Users Guide

Example: To enable TPM Activation. TPM Activation can be enabled only if the Tpmsecurity is enabled.

Set-Item -Path DellSmbios:\TpmSecurity\TPMActivation "Enabled" -Password <Plain text password>

NOTE: Admin password must be provided and TpmSecurity should have been enabled to enable the TpmActivation.

Desired State Configuration (DSC) for Dell

Command | PowerShell Provider

Desired State Configuration (DSC) is a management framework provided by Windows PowerShell that allows administrators to monitor

configuration drift, manage registry settings, groups, user accounts, and environment variables, through a seamless way of scripting.

Dell Command | PowerShell Provider uses the DSC functionality to provide a solution that monitors the BIOS configuration on Dell client

systems and maintains the Dell BIOS settings that have drifted away from the desired state configuration. Dell Command | PowerShell

Provider provides a set of custom resources aligned to each category of BIOS settings and offers the user a declarative framework to use

properties (attributes) defined in the resources.

Prerequisite

Prerequisites for the client and server systems:

• PowerShell 5.0

NOTE: The WinRM service should be started in both client and server systems.

NOTE: To initiate remote command, check system and configuration requirements in details by executing the following

cmdlet:

get-help about_Remote_Requirements

Primary components of Desired State Configuration

Desired State Configuration is a declarative framework used for configuration, deployment, and management of systems. It consists of

three primary components:

• Configuration—Configuration defines the type of function that is used in DSC through declarative scripts. This function can be

called using the keyword ‘Configuration’ with suitable identifier. DSC configuration enforces the defined BIOS settings on the client

systems. The Local Configuration Manager (LCM) ensures that systems are configured according to the Configuration 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 classified 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 configuration drift, get current value settings, and set desired value

on Dell client systems. This workflow is similar to the flow of ‘Test-‘ and ‘Set-‘ of standard DSC configurations.

When you define BIOS configurations using scripts, the resources declared for Dell Command | PowerShell Provider are used to

monitor drift and maintain the configuration. 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 configuration. Node can either be an IP address or a system name.

Getting started with Dell Command | PowerShell Provider 2.3