PowerShell error “Run Login-AzureRmAccount to login.” in AzureRM when already logged in

12th of July, 2016 / / 5 Comments

Usually when I’m writing PowerShell scripts I do it from a development virtual machine with a known environment state. However, yesterday I was trying to do something simple and quick and was writing it on my everyday laptop.

My script was using Windows Management Framework 5.0 and I was creating a new burn environment in AzureRM. I was authenticated and could query and enumerate most of my AzureRM environment, however I was getting erroneous responses on some cmdlets and was unable to create a new resource group.… [Keep reading] “PowerShell error “Run Login-AzureRmAccount to login.” in AzureRM when already logged in”

WORKAROUND / FIX: Login to Azure with certificate as Service Principal

3rd of May, 2016 / / 3 Comments

This blog post describes my recent experience with an Azure AD service principal authentication with a certificate. The process is well documented and seemed quite straightforward, however this was not my experience.

The issue

I was able to successfully follow the process to setup Azure AD service principal until the step where I granted the service principal with a role (using PS cmdlets). When I tried to login as the service principal, I encountered the issue below.… [Keep reading] “WORKAROUND / FIX: Login to Azure with certificate as Service Principal”

Creating Accounts on Azure SQL Database through PowerShell Automation

12th of April, 2016 / / 6 Comments

In the previous post, Azure SQL Pro Tip – Creating Login Account and User, we have briefly walked through how to create login accounts on Azure SQL Database through SSMS. Using SSMS is of course the very convenient way. However, as a DevOps engineer, I want to automate this process through PowerShell. In this post, we’re going to walk through how to achieve this goal.

Step #1: Create Azure SQL Database

First of all, we need an Azure SQL Database.… [Keep reading] “Creating Accounts on Azure SQL Database through PowerShell Automation”

Consuming CSV files from an Exchange Mailbox via Exchange Web Services and FIM/MIM 2016 using the Granfeldt PowerShell MA

30th of March, 2016 / / No Comments

This solution on first look is quite random. A management agent that consumes a flat file (comma separated file) isn’t ground breaking, but when the twist is that the CSV file is in an email in an Exchange Inbox, it’s quite a different scenario.

Background

My customer uses a Cloud Service for their recruitment processes. The cloud service does have a SOAP API that I could potentially develop a FIM/MIM solution for using the Microsoft Web Services Management Agent, however my customer does not have API access to their tenant, the vendor isn’t overly responsive and I need a solution in days not weeks.… [Keep reading] “Consuming CSV files from an Exchange Mailbox via Exchange Web Services and FIM/MIM 2016 using the Granfeldt PowerShell MA”

Managing SharePoint Online (SPO) User Profiles with FIM/MIM 2016 and the Granfeldt PowerShell MA

22nd of March, 2016 / / 5 Comments

Forefront / Microsoft Identity Manager does not come with an out-of-the-box management agent for managing SharePoint Online.

Whilst the DirSync/AADConnect solution will allow you to synchronise attributes from your On Premise Active Directory to AzureAD, SharePoint only leverages a handful of them. It then has its own set of attributes that it leverages. Many are similarly named to the standard Azure AD attributes but with the SPS- prefix.

For example, here is a list of SPO attributes and a couple of references to associated Azure AD attributes;

  • UserProfile_GUID
  • SID
  • SPS-PhoneticFirstName
  • SPS-PhoneticLastName
  • SPS-PhoneticDisplayName
  • SPS-JobTitle
  • SPS-Department
  • AboutMe
  • PersonalSpace
  • PictureURL
  • UserName
  • QuickLinks
  • WebSite
  • PublicSiteRedirect
  • SPS-Dotted-line
  • SPS-Peers
  • SPS-Responsibility
  • SPS-SipAddress
  • SPS-MySiteUpgrade
  • SPS-ProxyAddresses
  • SPS-HireDate
  • SPS-DisplayOrder
  • SPS-ClaimID
  • SPS-ClaimProviderID
  • SPS-ClaimProviderType
  • SPS-SavedAccountName
  • SPS-SavedSID
  • SPS-ResourceSID
  • SPS-ResourceAccountName
  • SPS-ObjectExists
  • SPS-MasterAccountName
  • SPS-PersonalSiteCapabilities
  • SPS-UserPrincipalName
  • SPS-O15FirstRunExperience
  • SPS-PersonalSiteInstantiationState
  • SPS-PersonalSiteFirstCreationTime
  • SPS-PersonalSiteLastCreationTime
  • SPS-PersonalSiteNumberOfRetries
  • SPS-PersonalSiteFirstCreationError
  • SPS-DistinguishedName
  • SPS-SourceObjectDN
  • SPS-FeedIdentifier
  • SPS-Location
  • Certifications
  • SPS-Skills
  • SPS-PastProjects
  • SPS-School
  • SPS-Birthday
  • SPS-Interests
  • SPS-StatusNotes
  • SPS-HashTags
  • SPS-PictureTimestamp
  • SPS-PicturePlaceholderState
  • SPS-PrivacyPeople
  • SPS-PrivacyActivity
  • SPS-PictureExchangeSyncState
  • SPS-TimeZone
  • SPS-EmailOptin
  • OfficeGraphEnabled
  • SPS-UserType
  • SPS-HideFromAddressLists
  • SPS-RecipientTypeDetails
  • DelveFlags
  • msOnline-ObjectId
  • SPS-PointPublishingUrl
  • SPS-TenantInstanceId

My customer has AADConnect in place that is synchronising their On Premise AD to Office 365.… [Keep reading] “Managing SharePoint Online (SPO) User Profiles with FIM/MIM 2016 and the Granfeldt PowerShell MA”

Creating Microsoft Identity Manger (MIM) Run Profiles using PowerShell (post MIM rollup build 4.3.2124.0)

15th of March, 2016 / / 2 Comments

A new hotfix rollup was released on the 11th of March for Microsoft Identity Manager that contains a number of fixes and some new functionality.

