{"id":1711,"date":"2014-04-22T12:18:00","date_gmt":"2014-04-22T12:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.msdn.microsoft.com\/powershell\/2014\/04\/22\/debug-mode-in-desired-state-configuration\/"},"modified":"2019-02-18T13:05:20","modified_gmt":"2019-02-18T20:05:20","slug":"debug-mode-in-desired-state-configuration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/powershell\/debug-mode-in-desired-state-configuration\/","title":{"rendered":"Debug Mode in Desired State Configuration"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The DSC engine caches resources implemented as a PowerShell module for efficiency purposes. This can sometimes turn out to be annoying, when you are authoring a resource and testing it simultaneously. The only way to cause DSC to load the newer version every time is to explicitly kill the process hosting the DSC engine.<\/p>\n

As part of the WMF5 CTP release<\/a>, we have introduced a new property for configuring the DSC Local Configuration Manager (LCM) called the DebugMode<\/strong><\/span>. When set to true, it causes the engine to reload the PowerShell DSC resource. Once you are done writing your resource, you can set it back to false and the engine will revert to its behavior of caching the modules.<\/p>\n

Here is a demonstration of using the DebugMode<\/span>:<\/p>\n

PS C:\\Users\\WinVMAdmin\\Desktop> Get-DscLocalConfigurationManager<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

AllowModuleOverwrite<\/span><\/span>           : False<\/span><\/p>\n

CertificateID<\/span><\/span>                  : <\/span><\/p>\n

ConfigurationID<\/span><\/span>                : <\/span><\/p>\n

ConfigurationMode<\/span><\/span>              : ApplyAndMonitor<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

ConfigurationModeFrequencyMins<\/span><\/span><\/span> :<\/span><\/span> 30<\/span><\/p>\n

Credential                     : <\/span><\/p>\n

DebugMode<\/span><\/span>                      : False<\/span><\/p>\n

DownloadManagerCustomData<\/span><\/span>      : <\/span><\/p>\n

DownloadManagerName<\/span><\/span>            : <\/span><\/p>\n

LocalConfigurationManagerState<\/span><\/span><\/span> :<\/span><\/span> Ready<\/span><\/p>\n

RebootNodeIfNeeded<\/span><\/span>             : False<\/span><\/p>\n

RefreshFrequencyMins<\/span><\/span>           : 15<\/span><\/p>\n

RefreshMode<\/span><\/span>                    : PUSH<\/span><\/p>\n

PSComputerName<\/span><\/span>                 :  <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To begin with, it is false (by default).<\/p>\n

For the purpose of demonstration, we will be using the following PowerShell resource:<\/p>\n

function<\/span><\/span> Get-TargetResource<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

{<\/span><\/p>\n

    param<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    (<\/span><\/p>\n

        [<\/span>Parameter<\/span>(<\/span>Mandatory)]<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

        $onlyProperty<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    )<\/span><\/p>\n

    return<\/span><\/span> @{onlyProperty<\/span> =<\/span> Get-Content<\/span> -path<\/span> “<\/span>$env:SystemDrive<\/span><\/span>\\OutputFromTestProviderDebugMode.txt”<\/span>}<\/span><\/p>\n

}<\/span><\/p>\n

function<\/span><\/span> Set-TargetResource<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

{<\/span><\/p>\n

    param<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    (<\/span><\/p>\n

        [<\/span>Parameter<\/span>(<\/span>Mandatory)]<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

        $onlyProperty<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    )<\/span><\/p>\n

    “1”<\/span>|<\/span>Out-File<\/span> –PSPath<\/span><\/span> “<\/span>$env:SystemDrive<\/span><\/span><\/span>\\OutputFromTestProviderDebugMode.txt”<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

}<\/span><\/p>\n

function<\/span><\/span> Test-TargetResource<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

{<\/span><\/p>\n

    param<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    (<\/span><\/p>\n

        [<\/span>Parameter<\/span>(<\/span>Mandatory)]<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

        $onlyProperty<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    )<\/span><\/p>\n

    return<\/span><\/span> $false<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

} <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We author a configuration using the above resource(<\/span>let us call the resource TestProviderDebugMode<\/span>):<\/p>\n

Configuration ConfigTestDebugMode<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

{<\/span><\/p>\n

    Import-DscResource<\/span> -Name TestProviderDebugMode<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    Node localhost<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    {<\/span><\/p>\n

        TestProviderDebugMode<\/span> test<\/span><\/p>\n

        {<\/span><\/p>\n

            onlyProperty<\/span><\/span> = “blah”<\/span><\/p>\n

        }<\/span><\/p>\n

    }<\/span><\/p>\n

}<\/span><\/p>\n

ConfigTestDebugMode<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 If we read the contents of the file: “$env:SystemDrive<\/span><\/span>\\OutputFromTestProviderDebugMode.txt”, we see it is 1. Now, let us update our provider code. For the purpose of demonstration, we will use the following script:<\/p>\n

