Users Guide

NOTE: To initiate remote command, check system and conguration requirements in details by executing the following cmdlet:
get-help about_Remote_Requirements
Primary components of Desired State Conguration
Desired State Conguration is a declarative framework used for conguration, deployment, and management of systems. It consists of
three primary components:
• Conguration—Conguration denes the type of function that is used in DSC through declarative scripts. This function can be called
using the keyword ‘Conguration’ with suitable identier. DSC conguration enforces the dened BIOS settings on the client systems.
The Local Conguration Manager (LCM) ensures that systems are congured according to the Conguration declaration.
• Resources—Dell Command | PowerShell Provider provides the user a set of custom resources that can be leveraged to enforce
required Dell BIOS settings on the Dell client systems. The resources are classied into 22 categories. For the list of the supported
categories, run
Get-Help About_DellBIOSProvider_DscResources
Each category contains properties (BIOS attributes names) that are available in the resources folder DSCResources available at $
{env:ProgramFiles}\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\DellBIOSProvider.
To discover deployed Dell’s DSC resources, run:
Get-DscResource *DCPP*
For more information on attributes, refer the Reference Guide available at Dell.com/DellClientCommandSuiteManuals.
The Dell Command | PowerShell Provider resources can verify the conguration drift, get current value settings, and set desired value
on Dell client systems. This workow is similar to the ow of ‘Test-‘ and ‘Set-‘ of standard DSC congurations.
When you dene BIOS congurations using scripts, the resources declared for Dell Command | PowerShell Provider are used to monitor
drift and maintain the conguration. Declared resources must be present both on server and client systems for successful authoring,
staging, and enactment.
• Node—Node is a target system on which you want to enforce the conguration. Node can either be an IP address or a system name.
Dell Command | PowerShell Provider resources work seamlessly in both Push and Pull modes. In Push mode you author a conguration,
stage it to generate the Managed Object Format (MOF), and enact it on target nodes. In Push mode the server is only a medium to author
and enact the conguration onto nodes. The Local Conguration Manager (LCM) agent on the target nodes, ensures that systems are
congured according to the conguration declaration. In Pull mode, the server is dened as a Pull Server. The Pull Server has web services
running which initiates a handshake between the server and the client systems. The server contains the MOF at a standard location, and
whenever there is a change in the checksum associated with the MOF le, the client machine(s) pulls the conguration from the server
and enforces it on the client systems. In Pull mode the LCM of the client system(s) is set to Pull mode. These settings of the LCM are
called meta – conguration.
Desired State Conguration Logs can be viewed using Windows Event Viewer. Conguration drifts on Dell client systems are recorded in
this event log at Applications and Service Logs -> DellClientBIOS PowerShell.
To check the syntax and properties accepted by a Dell Command | PowerShell Provider DSC resource, run the cmdlet in the following
format:
Get-DSCResource <DSC resource name> -syntax
Folder structure— The install module has the following folder structure:
$env: psmodulepath (folder)
|- DellBIOSProvider (folder)
|- < DellBIOSProvider.psd1> (file, required)
|- DSCResources (folder)
|- DCPP_POSTBehavior (folder)
|- DCPP_PowerManagement (folder)
...
Getting started with Dell Command | PowerShell Provider 2.2
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