Simplify your daily work as an IT Administrator by using the Azure based Group Policy Search website. This site helps you to find the GPO settings you are looking for.
The following screenshot shows an example when search for "Outlook PST"
Enjoy GPO Search.
Are you unsure, if you should migrate to Office 365? You want to know more about security of cloud applications and services? Your Exchange Server infrastructure requires an upgrade? Contact me via email: thomas@mcsmemail.de
This blog post is about creating an Twitter Bot to tweet messages using Azure Automation. The steps and the script itself are based on Trevor Sullivan's TechNet Gallery post. His post assumes that you are familiar with some Azure Automation steps. So I am going to describe the required steps in more detail.
You'll need the following components to setup your personal Twitter Bot.
First you'll need to create a Twitter application to reference your Azure Automation bot. The authentication information of your Twitter application will be needed in step 2.
The information required are
You need to create a new Twitter application by accesssing the following link: https://apps.twitter.com/
Ensure that you've added your mobile phone number to your Twitter account before creating a new Twitter application. This is a requirement for creating Twitter applications.
Log on to Twitter using the Twitter account you want your Twitter Bot to post as.You'll see something similar as this:
Just click Create New App.
Enter the information as needed. The application name must be a globally unique name. So it might be tricky to find a suitable application name. Click Create your Twitter application to finally create the application.
Select Keys and Access Tokens and copy the Consumer Key (API Key) and the Consumer Secret (API Secret) value into a text editor of your choice.
Further down on the same web page you'll find the Your Access Token section.
Click Create my access token.
After you've created the access token, copy the Access Token and the Access Token Secret to your text editor document. You'll need all four values in just a moment.
The Azure automation component will require application credentials for posting Tweets on your behalf. These required credentials are stored in a JSON file. Yo do not need top worry about the JSON data format.
The PoshTwit PowerShell module helps you to create the required JSON file.
The simpliest way to get the PoshTwit module is by installing the module directly from the PowerShell Gallery using an Administrative PowerShell session.
Install-Module PoshTwit
If you cannot use the Install-Module cmdlet, use the link provided in the Links section.
Remember that this step is only needed to create the JSON file containing the required credential information for Azure Automation.
After you've successfully installed the PoshTwit module, call the Set-PoshTwitToken cmdlet using all four Twitter app credential information to create the authentication JSON file.
Set-PoshTwitToken -ConsumerKey [YourConsumerKey] -ConsumerSecret [YourConsumerSecret] -AccessToken [YourAccessToken] -AccessSecret [AccessSecret]
The JSON file wil be created in the PowerShell module installtion folder. Which is by default:
C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\PoshTwit\0.1.6
The version number might differ depending on the version you've installed.
Open the token.json file and copy the content to your text editor. The content of the token.json file will be the password for the Azure Automation credential object. The content will look like this:
{"ConsumerKey":"9FX***********","ConsumerSecret":"4kIxa***********","AccessToken":"24540854***********","AccessSecret":"OSYP***********"}
You should see your Twitter application authentication information. You will nedd to copy & paste this string including the curly brackets as account credentials at a later step.
Log on to the Azure Portal and create a new Azure Automation account. The Azure Automation will host your automation runbooks, variables and other settings. You can have multiple Azure Automation accounts. This is especially usefull when you want to delegate access and control of Automation accounts to different members of staff.
Click '+', enter Auto as search text and select Automation.
Click Create on the next blade.
Configure your new Azure Automation account by using a unique name, select the appropriate Azure subscription, create a new Resource Group or use an existing, select the Azure location, leave Yes as the default option for creating an Azure Run As account, select the checkbox to pin the Azure Automation account to your Azure dashboard, and click Create.
After you've been redirected to the Azure Dashboard wait for the Azure Automation Account to be created. If you are not redirected to the Azure Automation blade automatically, select the Automation Account tile on the Azure dashboard.
Select Process Automation - Runbooks. You'll notice two tutorials and two tutorial scripts which are automatically provisioned for you.
Click Add a runbook to create the Twitter Bot runbook.
The next step requires that you've download the Tweet-PowerShellTips.ps1 script. If you haven't, download it now.
Select Import an exisiting runbook and browse for the downloaded PowerShell script on the next blade. After selecting the PowerShell file the fiel will be uploaded and validated automatically. The Runbook type and Runbook name properties will be set automatically for you. Just enter a short description for your runbook. Click Create.
The uploaded PowerShell script utilizes the PoshTwit PowerShell module. This PowerShell module needs to be available within the Azure Automation account as well. Additonal PowerShell modules are configured within the Shared Resources section of your Azure Automation account. The PoshTwit module is added from the PowerShell Gallery.
Select Modules Gallery, enter PoshTwit as search text and press Enter, click the PoshTwit search result tile.
Click Import to import the PowerShell module to thre shared ressources of your Azure Automation account. Click OK on the following blade. Close the PoshTwit module blade.