One new feature according to the release notes is a new cmdlet Add-MIISADMARunProfileStep

This cmdlet allows the creation of MIM Synchronisation Management Agent Run Profiles using PowerShell.

From the MS Documentation

Add-MIISADMARunProfileStep -MAName ‘AD_MA’ -Partition ‘DC=CONTOSO,DC=COM’ -StepType ‘FI’ -ProfileName ‘ADMA_FULLIMPORT’

Possible values of the StepType parameter (short form or long one can be used):
“FI”, “FULL IMPORT”
“FS”, “FULL SYNCHRONIZATION”
“FIFS”, “FULL IMPORT AND FULL SYNCHRONIZATION”
“FIDS”, “FULL IMPORT AND DELTA SYNCHRONIZATION”
“DI”, “DELTA IMPORT”
“DS”, “DELTA SYNCHRONIZATION”
“DIDS”, “DELTA IMPORT AND DELTA SYNCHRONIZATION”
“EXP”,”EXPORT”

The neat feature of this cmdlet is that it will create the Run Profile if it doesn’t exist.… [Keep reading] “Creating Microsoft Identity Manger (MIM) Run Profiles using PowerShell (post MIM rollup build 4.3.2124.0)”

Azure AD Connect manual sync cycle with powershell, Start-ADSyncSyncCycle

8th of March, 2016 / / 4 Comments

This morning at Kloud NSW HQ (otherwise known as the Kloud office, or the office, or anything else that does not sound cool or interesting at all) James Lewis (@Jimmy_Lewis on Twitter) asked the question:

What is the powershell cmdlet to kick off a manual sync in AADConnect?

Back in the olden days, as they say, in DirSync there was a powershell cmdlet called:

Start-OnlineCoexistenceSync

As Microsoft do often times, this cmdlet has changed. However, the reason this has changed is because of the way the sync process is now handled in AADConnect. The AADConnect Sync Scheduler has come about to replace the pre-existing process of an external sync engine tied to a Windows service and Windows task scheduler.

The new scheduler is responsible to complete two key tasks: run and manage the synchronisation cycle where import, sync and export processes are looked after; and to complete regular maintenance tasks, like for example renew certificates and keys for password reset and device registration (DRS), to name a few.

Read More

Automating the simultaneous deployment of AzureRM Virtual Machines for a development environment

22nd of February, 2016 / / 14 Comments

This post is details my method for automating the creation of AzureRM virtual machines for use in a development environment. I’m using this process to quickly standup an environment for testing configurations on.

In summary this process;

  • parallel creation of the AzureRM Virtual Machines
  • All machines have the same configuration
    • NIC, Disks etc
  • All machines are created in a new Resource Group, with associated Virtual Network

Simultaneous Creating the AzureRM Virtual Machines for MIM 2016

For my MIM 2016 Lab I’m going to create 5 Virtual Machines.… [Keep reading] “Automating the simultaneous deployment of AzureRM Virtual Machines for a development environment”

Dynamic Active Directory User Provisioning placement (OU) using the Granfeldt Powershell Management Agent

3rd of February, 2016 / / No Comments

When using Forefront / Microsoft Identity Manager for provisioning users into Active Directory, determining which organisational unit (OU) to place the user in varies from customer to customer. Some AD OU structures are flat, others hierarchical based on business, departmental, functional role or geography. Basically every implementation I’ve done has been different.

That said the most recent implementation I’ve done is for an organisation that is growing and as such the existing structure is in flux and based on differing logic depending on who you talk to.… [Keep reading] “Dynamic Active Directory User Provisioning placement (OU) using the Granfeldt Powershell Management Agent”

Managing AD Terminal Services Configuration with FIM / MIM using the Granfeldt PowerShell Management Agent

2nd of February, 2016 / / No Comments

Forefront / Microsoft Identity Manager contains numerous Management Agents (MA’s) out of the box. However an MA for managing AD Terminal Services user configuration isn’t one of them. And at first pass you’d think you could just manipulate a few attributes in AD on an AD MA like you do for home directories (aside from creating the file and permissions on the filesystem) and you’d be done. Don’t worry, I made that wrong assumption too.

Overview

In this blog post I’ll document how you can enable Active Directory users with the necessary attributes and file system elements utilising Søren Granfeldt’s extremely versatile PowerShell Management Agent.… [Keep reading] “Managing AD Terminal Services Configuration with FIM / MIM using the Granfeldt PowerShell Management Agent”