Configuration File Format

Synopsis

Configurations map Actions to Targets, then add parameters. For example, a configuration could …

• Assign the Action “Folder”
• To the Target “Servers”
• With the parameter “Path” set to “C:\Contoso”

Causing every server to create the C:\Contoso folder.

In your Content Path, configuration files are stored in the subfolder “configurations” as “.psd1” files. For each target, create a folder with the same name as the target. All configuration files assigned to a target must be placed in that folder.

Using the example above, the configuration file would be in: <ContentPath>/configurations/Servers/folder contoso.psd1

Description

Each Configuration file is assumed to be a psd1 file returning one configuration entry. Each Entry is a hashtable formated thus:

@{
    Name = "Contoso\Scripts Folder"
    Target = "Servers"
    Action = "Folder"
    Parameters = @{
        Path = "C:\Contoso\Scripts"
    }
    Weight = 50
    Tier = 0
    DependsOn = @(
        'Contoso Folder'
    )
}

Parameters

Name

Arbitrary text, used for logging purposes and to declare dependencies on something. Should be unique.

Target

The name of the target the setting applies to. Optional. For documentation purposes, as configuration settings are targeted by the folder they are stored in.

Action

Name of the Action implementing this setting. A mandatory property that must point at an existing action.

Parameters

A hashtable of parameters to pass on to the Action. This governs just how the Action executes. Each Action defines a set of parameters it requires - if they are not provided, execution will fail. Specifying parameters that the action does not use is ok, but will be ignored.

Weight

The Weight determines the processing order within the same tier of settings. The lower the number, the earlier it is applied.

Tier

The tier is the first order sorting mechanism. The lower the tier, the earlier a setting is applied.

DependsOn

A list of configuration settings that must have succeeded in order for the current configuration setting to even be attempted.

Processing Order

Two properties govern the processing order: Tier and Weight. Configuration entries are sorted by Tier first and Weight Second.

Example: Three Configuration entries:

A: Tier 1, Weight 10
B: Tier 2, Weight 40
C: Tier 1, Weight 80

In this situation, the processing order is A > C > B - B might have a lower weight, but since its Tier is higher, it comes after C.