Now you'll add the required Twitter application credentials to the Shared Resources of the Azure Automation account.
Select Shared Resources - Credentials and click Add a credential.
Use TwitterCredential as Name and User name. The variable is accessed by the PowerShell script using the cmdlet
Get-AutomationPSCredential -Name TwitterCredential
Now copy and paste the full JSON file content as Password and Password confirmation. Click Create to save the new credential information.
Select the new runbook from the list of runbooks to edit the runbook properties.
Click Edit to edit the PowerShell code to adjust the tweets to match your needs (at least). YOu are able to edit the PowerShell code directly from the browser window.
Ensure to click Save, after you've edited the PowerShell code.
Each time you've edited an Azure Runbook, you need to publish the new version of the runbook. Click Publish and confirm the publishing with Yes.
You can test your runbook using the Test pane. The script itself will not write any output to the output windows, as the script does not use any Write-Output cmdlets.
You can add the following PowerShell code to the script to output the Tweet Id and Tweet text.
Write-Output "Publish Tweet $($TweetId) | $($TweetList[$TweetId])"
As a last step you need to create a schedule to post random tweets automatically. Automation schedules are created as shared resources again.
Select Shared Resources - Schedules and click Add a schedule.
Configure a schedule name, the start date, the schedule time zone, and the recurring interval. Click Create.
Select your runbook to link the just created schedule.
Select Schedules and click Add a schedule.
Click Link a schedule to your runbook, select the schedule and click OK.
The runbook schedules overview will show an information when the next run will be initiated.
That's it. Your Azure Automation Twitter Bot is up and running.
Now you can simply edit the runbook, add new tweets to the string array, save the changes and publish the changed runbook for production use. As long as the changes are not published, Azure Automation will use the last published version of the runbook.
Enjoy Azure.
This is the source code of the updated PowerShell script.
# Array of tweets # Ensure that the length of each tweet does not exceed 140 characters # Ensure to have at least 2 entries $TweetList = @( 'Find more #PowerShell #scripts at http://scripts.granikos.eu ', 'More #Office365 and #MSFTExchange tips at http://JustCantGetEnough.granikos.eu ' ) # Get a tweet text by random $TweetId = Get-Random -Minimum 0 -Maximum ($TweetList.Count - 1); # Fetch automation credentials $TwitterCredential = Get-AutomationPSCredential -Name TwitterCredential; $TwitterCredential = ConvertFrom-Json -InputObject $TwitterCredential.GetNetworkCredential().Password; # Provision the tweet $Tweet = @{ ConsumerKey = $TwitterCredential.ConsumerKey; ConsumerSecret = $TwitterCredential.ConsumerSecret; AccessToken = $TwitterCredential.AccessToken; AccessSecret = $TwitterCredential.AccessSecret; Tweet = $TweetList[$TweetId]; }; # Publish the tweet Publish-Tweet @Tweet;
The community script Update-CASMailbox simplifies the process for enabling or disabling protocols for Exchange mailbox access. Active Directory security groups are used to enable or disable a protocol for the group members.
Your Active Directory contains a security group named Exchange_POP_enabled which contains all mailbox users requiring POP3 access to be enabled.
You can use the following command to have POP3 enabled for all members of the given security group.
.\Update-CAS-Mailbox.ps1 -POP -FeatureEnabled $true -GroupName Exchange_POP_enabled
The script does not disable the POP3 for all non-members, as this might not be required as all new mailboxes have POP3 disabled anyway. If there is such a requirement, just let me know.
The following protocols are currently supported:
You need assistance with your Exchange Server setup? You have questions about your Exchange Server infrastructure and going hybrid with Office 365? You are interested in what Exchange Server 2016 has to offer for your environment?
The script can be used to assign an application account (e.g. CRM, ERP) send-as permission to user mailboxes to send emails AS the user and not as the application.
This script loops through a membership list of an Active Directory security group. A single mailbox (CRM/ERP service account mailbox) is added to each mailbox (CRM/ERP user mailbox) of the security group members to provide send-as permission.
The script has been developed as a solution to enable proper functionality with Dynamics NAV 2016.
# Assign Send-As permission to crmapplication@varunagroup.de for all members # of 'CRM-FrontLine' security group. The mailboxes as hosted On-Premises! .\Set-SendAsPermission.ps1 -SendAsGroup 'CRM-FrontLine' -SendAsUserUpn 'crmapplication@varunagroup.de'
# Assign Send-As permission to ax@granikoslabs.eu for all members of 'AX-Sales' # security group. All mailboxes are hosted in Exchange Online! .\Set-SendAsPermission.ps1 -SendAsGroup 'AX-Sales' -SendAsUserUpn 'ax@granikoslabs.eu' -ExchangeOnline
This script sets the mailbox ExternalOofOptions to 'External' for members of a given security group.
