Picassio2

Picassio2 is a redesigned Picassio that is code-over-config. Instead of writing a JSON file with steps to run, you can now import the Picassio2 module and write your deployment/automation steps in pure PowerShell. Giving you all the flexibility you could want - you can even run steps in parallel and on remote servers.

• Installing Picassio2
• Features
• Description
• Example Scripts
• Extensions
• Bugs and Feature Requests

Installing Picassio2

Coming soon via Install-Module and Chocolatey.

Features

Picassio2 allows you to write deployment and automation steps completely in PowerShell, meaning you could just use the Step option and then do whatever you want. Though to make your lives easier, Picassio2 comes with some inbuilt functions:

• Ability to use general PowerShell inside and outside of Picassio2's steps
• Archive and Extract files/directories with 7-zip
• Run Cake build scripts for your projects
• Copy files/directories, create temporary directories, and create temporary network drives to remote systems
• Create and remove websites, application pools and bindings in IIS
• Create and remove Windows Services
• Install and uninstall Windows Features and Optional Features
• Test if software is installed and fail if not installed
• Setup ACL permissions on files and directories
• Run steps on remote machines - requires Picassio2 to be installed on remote machine
• Install software using chocolatey (will self-install chocolatey)
• Manage databases using SSDT scripts
• Post messages to Slack channels!
• And many more...

Description

Picassio2 is a PowerShell module that helps with automating deployment tasks on local or remote servers.

With Picassio2 there are no JSON, YAML, or any other configuration files - everything is written purely in PowerShell. Unlike with the first Picassio where you needed a JSON file with defined steps, you can now import Picassio2 as a module and then just run the script as you would any other PowerShell script.

Example Scripts

• Example of running single steps

Import-Module Picassio2

Step 'Archive' {
    # archive a directory
    Invoke-PicassioArchive -Path 'C:\path\to\some\folder' -ZipPath 'C:\path\to\some\folder.7z'
}

Write-Host 'Random PowerShell between steps!'

Step 'Build Solution' {
    # run a cake build script
    Invoke-PicassioCake -Path 'C:\path\to\your\repo'
}

Step 'Name' {
    # plus any other powershell you want
}

• Example of running a single step on a remote machine

Picassio2 will need to be installed on the remote machine

Import-Module Picassio2

Step 'Install Features' -ComputerName 'Name' -Credentials (Get-Credential) {
    # install iis on remote machine
    Install-PicassioWindowsFeature -Name 'Web-Server' -IncludeAllSubFeatures
}

• Example of running steps in parallel

Import-Module Picassio2

ParallelStep 'Multiple Cake Builds' @(
    {
        Invoke-PicassioCake -Path 'C:\path\to\your\repo1'
    },
    {
        Invoke-PicassioCake -Path 'C:\path\to\your\repo2'
    },
    {
        Invoke-PicassioCake -Path 'C:\path\to\your\repo3'
    }
)

How do you run these scripts? Well, if you save the last example as build-cake.ps1, then to run it just do:

> .\build-cake.ps1

Yes, it's that simple!

Extensions

This is a feature pulled over from the original Picassio: Extension scripts. If you have scripts you want to use via Picassio2, and want their functions to be loaded with Picassio2 then place them at:

C:\Picassio2\Extensions

Any PowerShell (*.ps1) scripts here will be loaded with the Picassio2 module. If you use remoting any of your steps, then these extensions will have to exist on the remote machines as well.

Bugs and Feature Requests

For any bugs you may find or features you wish to request, please create an issue in GitHub.