Chapter 10. PowerShell Remoting

 

This chapter covers

  • Outlining Remoting technologies and protocols
  • Configuring and securing Remoting endpoints
  • Exploring Remoting scenarios
  • Using implicit Remoting

Remoting was one of the major new technologies introduced in PowerShell v2 and in the broader Windows Management Framework v2 (WMF v2), of which PowerShell is a part. With v4, Microsoft has continued to invest in this important foundational technology. Most Windows machines, client or server, can be used as the local or remote machine—that is, you can create remote connections to them and you can create remote connections from them. The one exception is Windows RT—you can only remote from machines running that version.

Note

There’s very little difference between Remoting in PowerShell v3 and v4. Unless we state otherwise, everything in this chapter applies equally to PowerShell v3 and v4.

Remoting is a complex technology, and we’ll do our best to explore it as thoroughly as possible. But some uses for Remoting are outside the purview of an administrator: Programming custom-constrained runspaces, for example, requires software development skills that are outside the scope of this book.

Note

Everything in this chapter focuses on PowerShell v4 and v3, but the majority of the material also applies to v2. The three versions of the shell can talk to each other via Remoting—that is, a v2 shell can connect to a v3 or v4 shell, and vice versa. PowerShell Remoting between v3 and v4 works seamlessly.

10.1. The many forms of remote control

10.2. Remoting overview

10.3. Using Remoting

10.4. PSSessions

10.5. Advanced session techniques

10.6. Creating a custom endpoint

10.7. Connecting to non-default endpoints

10.8. Enabling the “second hop”

10.9. Setting up WinRM listeners

10.10. Other configuration scenarios

10.11. Implicit Remoting

10.12. Standard troubleshooting methodology

10.13. Summary