Azure Automation Runbooks

This post is all about connecting runbook to the Azure and perform the task in simple words you can create your script and put it in the runbook panel but it wouldn't work until you will set the authentication. There are ways you can authenticate your runbooks and we will be discussing PS credential and automation connection.

Below is the code that would help you creating the PS credential for your runbook

$user = "MyDomain\MyUser"

$pw = ConvertTo-SecureString "PassWord!" -AsPlainText -Force

$cred = New-Object –TypeName System.Management.Automation.PSCredential –ArgumentList $user, $pw

New-AzureAutomationCredential -AutomationAccountName "MyAutomationAccount" -Name "MyCredential" -Value $cred

Now once the PS Cred is created you can retrieve these via Get-automationPSCrendential.

Your code in the runbook would look like this :

$myCredential = Get-AutomationPSCredential -Name 'MyCredential'

$userName = $myCredential.UserName

$securePassword = $myCredential.Password

$password = $myCredential.GetNetworkCredential().Password

$myPsCred = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PSCredential ($userName,$password)

Connect-AzureRmAccount -Credential $myPsCred

Now lets talk about authenticating via Azure connections. Below is the code that would help you get it done and once authentication is done then you can perform your script like starting or stopping VM. You can also link you runbook with the schedule as well.

$connection = Get-AutomationConnection -Name AzureRunAsConnection

Connect-AzureRmAccount -ServicePrincipal -Tenant $connection.TenantID `

-ApplicationID $connection.ApplicationID -CertificateThumbprint $connection.CertificateThumbprint

Most common error that we face is mentioned below and error itself says something is wrong with the module means module is not updated and you need to update module and you can not update it from the runbook or automation account panel like all days but you can import it from PS Gallery and better use Update Azure modules runbook repository on GitHub and you also refer below links -

        “Connect-AzureRmAccount not recoConnect-AzureRmAccount : The term 'Connect-AzureRmAccount' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script Azure runbook”

Once you update your module above mentioned error would be fixed and your runbook will work like charm.

Reference link -

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/automation-update-azure-modules