowerShell documentation.

Additional Azure Data Factory PowerShell script samples can be found in the Azure Data Factory PowerShell samples.

Use PowerShell to create a data factory pipeline to copy data in the cloud

Prerequisites

Sample script

Clean up deployment

Script explanation

Feedback

Additional resources

Use PowerShell to create a data factory pipeline to copy data in the cloud

Prerequisites

Sample script

Clean up deployment

Script explanation

Related content

Feedback

Additional resources