Get DscResource - PowerShell

Overview

Get-DscResource retrieves the definition of a desired state configuration (DSC) resource from the Windows Management Framework (WMF) 5.1 command line. It allows you to inspect the properties, methods, and other attributes of a given DSC resource.

Syntax

Get-DscResource [-ResourceName] <string> [-ModuleName] <string> [-Version] <string> [[-PSCredential] <PSCredential>] [-Verbose] [-Debug] [-ErrorAction] <ErrorAction> [-ErrorVariable] <string> [-OutVariable] <string> [-OutBuffer] <Int32>

Options/Flags

  • -ResourceName: Specifies the name of the DSC resource to retrieve.
  • -ModuleName: Specifies the name of the DSC module containing the resource.
  • -Version: Specifies the version of the DSC module to retrieve the resource from.
  • -PSCredential: Specifies a credential object to use when accessing DSC modules that require authentication.
  • -Verbose: Enables verbose output, displaying additional information about the resource definition.
  • -Debug: Enables debug output, displaying detailed information for troubleshooting.
  • -ErrorAction: Specifies the action to take when an error occurs.
  • -ErrorVariable: Assigns the error message to a variable.
  • -OutVariable: Stores the output in a specified variable.
  • -OutBuffer: Limits the number of objects returned in a single collection.

Examples

Get the definition of the File DSC resource:

Get-DscResource -ResourceName File

Get the definition of the File DSC resource from a specific module version:

Get-DscResource -ResourceName File -ModuleName PSDesiredStateConfiguration -Version 1.2.3.0

Get the definition of the Service DSC resource with verbose output:

Get-DscResource -ResourceName Service -Verbose

Common Issues

Error: The specified DSC resource cannot be found

This error typically occurs when the specified resource name or module name is incorrect or the module is not installed. Verify that the information is correct and that the module is available.

Integration

Get-DscResource can be combined with other PowerShell commands for advanced tasks. For example, you can use it to:**

  • Retrieve all DSC resources available in a specific module: Get-DscResource -ModuleName DSCResources | Format-Table -AutoSize
  • Check if a specific DSC resource is supported in the current environment: if (Get-DscResource -ResourceName MyResource) { Write-Host "Resource is supported" }