powershell Archives | XOAP https://xoap.io/tag/powershell/ Platform for IT infrastructure and workplace automation Fri, 22 May 2026 10:40:52 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://xoap.io/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-favicon-32x32.png powershell Archives | XOAP https://xoap.io/tag/powershell/ 32 32 How to create PSADT v4 packages with the XOAP Package Wizard https://xoap.io/build-psadt-v4-packages-with-xoap-package-wizard/ Wed, 20 May 2026 12:33:10 +0000 https://xoap.io/?p=31533 Build standardized, deployment-ready PSADT v4 packages in minutes without coding. Export to Intune, SCCM or any PowerShell-capable tool.

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Table of contents

PSADT packages are only as consistent as the person who built them. One engineer structures the install phase one way, another handles process closing differently, a third skips the repair phase entirely. Each package works until it doesn’t and debugging it means deciphering someone else’s conventions first.

The lack of a standard compounds across every package in your library.

XOAP Package Wizard for PSADT v4 fixes that at the source. Every package built with it follows the same structure, uses the same phase layout and produces the same output format, regardless of who’s doing the packaging. Installer in, deployment-ready package out in under 10 minutes, without coding.

This tutorial walks through the full process, from dropping in your installer to exporting a zip you can hand straight to Intune, SCCM or any PowerShell-capable tool.

🎞 The tutorial is also available in video format. Watch it here

What is XOAP Package Wizard?

The Package Wizard is a free, standalone tool from XOAP that generates production-ready PowerShell App Deployment Toolkit (PSADT) v4 packages through a guided, no-code interface.

It handles the Invoke-AppDeployToolkit.ps1 structure, the $adtSession block, install and uninstall phases, and every parameter declaration, without you typing a single line of PowerShell.

The exported package is a standard ZIP file: PSADT toolkit, your installer files and the generated script, all in one folder. It works with any endpoint management tool like Intune, SCCM or anything else you deploy with, with no proprietary wrappers.

You can download the free Wizard edition here without creating an account or providing credit card information.

How to create a package

XOAP Package Wizard handles packaging through seven guided steps.

To begin, open the Wizard and click Start New Package. You’ll land on the package setup screen with a drag-and-drop zone waiting for your installer.

For this walkthrough, we’ll package 7-Zip.

XOAP Package Wizard Workspace

Step 1: Drop in your installer

Add or drag your installer file onto the drop zone. The Wizard accepts MSI files, EXE installers and any other format your deployment requires.

For MSI files, the Wizard reads the embedded metadata (product name, version, architecture and more) and offers to pre-fill the package details automatically. That’s around 12 fields you won’t have to type in manually.

Step 2: Configuration

The Configuration screen maps directly to the $adtSession block of your generated Invoke-AppDeployToolkit.ps1. Most fields are already populated from the MSI metadata.

A few things worth setting here:

• RequireAdmin — set this to true for anything that installs to Program Files. It requires elevation and prevents silent failures on standard user accounts.
• ProcessesToClose — list any processes that should be closed before installation begins. For 7-Zip, that’s 7zFM (the 7-Zip File Manager). If a user has it open when the package runs, PSADT will close it cleanly before proceeding.

Everything you configure here ends up in the session block of the generated script, exactly where PSADT expects it.

Step 3: Parameters

The default PSADT v4 parameters like DeploymentType, DeployMode and the rest are always present and don’t need to be added manually. This step is for custom parameters specific to your package.

If you need an -Environment parameter with a fixed set of allowed values (e.g. Test, Staging, Production), you define it here.

For a straightforward application deployment like 7-Zip, you can skip ahead.

Step 4: Build your install phase

This is the core of the Wizard. The Install screen gives you three editors: pre-install, install and post-install. These cover everything that runs before, during and after the main installation.

Autocomplete for every PSADT v4 cmdlet

Start typing a PSADT cmdlet name and the editor provides autocomplete across the full v4 toolkit. Accept a suggestion and it drops in a code snippet with placeholder values for each required parameter. Press space and a dash to trigger inline parameter hints (types, descriptions and valid values), all without leaving the editor.

XOAP Package Wizard cmdlet autofill

Function Builder

XOAP Package Wizard Function Builder

If you’d rather not memorize cmdlet names at all, open the Function Builder. It’s a visual catalog of every PSADT v4 function, organised by category: Process, MSI, Files, Registry, UI and more. Pick a function, fill in the form, see the generated code update in real time, then click Insert to drop it directly into your script.

In the free version of the Wizard, the Process and MSI categories are fully enabled. Other categories are visible with lock indicators so you can see what’s available in the full version.

For the 7-Zip install itself, the MSI category handles Execute-MSI cleanly. Select it in the Function Builder, set the action to Install and point it at your installer file.

Steps 5 & 6: Uninstall and repair phases

The Uninstall phase is handled the same way as the previous Install phase. Same three editors (pre-uninstall, uninstall, post-uninstall), same autocomplete, same Function Builder. 

