Azure PowerShell Fundamentals Training December 2025

Dynamics Edge offers Microsoft AZ-040 training in PowerShell administration to automate an endless variety of tasks, limited only by imagination. With Azure AZ-040 PowerShell training PowerShell is extremely capable with few limitations, and with its flexibility, it’s usually only limited by your skill and creativity.

PowerShell 101: What It Is and Why You Should Care

PowerShell is a cross-platform task automation framework and scripting language developed by Microsoft, used to manage systems, automate administrative tasks, and streamline complex workflows. In simpler terms, Azure PowerShell training December 2025 helps you understand how it’s a command-line shell and a programming language in one, designed for system administration and automation. PowerShell allows IT professionals to execute commands and write scripts that can control almost every aspect of a system or application. Originally released as Windows PowerShell (built on the .NET Framework) and limited to Windows, it was made open-source and cross-platform (known as PowerShell Core) in 2016. Today’s PowerShell (v7+), running on .NET Core, works on Windows, Linux, and macOS, making it a versatile tool for managing hybrid cloud environments. In fact, PowerShell has become so integral that it replaced the old Command Prompt as the default shell on Windows 10. For anyone in IT or devops, learning PowerShell is crucial – it’s often called the “glue” that connects and automates the Microsoft ecosystem (from on-premises servers to Azure cloud services). It provides a consistent syntax and object-oriented approach (passing .NET objects in its pipeline) that sets it apart from traditional text-based shells. Simply put, PowerShell lets you work smarter, not harder, by automating repetitive tasks and empowering you to manage complex systems with ease.

Unlocking Automation: What Can You Do with PowerShell?

One of PowerShell’s biggest strengths is its breadth of capability – a common saying is “What can’t PowerShell do?” Administrators and power users leverage PowerShell . The right PowerShell command can handle everything from basic file operations to full-blown data center management. Here are just a few examples of what you can automate with PowerShell:

• User and System Management: Add, modify, or remove Active Directory users and other directory objects; manage local or remote Windows systems (e.g. creating users, managing processes, services, or event logs).
• Automating Repetitive Tasks: Any routine task (like nightly backups, account provisioning, or software updates) can be turned into a script. PowerShell excels at scripting batch operations so you can schedule jobs or run tasks in bulk without manual effort.
• Configuration and Systems Management: Use PowerShell for configuration management (setting system or application settings, configuring Windows features) and for querying system information (CPU, memory, network configs) via WMI/CIM cmdlets. It’s deeply integrated with Windows Server and client OS, allowing you to configure servers, network settings, firewall rules, and more through scripts rather than GUI tools.
• Data Queries and Processing: Fetch data from databases or CSV/JSON files, manipulate and format the output, or even perform web scraping and API calls (e.g. using Invoke-WebRequest to call a REST API). PowerShell’s object-oriented pipeline means you can retrieve structured data (from files, web services, or the registry) and filter or export it easily.
• Cloud and Hybrid Tasks: Manage cloud resources via modules (for example, using Azure PowerShell to script the creation of VMs or Office 365 PowerShell to manage Exchange Online). PowerShell’s reach extends into Microsoft Azure, Exchange, SharePoint, and other products, making it invaluable for cloud admins who need to automate tasks across on-prem and cloud environments.

These examples barely scratch the surface. Thanks to a huge library of cmdlets (built-in commands) and the ability to write your own scripts or modules, PowerShell can automate virtually any administrative task. It’s often integrated into other Microsoft tools: for instance, Exchange Server and SharePoint expose management functionality via PowerShell cmdlets. This means learning PowerShell gives you a universal admin toolkit across many Microsoft technologies. In short, if you find yourself doing a task more than a couple of times, PowerShell can probably automate it!

Why Azure PowerShell Training (AZ-040) Helps You Succeed

If you’re looking to supercharge your PowerShell skills, Dynamics Edge Azure training December 2025 in PowerShell through AZ-040 “Automating Administration with PowerShell” is a really great place to start. This is an official training that provides fundamental knowledge and hands-on skills for using PowerShell to administer and automate Windows systems. Over the span of the course (historically a 5-day training), you learn how to identify and build the commands needed for specific tasks and how to string those commands into scripts for more advanced automation. In other words, AZ-040 takes you from running simple one-liners to writing full-fledged scripts that can handle complex, repetitive jobs (like generating reports or bulk managing users).

Why is this training so useful? First, it’s designed for IT professionals who may already administer Windows Server, Azure, or Microsoft 365, but want to level up by leveraging PowerShell for automation. No prior scripting experience is required – the course starts from the basics of PowerShell syntax and gradually moves to more advanced topics. You’ll learn core concepts like using cmdlets, working with the PowerShell pipeline, handling objects, and writing scripts, all in a structured way. By the end, you can expect to be comfortable automating everyday admin tasks, whether it’s managing local Windows servers or remote services.

