Run Azure Automation Runbooks via PowerShell ISE

Today I came across this blog post from my friend: Azure Automation PowerShell ISE add-on

What I came to know is that now you can Run the Azure Automation Runbooks via PowerShell ISE. This solves a big pain point for all Azure developers. Now you will be able to develop and test your scripts right from the convenience of your laptop's local PowerShell ISE.

What you need to do

All you need to do is install the PowerShell Add-On using the below cmdlet:

Find-Module AzureAutomationAuthoringToolkit | Install-Module -Scope CurrentUser

Then import the module using below cmdlet:

Import-Module AzureAutomationAuthoringToolkit

You can configure the Add-On using a Configuration tab in the add-on and start getting your hands dirty.

Official Information from the Add-On Help

Capabilities

• Test runbooks on your local machine and in the Azure Automation service:
• Store and edit Automation Assets locally
• Use Automation Activities (Get-AutomationVariable, Get-AutomationPSCredential, etc) in local PowerShell scripts
• Sync changes back to your Automation Account
• Run test jobs in Automation and view results

Notes

Assets

• Secret values (passwords, encrypted variables) are not downloaded automatically; they need to be set manually the first time the account is synced
• Values that haven't been downloaded will be highlighted
• Asset values you enter locally will not get overwritten when you sync from the cloud

Runbooks

• Native PowerShell and PowerShell Workflow runbooks are supported

Check the screenshot regarding this information below:

How much time it would take me

In all it would take you under 10 mins to get setup and rolling.

Where is more information on this and screenshots

Go to the official Technet blog by clicking HERE.

Start playing around and let us know your initial impression in the comments below. If you have any doubts and I will be happy to address them.