Question 1

How do I structure a production-grade PowerShell function?

Accepted Answer

Use advanced functions with CmdletBinding, parameter validation, WhatIf/Confirm, robust error handling, and pipeline support.

```powershell
function Get-DiskFree {
  [CmdletBinding(SupportsShouldProcess=$true)]
  param(
    [Parameter(Mandatory,ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName)]
    [string[]]$ComputerName,
    [ValidateRange(1,60)][int]$TimeoutSec = 5
  )
  begin { $results = @() }
  process {
    foreach($c in $ComputerName){
      if($PSCmdlet.ShouldProcess($c,'Query disk free space')){
        try {
          $r = Invoke-Command -ComputerName $c -ScriptBlock {
            Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_LogicalDisk -Filter 'DriveType=3' |
              Select-Object PSComputerName,DeviceID,
                @{n='SizeGB';e={[math]::Round($_.Size/1GB,2)}},
                @{n='FreeGB';e={[math]::Round($_.FreeSpace/1GB,2)}}
          } -ErrorAction Stop
          $results += $r
        } catch {
          $results += [pscustomobject]@{ PSComputerName=$c; DeviceID='*'; SizeGB=$null; FreeGB=$null; Error=$_.Exception.Message }
        }
      }
    }
  }
  end { $results | Sort-Object PSComputerName,DeviceID }
}
# Usage:
# Get-DiskFree -ComputerName 'srv1','srv2' -WhatIf
```
Best practices: comment-based help, tests with Pester, lint with PSScriptAnalyzer, and semantic versioning if packaging as a module.

Question 2

How do I manage modules and versions cleanly?

Accepted Answer

Discover/install with PowerShellGet (v2) or PSResourceGet (newer). Pin versions and prefer CurrentUser scope.

```powershell
# PowerShellGet (v2)
Find-Module Pester
Install-Module Pester -Scope CurrentUser -Force
Update-Module Pester
Get-InstalledModule
Uninstall-Module Pester -AllVersions
Save-Module Pester -Path ./offline-repo

# PSResourceGet (newer)
Install-PSResource PSScriptAnalyzer -Scope CurrentUser
Find-PSResource PSScriptAnalyzer
Update-PSResource PSScriptAnalyzer
Register-PSResourceRepository -Name Internal -Uri 'https://myfeed.example.com'
```
Tip: lock dependencies with RequiredVersion in your module manifest; mirror critical modules to an internal repository for reproducibility.

Question 3

What are the key differences between Windows PowerShell 5.1 and PowerShell 7+?

Accepted Answer

Runtime: 5.1 runs on .NET Framework (Windows-only); 7+ runs on .NET (Core) cross-platform. Performance: 7+ has improved pipeline throughput and ForEach-Object -Parallel. Compatibility: some Windows-only modules target 5.1; in 7+, use the WindowsCompatibility layer (importing via a 5.1 process) when needed. Remoting: 7+ supports SSH remoting in addition to WinRM. New features: Get-Error, ternary operator, null-coalescing (-??), and improved error views.

Question 4

How do I run commands on remote machines securely?

Accepted Answer

On Windows, enable PS Remoting and use WinRM; on cross-platform, prefer SSH-based remoting.

```powershell
# Windows (WinRM)
Enable-PSRemoting -Force
Invoke-Command -ComputerName 'srv1','srv2' -ScriptBlock { hostname; whoami }
Enter-PSSession -ComputerName 'srv1'

# Cross-platform (SSH)
Enter-PSSession -HostName server.example.com -UserName admin
Invoke-Command -HostName server.example.com -UserName admin -ScriptBlock { uname -a }
```
Security tips: use least-privileged accounts, constrain endpoints, avoid CredSSP unless required, and prefer certificate/SSH key auth over passwords.

Question 5

How do I handle errors and produce useful logs?

Accepted Answer

Promote terminating errors and capture rich context; log in structured JSON.

```powershell
$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
try {
  Invoke-RestMethod 'https://api.example.com/data' -TimeoutSec 20
} catch {
  $err = Get-Error -Newest 1
  [pscustomobject]@{
    Timestamp = (Get-Date).ToString('o')
    Message   = $err.Exception.Message
    Category  = $err.CategoryInfo.Category
    Target    = $err.TargetObject
    Script    = $err.InvocationInfo.ScriptName
    Line      = $err.InvocationInfo.ScriptLineNumber
  } | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 5 | Out-File ./app.log -Append
  throw
}
Start-Transcript -Path ./session.txt
```
Use PSScriptAnalyzer to catch issues: `Install-Module PSScriptAnalyzer; Invoke-ScriptAnalyzer -Path . -Recurse -Fix`.

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PowerShell Q&A (deep dive)

How do I structure a production-grade PowerShell function?

How do I manage modules and versions cleanly?

What are the key differences between Windows PowerShell 5.1 and PowerShell 7+?

How do I run commands on remote machines securely?

How do I handle errors and produce useful logs?