ExternalOofOptions for users that are NOT a member of the security group will be set to 'InternalOnly'. If required the script will set the ExternalAudience to None and will delete an existing OOF message.
Controlling the ExternalOofOptions and ExternalAudience settings has been implemented to follow dedicated company compliance rules.
This is the second of two scripts for the complete solution. Find the first script here.
# EXAMPLE # Run script with default settings .\Set-ExternalOOF.ps1
Last Updated: 2018-07-06
This scripts creates a new room mailbox and security two groups for full mailbox access and and for send-as delegation. The security groups are created using a configurable naming convention. If required by your Active Directory team, you can add group prefixes or department abbreviations as well.
The script uses a Xml configuration file to simplify changes for variables unique for your environment.
High level steps executes by the script:
The calendar booking security group feature is currently not available. But will be available in an upcoming release.
The following example creates a room mailbox for an Conference Room with empty security groups.
.\New-RoomMailbox.ps1 -RoomMailboxName "MB - Conference Room" -RoomMailboxDisplayName "Board Conference Room" -RoomMailboxAlias "MB-ConferenceRoom" -RoomMailboxSmtpAddress "ConferenceRoom@mcsmemail.de" -DepartmentPrefix "C"
You can simplify the use of the script by using a paramterized helper script named Run-NewRoomMailbox.ps1.
The following Run-NewRoomMailbox.ps1 script simplifies the process of creating a team mailbox even more.
$roomMailboxName = 'MB-Conference Room' $roomMailboxDisplayName = 'Board Conference Room' $roomMailboxAlias = 'MB-ConferenceRoom' $roomMailboxSmtpAddress = 'ConferenceRoom@mcsmemail.de' $departmentPrefix = 'C' $groupFullAccessMembers = @('JohnDoe','JaneDoe') # Empty = @() $groupSendAsMembers = @() $groupCalendarBookingMembers = @() $RoomCapacity = 0 $RoomList = 'AllRoomsHQ' $Language = 'en-GB' .\New-RoomMailbox.ps1 -RoomMailboxName $roomMailboxName -RoomMailboxDisplayName $roomMailboxDisplayName -RoomMailboxAlias $roomMailboxAlias -RoomMailboxSmtpAddress $roomMailboxSmtpAddress -DepartmentPrefix $departmentPrefix -GroupFullAccessMembers $groupFullAccessMembers -GroupSendAsMembers $groupSendAsMembers -RoomCapacity $RoomCapacity -AutoAccept -RoomList $RoomList -Language $Language
This scripts creates a new shared mailbox (aka team mailbox) and security groups for full access and and send-as delegation. The security groups are created using a naming convention. If required by your Active Directory team, you can add group prefixes or department abbreviations as well.
<?xml version="1.0"?> <Settings> <GroupSettings> <Prefix>pre_</Prefix> <SendAsSuffix>_SA</SendAsSuffix> <FullAccessSuffix>_FA</FullAccessSuffix> <CalendarBookingSuffix>_CB</CalendarBookingSuffix> <TargetOU>mcsmemail.de/IT/Groups/Mail</TargetOU> <Domain>mcsmemail.de</Domain> <Seperator>-</Seperator> </GroupSettings> <AccountSettings> <TargetOU>mcsmemail.de/IT/SharedMailboxes</TargetOU> </AccountSettings> <GeneralSettings> <Sleep>10</Sleep> </GeneralSettings> </Settings>
The following example creates an empty shared mailbox for an internal Exchange Admin team with empty security groups.
.\New-TeamMailbox.ps1 -TeamMailboxName "TM-Exchange Admins" ` -TeamMailboxDisplayName "Exchange Admins" ` -TeamMailboxAlias "TM-ExchangeAdmins" ` -TeamMailboxSmtpAddress "ExchangeAdmins@mcsmemail.de" ` -DepartmentPrefix "IT"
The following Create-TeamMailbox.ps1 script simplifies the process of creating a team mailbox even more.
$teamMailboxName = 'TM-Exchange Admin' $teamMailboxDisplayName = 'Exchange Admins' $teamMailboxAlias = 'TM-ExchangeAdmin' $teamMailboxSmtpAddress = 'ExchangeAdmins@mcsmemails.de' $departmentPrefix = 'IT' $groupFullAccessMembers = @('exAdmin1','exAdmin2') $groupSendAsMember = @('exAdmin1','exAdmin2') .\New-TeamMailbox.ps1 -TeamMailboxName $teamMailboxName ` -TeamMailboxDisplayName $teamMailboxDisplayName ` -TeamMailboxAlias $teamMailboxAlias ` -TeamMailboxSmtpAddress $teamMailboxSmtpAddress ` -DepartmentPrefix $departmentPrefix ` -GroupFullAccessMembers $groupFullAccessMembers ` -GroupSendAsMember $groupSendAsMember -Verbose