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Ask Slashdot: Moving From *nix To Windows Automation?

Posted by timothy on from the setting-expectation-levels dept.

Zubinix writes "I have a background in doing automation in a Unix/Linux environment using scripting languages such as perl and bash shell, as well as ssh for remote scripting. My next project will be in the Windows environment so what approach and methodology is best for developing, say, the automation required for a test system? I don't want to use things like Cygwin, as I need to integrate with Windows applications such as Exchange and Sharepoint. Is there a list of should and should not dos when it comes to Windows automation?"

2 of 427 comments (clear)

  1. Assuming you absolutely have to use Windows... by Alanbly · · Score: 5, Interesting

    When I was working in Software Quality Assurance we had a lot of luck with Mercury Quick Test Pro and Test Batch Runner. They have a solid recording interface than can be coded manually (in VBScript.Net but what can you do?). Integrated fabulously with C# .Net code for doing black-box and grey-box testing. I'd also suggest Symantec Ghost for setting up test systems.

    --
    -- Adam McCormick
  2. Re:Don't do it... by homesnatch · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'm a *nix guy, and I do have to say Powershell is pretty sweet.

    Here's an example of something extending Powershell. VMWare released a module for PowerShell that allows for control of VMWare env using Powershell.

    #Load VMWare snap-in for powershell
    LoadSnapin -PSSnapinName "VMware.VimAutomation.Core"

    #Create VM from template and then start it
    $myNewVMName = "NewVM_01"
    $myTemplate = Get-Template "TemplateName"
    $strDestinationHost = "ESX01"
    $myNewVM = New-VM -Name $myNewVMName -Template $myTemplate -VMHost (Get-VMHost $strDestinationHost)
    Start-VM $myNewVM


    VMWare created a really awesome extension to Powershell, that allows for all sorts of inheritance and piping. Microsoft created a rather poorly implemented Active Directory extension for Powershell (can't pipe or inherit on things I would expect to be able to)... MS could have used the VMWare example to make a better AD extension.