$newResourceOutput<\/span><\/span> =<\/span> Get-Random<\/span> -Minimum<\/span> 5<\/span> -Maximum<\/span> 30<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

$content<\/span> =<\/span> @”<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

function<\/span><\/span> Get-TargetResource<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

{<\/span><\/p>\n

    param<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    (<\/span><\/p>\n

        [Parameter(<\/span>Mandatory)]<\/span><\/p>\n

        `$onlyProperty<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    )<\/span><\/p>\n

    return<\/span> @{onlyProperty<\/span> = Get-Content -path “<\/span>$env:SystemDrive<\/span><\/span>\\OutputFromTestProviderDebugMode.txt”}<\/span><\/p>\n

}<\/span><\/p>\n

function<\/span><\/span> Set-TargetResource<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

{<\/span><\/p>\n

    param<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    (<\/span><\/p>\n

        [Parameter(<\/span>Mandatory)]<\/span><\/p>\n

        `$onlyProperty<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    )<\/span><\/p>\n

    “<\/span><\/span>$newResourceOutput<\/span><\/span>“|Out-File –PSPath<\/span> C:\\OutputFromTestProviderDebugMode.txt<\/span><\/p>\n

}<\/span><\/p>\n

function<\/span><\/span> Test-TargetResource<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

{<\/span><\/p>\n

    param<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    (<\/span><\/p>\n

        [Parameter(<\/span>Mandatory)]<\/span><\/p>\n

        `$onlyProperty<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    )<\/span><\/p>\n

    return<\/span> `$false<\/span><\/p>\n

}<\/span><\/p>\n

“@<\/span> |<\/span> Out-File<\/span> –FilePath<\/span><\/span> “C:\\Program Files\\WindowsPowerShell\\Modules\\MyPowerShellModules\\DSCResources\\TestProviderDebugMode\\TestProviderDebugMode.psm1”<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It generates a random number and updates the provider code accordingly. This simulates the scenario where you need to make frequent updates to your provider and test them.<\/p>\n

With the DebugMode<\/span> set to false, the contents of the file “$env:SystemDrive<\/span><\/span>\\OutputFromTestProviderDebugMode.txt” are never changed.<\/p>\n

Now let us set the DebugMode<\/span> to true by having the following block in our configuration script:<\/p>\n

LocalConfigurationManager<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

{<\/span><\/p>\n

    DebugMode<\/span> = $true<\/span><\/p>\n

} <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Now, if you run the above script again, you will see that the content of the file is different every time. (You can do a Get-DscConfiguration<\/span> to check it). Here is what I got in two subsequent runs:<\/p>\n

PS C:\\Users\\WinVMAdmin\\Desktop> Get-DscConfiguration<\/span> –CimSession<\/span> (New-CimSession<\/span> localhost<\/span>)<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

onlyProperty<\/span><\/span><\/span>                            PSComputerName<\/span>                         <\/span><\/p>\n

————                            ————–                         <\/span><\/p>\n

20                                      localhost<\/span>                              <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

PS C:\\Users\\WinVMAdmin\\Desktop> Get-DscConfiguration<\/span> –CimSession<\/span> (New-CimSession<\/span> localhost<\/span>)<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

onlyProperty<\/span><\/span><\/span>                            PSComputerName<\/span>                         <\/span><\/p>\n

————                            ————–                         <\/span><\/p>\n

14                                      localhost<\/span>                              <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Happy configuring!<\/p>\n

Abhik Chatterjee<\/p>\n

Windows PowerShell Developer<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The DSC engine caches resources implemented as a PowerShell module for efficiency purposes. This can sometimes turn out to be annoying, when you are authoring a resource and testing it simultaneously. The only way to cause DSC to load the newer version every time is to explicitly kill the process hosting the DSC engine. As […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":600,"featured_media":13641,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[142,150,251,345,348],"class_list":["post-1711","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-powershell","tag-desired-state-configuration","tag-dsc","tag-powershell-4-0","tag-windows-powershell-4-0","tag-windows-powershell-desired-state-configuration"],"acf":[],"blog_post_summary":"

The DSC engine caches resources implemented as a PowerShell module for efficiency purposes. This can sometimes turn out to be annoying, when you are authoring a resource and testing it simultaneously. The only way to cause DSC to load the newer version every time is to explicitly kill the process hosting the DSC engine. As […]<\/p>\n","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/powershell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1711","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/powershell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/powershell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/powershell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/600"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/powershell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1711"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/powershell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1711\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/powershell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13641"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/powershell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1711"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/powershell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1711"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/powershell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1711"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}