Invoke-DscResource

Runs a method of a specified PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC) resource.

Syntax

Invoke-DscResource
      [-Name] <String>
      [[-ModuleName] <ModuleSpecification>]
      [-Method] <String>
      [-Property] <Hashtable>
      [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The Invoke-DscResource cmdlet runs a method of a specified PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC) resource.

This cmdlet invokes a DSC resource directly, without creating a configuration document. Using this cmdlet, configuration management products can manage windows or Linux with DSC resources.

Note

Before PSDesiredStateConfiguration 2.0.6, using Invoke-DscResource in PowerShell 7 requires enabling a PowerShell experimental feature. To use the cmdlet in versions 2.0.0 through 2.0.5, you must enable it with the following command.

Enable-ExperimentalFeature PSDesiredStateConfiguration.InvokeDscResource

Examples

Example 1: Invoke the Set method of a resource by specifying its mandatory properties

This example invokes the Set method of a resource named WindowsProcess and provides the mandatory Path and Arguments properties to start the specified Windows process.

Invoke-DscResource -Name WindowsProcess -Method Set -ModuleName PSDesiredStateConfiguration -Property @{
  Path      = 'C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe'
  Arguments = ''
}

Example 2: Invoke the Test method of a resource for a specified module

This example invokes the Test method of a resource named WindowsProcess, which is in the module named PSDesiredStateConfiguration.

$SplatParam = @{
    Name       = 'WindowsProcess'
    ModuleName = 'PSDesiredStateConfiguration'
    Method     = 'Test'
    Property   = @{
        Path      = 'C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe'
        Arguments = ''
    }
}

Invoke-DscResource @SplatParam

Parameters

-Method

Specifies the method of the resource that this cmdlet invokes. The acceptable values for this parameter are: Get, Set, and Test.

Type:String
Accepted values:Get, Set, Test
Position:2
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-ModuleName

Specifies the name of the module providing the specified DSC Resource to invoke.

Type:ModuleSpecification
Position:1
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:True
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Name

Specifies the name of the DSC resource to invoke.

Type:String
Position:0
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:True
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Property

Specifies the resource property name and its value in a hash table as key and value, respectively.

Type:Hashtable
Position:3
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

Inputs

String

ModuleSpecification

Outputs

Object

Notes

  • In Windows PowerShell 5.1 resources ran under the System context unless specified with user context using the key PsDscRunAsCredential. In PowerShell 7.0, Resources run in the user's context, and PsDscRunAsCredential is no longer supported. Using this key causes the cmdlet to throw an exception.

  • As of PowerShell 7, Invoke-DscResource no longer supports invoking WMI DSC resources. This includes the File and Log resources in PSDesiredStateConfiguration.