Another big benefit of AZ-040 is that it serves as a prerequisite skill set for a broad range of Microsoft technologies. The curriculum explicitly covers skills that apply to Windows Server and client, but also Exchange, SharePoint, SQL Server, and System Center. In fact, even though the course uses Windows Server for examples, the techniques you learn are not product-specific – they prepare you to automate tasks in many environments. This broad applicability is crucial; it means after the training, you’ll not only be a better Windows administrator, you’ll also be ready to tackle automation in other domains (like Exchange or Azure) that rely on PowerShell. Given how interwoven PowerShell is with Microsoft’s entire ecosystem, mastering it via AZ-040 can make you a far more efficient and effective administrator. You’ll save time by automating tedious tasks, reduce errors (scripts are less prone to mistakes than repetitive manual clicks), and become the go-to person for solving problems with automation. In sum, Azure/PowerShell training helps you succeed by turning you into an automation expert – a skillset that is highly valued in today’s cloud-driven IT world.

From Windows to Cloud: Understanding Azure PowerShell

As you become proficient with core PowerShell, you’ll naturally want to extend those skills to the cloud. Azure PowerShell refers to the collection of PowerShell modules (known collectively as the Az module) that allow you to manage Azure resources using PowerShell. In essence, Azure PowerShell is not a different language or tool – it requires PowerShell and runs on top of it. Think of it as a special toolkit added to PowerShell: when you install the Az modules or use Azure Cloud Shell, you gain a huge library of Azure-specific cmdlets (commands) that let you create and control Azure services programmatically.

For example, with Azure PowerShell you can script tasks like deploying virtual machines, creating storage accounts, configuring Azure networks, or provisioning nearly any Azure service. Microsoft provides thousands of Azure cmdlets covering almost every Azure service. These cmdlets have a naming convention like Get-AzVM (to get info about Azure VMs) or New-AzResourceGroup (to create a resource group) – the Az prefix indicates they’re part of the Azure module. Under the hood, these commands call Azure’s REST APIs for you, so you don’t have to manually use the Azure portal or write raw API calls. The great news is that if you know how to use PowerShell for Windows tasks, using Azure PowerShell feels very familiar. You still use the PowerShell syntax (verb-noun commands, pipelines, objects) – the difference is just the context (cloud resources instead of local machine resources). Microsoft recommends using PowerShell 7+ with Azure PowerShell, but it’s compatible with Windows PowerShell 5.1 as well. And because PowerShell 7 is cross-platform, you can even manage Azure from a Linux or macOS machine using Azure PowerShell modules.

It’s worth noting that the AZ-040 course, while centered on Windows PowerShell, does introduce cloud automation aspects. The course includes content on how to manage Azure resources with PowerShell (as well as Microsoft 365 services). This means after learning the fundamentals, you’ll have a head start in applying them to Azure. You’ll understand how to authenticate to Azure (e.g. via Connect-AzAccount), and perform basic Azure tasks with scripts. Bridging from Windows to Azure becomes straightforward once you grasp the core PowerShell concepts, because Azure PowerShell is essentially an extension of what you’ve already learned. In short, mastering PowerShell through AZ-040 or similar training not only makes you a better Windows admin – it also lays the foundation to become an Azure automation expert, using the same skills to script and streamline operations in the cloud.

PowerShell vs. Azure PowerShell: What’s the Difference?

It’s easy to get confused by terminology, so let’s clarify the scope of “PowerShell” versus “Azure PowerShell.” PowerShell (in general) refers to the shell and language itself – the engine that executes commands and scripts. This includes both the older Windows PowerShell and the modern cross-platform PowerShell 7. With plain PowerShell, you have a rich set of cmdlets for the operating system and core .NET capabilities: think of cmdlets like Get-Process, Get-Service, Copy-Item, etc., which deal with local OS, file system, registry, and so on. Azure PowerShell, on the other hand, is specifically the set of official Microsoft modules for Azure – essentially a product name for all the Azure-focused cmdlets. The Azure PowerShell modules (the Az modules) must be imported/installed into PowerShell. Once you have them, you’re still using “PowerShell” – but you’ve added Azure-specific commands to your toolbox.