Step 6 is the Repair phase. Many packages leave this empty, which is fine, as PSADT simply runs an empty function. If your application supports repair operations, you can define them here using the same tools.

Step 7: Preview and test run

Click Next to see the fully generated Invoke-AppDeployToolkit.ps1. The exact script that will be included in your export.

From here you can run a live test before exporting:

1. Select a deployment type and mode
2. Enable Run as Admin
3. Click Test Run

XOAP Package Wizard test run

The script executes on the local machine. Output streams into the terminal below the editor in real time. There’s a 120-second timeout for hung processes. The Wizard will do exactly what it says: test this on a dev box, not a production machine.

Step 8: Export

Back on the dashboard, click Export on the package card. The Wizard produces a standard ZIP archive containing:

• The generated Invoke-AppDeployToolkit.ps1
• The full PSADT v4 toolkit
• Your installer file(s)

This is what you hand to Intune, SCCM or whichever tool you use.

The ZIP contains nothing proprietary. If you switch deployment platforms tomorrow, the package still works.

Two features that save hours

Installed Apps

Before writing an uninstall phase from scratch, open Installed Apps. The Wizard scans the machine’s registry and surfaces every installed application with its uninstall command. Select the app and the Wizard generates the correct removal command. Paste it straight into your uninstall phase.

Import Local

Already have a library of existing PSADT packages? Import Local pulls any v3 or v4 package into your workspace. For v3 packages, it automatically translates the syntax to v4. Function names, parameter structures and session variables are updated to match the new framework. The result lands in your Packages Workspace, ready to edit or export.

Get the free Wizard

The XOAP Package Wizard for PSADT v4 is free to download. Fill in the form below and you’ll receive the download link via email. You can also check the full feature list and available plans here.

Enjoy clean, standard PSADT v4 packages that work wherever you deploy.

Request
download link

Use a business email address to make sure you receive the XOAP Package Wizard in your inbox.

By downloading, you accept the XOAP privacy policy and will receive product information from us.

Also read:

→ About XOAP Package Wizard
→ XOAP Package Wizard feature list & plans
→ About XOAP automation platform
→ XOAP’s Application Management module

The post How to create PSADT v4 packages with the XOAP Package Wizard appeared first on XOAP.

]]> Create a PowerShell DSC module | Online training https://xoap.io/create-a-powershell-dsc-module-online-training/ Tue, 01 Oct 2024 15:17:51 +0000 https://xoap.io/?p=16083 October 16th | 3:30pm

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Create a PowerShell DSC module | Online training

XOAP Training: Create a PowerShell DSC module
October 16th | 3:30pm

Learn how to automate the entire delivery chain. Join XOAP training events!

 

After tackling security and compliance issues in our first online training event, we are eager to show you more about automation, the easy way.

 

In the upcoming training session with XOAP’s engineers, we will cover the creation of PowerShell DSC modules. 

Haven’t worked with PowerShell or Desired State Configuration before? Don’t worry, we’ll take you through it step by step.

This live event has ended.

Watch the recording on YouTube

Upcoming & past events

The post Create a PowerShell DSC module | Online training appeared first on XOAP.

]]> A modular approach to dynamic DSC configurations https://xoap.io/how-to-use-layered-dsc-configurations/ Fri, 21 Jun 2024 13:20:09 +0000 https://xoap.io/?p=13579 Develop baseline processes to deploy and maintain DSC configurations on hundreds of systems for enterprise companies or reuse them for different customers as an MSP.

The post A modular approach to dynamic DSC configurations appeared first on XOAP.

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Table of contents

PowerShell DSC is a management platform in PowerShell that enables you to manage your IT and development infrastructure as configuration as code. As DSC uses a declarative syntax and PowerShell as a base, it quickly became one of the most popular configuration as code platforms.

With the increase in community-built modules that enhance functionality, some limitations and challenges were introduced. The biggest are probably the complexity of large configurations and the versioning of DSC modules and configurations.

To deploy DSC configurations and maintain them on hundreds of systems if you are an enterprise company, or to reuse the same baseline configurations for different customers if you are an MSP, you should develop some baseline processes. ✅

How can XOAP help you?

By combining different features, you can solve these challenges through three simple steps:

  1. Create a baseline DSC module using our DSC module template with all the settings you want to deploy as a baseline.
  2. Create configurations by combining baseline DSC resources and specific configurations for different departments or customers.
  3. Deploy configurations and install applications by combining configuration groups and application roles, and register your system (node) to the specific group.

Before we explain how to configure everything with XOAP, please check the following schema that displays the logic and relationships between the baseline module and configurations:

XOAP schema that displays the logic and relations between the baseline module and configurations

Configurations are declarative PowerShell scripts which define and configure resource instances.

Resources are the “make it so” part of DSC. They contain the code that puts and keeps the target of a configuration in the specified state.

In real-world situations, configurations can become long and complex, calling many different resources and setting a vast number of properties. To help address this complexity, you can use a Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC) configuration as a resource for other configurations, so called DSC modules.

