PowerShell was developed more than 10 years ago by Microsoft to expand the power of its command line interface (CLI) by coupling it with a management framework that is used to manage local and remote Windows, macOS, and Linux systems. By making use of the Component Object Model (COM), Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), and Common Information Model (CIM) interface standards, PowerShell allows for managed elements of computing objects to be administered independent of the manufacturer or provider.

PowerShell is capable of automating management tasks and functioning as a dedicated scripting language for both Microsoft- and non-Microsoft-based software. Also, PowerShell
includes commands called cmdlets that add functionality to the core foundation, while providing a means to upgrade/update cmdlets to further augment functionality in the future versions.

Learn more about PowerShell is this free PDF download from TechRepublic.

In the download:

• What is PowerShell?
• Current minimum system requirements for PowerShell 7
• Why does PowerShell matter?
• Who does PowerShell affect?
• When is PowerShell available?
• What are alternatives to PowerShell?
• How can I get PowerShell?
• How do I use PowerShell?
• And much more!

This cheat sheet will be updated when Microsoft releases new information throughout PowerShell’s development
lifecycle.