A helpful analogy: imagine PowerShell is a base smartphone, and Azure PowerShell is an app you install on it. The phone (PowerShell) provides the operating system and basic functions; the app (Azure module) gives you additional features to accomplish specific tasks (managing Azure resources) using that phone. You wouldn’t use Azure PowerShell to, say, manage Windows services on your local machine – and conversely, regular PowerShell by itself can’t create an Azure VM unless you have the Azure module. In practice, the differences come down to scope and cmdlet libraries:

• General PowerShell: Deals with your local or on-prem environment – files, OS settings, on-prem AD, etc. Cmdlets are usually generic (e.g., Get-Process, New-Item) and cover Windows/Linux/macOS functionality.
• Azure PowerShell: Deals with Azure cloud resources – virtual machines, cloud storage, Azure AD, etc. Its cmdlets (with the Az prefix) are designed to call Azure services (for example, New-AzVM to create a VM in Azure). These cmdlets are packaged in the Az module, which you add to your PowerShell environment.

Despite this difference in focus, the underlying language and syntax are the same. Azure PowerShell cmdlets output the same kind of objects that you can pipe to Where-Object or Format-Table, just as you would with any other PowerShell command. You can mix Azure and non-Azure commands in the same script if needed (for example, a script that pulls a list of VMs from Azure and then uses standard PowerShell to log results to a file). Another difference is in how you get started: to use Azure PowerShell, you need to authenticate to Azure (e.g., Connect-AzAccount) so you can operate on your cloud subscription, whereas local PowerShell cmdlets generally don’t require cloud authentication. Also, Azure PowerShell is often used in Cloud Shell, Microsoft’s browser-based shell environment in Azure, or installed via PowerShell Gallery on your machine. But again, once set up, you’re still “in PowerShell.” The bottom line: Azure PowerShell is not a different PowerShell, but a specialization of PowerShell for Azure. Knowing general PowerShell gives you 90% of what you need to use Azure PowerShell – you just have to learn the Azure-specific cmdlets and concepts, which AZ-040 and similar learning paths begin to introduce.

PowerShell Careers: USA Job Prospects and Salary Outlook

Investing time in PowerShell training like AZ-040 doesn’t just boost your technical skills – it can also significantly enhance your career prospects. In today’s IT job market, PowerShell is a highly sought-after skill, especially in cloud and systems administration roles. Many job postings for system administrators, DevOps engineers, cloud engineers, and even security professionals list PowerShell proficiency as a requirement or a strong plus. In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor’s O*NET database identifies “Microsoft PowerShell” as a hot technology skill that appears in postings for a wide range of IT occupations. This includes roles like Network and Computer Systems Administrators, Information Security Engineers, and many others – some job categories show well over 10% of listings mentioning PowerShell skills. The reason is clear: as companies increasingly rely on automation, cloud computing, and DevOps practices, the ability to script and automate (which PowerShell enables) has become extremely valuable. By learning PowerShell, you position yourself as someone who can save an employer time and money by automating routine processes and managing complex systems efficiently.

What does this demand mean for salaries? In the United States, PowerShell skills often correlate with higher-paying jobs. System administrators who are adept with PowerShell generally command higher salaries than those without automation skills. According to PayScale data, for example, a Windows system administrator with PowerShell expertise earns around a median $70–75k per year, and DevOps engineers with PowerShell can average even closer to six figures. Overall, the national average salary for “PowerShell jobs” (roles that mention PowerShell) is about $102,000 per year in the US. Top earners (the most experienced or those in high-demand locales) can make on the order of $130k–$140k+ annually. Even for mid-level positions, having PowerShell on your résumé can make a noticeable difference – it’s not uncommon to see job postings for administrators or engineers with PowerShell skills offering salaries above $100k. Importantly, these figures aren’t tied to having a specific certification; even without formal certification, knowing PowerShell makes you a more competitive (and better-paid) candidate. One anecdotal example (from a PowerShell discussion forum) described an IT pro who doubled their salary from $75k to $150k over a few years, largely by leveraging scripting and automation skills like PowerShell in successive job changes. While individual results vary, the message is that PowerShell opens doors – you can take on roles with greater responsibility (like cloud automation engineer or DevOps specialist) and thus command higher pay.

Beyond salary, PowerShell skills can provide a degree of job security. Many organizations rely heavily on Windows and Azure; as one Reddit user quipped, “Anyone who knows PowerShell inside and out will always have a job because of the huge number of organizations that use Windows.” This might be an exaggeration, but it underscores a truth: knowing how to automate with PowerShell makes you invaluable in environments that use Microsoft tech (which is a vast portion of the corporate world).

Bottom line: Learning PowerShell (and, by extension, Azure PowerShell) is one of the best investments you can make in your IT career. It equips you with a transferable skill set that is in high demand, spanning on-premises and cloud roles. Whether or not you get a certification like AZ-040, the knowledge you gain can translate into better job opportunities and higher salaries in the US job market. With the continued growth of Azure and automation, PowerShell experts are needed more than ever – and with training and practice, you can become one of those experts and reap the rewards.