Modules combine multiple resources that can be dynamically integrated in different configurations.

The baseline module in the diagram defines resources that define specific settings for all customers or departments. These resources can be reused and separately integrated into different DSC configurations for specific use cases. 

Using modules to create sets of specific resources for certain use cases makes those modules reusable and dynamically assignable to different DSC configurations that reference the module and the specific resource inside this module.

With this approach, we have versioning on a module level. How do we get this up and running with XOAP? Let’s go! ⬇

Step 1: Create a baseline DSC module

âž¡ To create the baseline module, you can use our template available on GitHub.

Download the content, navigate to the download folder location, modify the following command with your values, and run:

.\New-CompositeResource.ps1 -Module ‘XOAPModuleTemplateDSC’ -Version ‘0.0.1’ -Resource ‘DSCResource’

This will create a folder structure like this:

XOAPModuleTemplate
          |
          |_0.0.1
                     |
                     |_DSCResources
                     |             |_DSCResoursce
                     |
                     |_Examples

In the DSCResource you can find two files: DSCResoursce.psd1 and DSCResoursce.schema.psm1.

Modify DSCResoursce.schema.psm1. file and insert your DSC configuration code into it.

Example:

				
					Configuration 'XOAPRemoteDesktopServicesDSC'
{
	Import-DSCResource -Module 'XOAPRemoteDesktopServicesDSC' -Name 'XOAP_RDSQuickStartConfiguration' -ModuleVersion '0.0.1'

    param
        (
            [string[]]$ConnectionBrokerServerName = 'connectionbroker.domain.com'
            [string[]]$SessionHostServerName = 'sessionhost.domain.com'
            [string[]]$AllowedUserGroup = 'domain\group'
        )

	        Node'XOAPRemoteDesktopServicesDSC'
	        {
            XOAP_RDSQuickStartConfiguration 'Example'
            {
                ConnectionBrokerServerName = $ConnectionBrokerServerName
                SessionHostServerName = $$SessionHostServerName
                AllowedUserGroup = $$AllowedUserGroup
            }
	         }
	        }
XOAPRemoteDesktopServicesDSC -OutputPath 'C:\XOAPRemoteDesktopServicesDSC'

The Import-DSCResource command enables you to load specific settings from other modules by defining the module name, the resource name and the version of the module.

More information on how to write DSC composite resources can be found here.

Once created, you need to upload the module to your XOAP workspace. More information on how to do this can be found on our documentation page.

Step 2: Create configurations

Next, create configurations combining your baseline DSC resources and specific configurations for different departments or customers.

To create configurations, navigate to the Configuration Management module and click +.

Create a configuration for your department or customer using resources from the uploaded module and combine it with other modules.

In the Configuration Wizard, click “Add Resources”, select the module, version and resource. In “Create New Resource”, fill in the required data:

Create new resource in XOAP

When you have filled in all the data, click Save to add the resource to the configuration.

To create a configuration, click Save and enter the version information. In the “Save Configuration” window, click Save when you’re ready.

Save configuration in XOAP wizard

More information on how to use the configuration wizard can be found in our docs.

Step 3: Assign configurations

To assign a configuration to multiple systems (nodes) use “Groups”.  To create a new group, navigate to Configuration Management > Groups and click +.

Groups option

In the “Add Group” window, enter the name of the group and select a “Configuration”, a specific “Version”, and a “Policy”. If you want to install applications on the systems, you can also select an “Application Role”.

Add groups in XOAP

By running the registration script or registration command on the nodes, you can add them to the group. The configuration will then be applied.

Groups options menu

For more info visit this documentation page.

Keeping configurations up to date

How to keep configurations up to date, or better yet, how to maintain them?

If you need to update customer-related configurations, navigate to “Configurations”, locate the specific configuration, and click on the action menu to Edit it.

Edit option in menu of Configurations

Every saved change to a configuration will create a new version. This version can be assigned to the groups you created earlier. As soon as you update the configuration version within the group, the assigned nodes will update their configurations based on the update interval specified in the assigned policy.

This enables you to assign specific versions of a configuration to a group and gives you control over which settings are applied. By creating different groups for test, acceptance and production you can create a process of delivering changes.

If you have updated your baseline module and uploaded a new version, navigate to the configuration and from the action menu, select Re-Compile.

Re-compile option in Configurations

This will open a “Re-Compile” window, where you can select the new version of your module.

Re-compile configuration in XOAP

Re-compiling will automatically save a new version of the configuration, integrating all updated resources from the module. Follow the steps described above to update the configuration version within your groups.

Improve your process today

XOAP enables you to create modular and dynamic configurations easily, combining resources from a baseline module with customer- or department-specific modules.

This minimizes human errors and enables a clear configuration management process with defined test procedures, as well as easy update and rollback capabilities.

If you want to learn more or need additional help getting started with specific use cases, you can book a demo. 🙌

Deliver dynamic DSC configurations with XOAP

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