Using Verbose messages in Azure Automation Runbooks

While developing PowerShell scripts I like to add Verbose messages to my scripts. If you want to find more information about Write-Verbose check this TechNet webpage.

But how can use Write-Verbose messages in your Azure Automation Runbooks? There are two ways to have Verbose messages being shown when running your Azure Automation Runbooks:

1. Change the default setting of the $VerbosePreference build-in variable from ‘SilentlyContinue’ to ‘Continue’
   
2. Change the Logging and Tracing settings from the Azure Automation Runbook for Log verbose records from Off to On.
   

Let’s now see how this works. First let us change the $VerbosePreference variable. I have configured the $VerbosePreference to ‘Continue’ in my stsHelloWorld runbook.

Let’s test this using the (Azure Automation PowerShell ISE Add-On) https://github.com/azureautomation/azure-automation-ise-addon.

Here you see the verbose messages being shown in the Test pane of the Azure Automation PowerShell ISE Add-On..

But how do we use the second method of showing the verbose messages without changing the $VerbosePreference setting?

I use the following PowerShell script to enable and disable the verbose logging setting in Azure Automation Runbooks.

Code Snippet

1. #requires -Version 3 -Modules AzureRM.Automation, AzureRM.profile, AzureRM.Resources
2.  
3. # ---------------------------------------------------
4. # Script: C:\Users\stefstr\OneDrive - Microsoft\Scripts\PS\NN\RunbookAutomation.ps1
5. # Version: 0.1
6. # Author: Stefan Stranger
7. # Date: 06/10/2016 13:01:29
8. # Description: Script to test Runbooks
9. # Comments:
10. # Changes:  
11. # Disclaimer:
12. # This example is provided “AS IS” with no warranty expressed or implied. Run at your own risk.
13. # **Always test in your lab first**  Do this at your own risk!!
14. # The author will not be held responsible for any damage you incur when making these changes!
15. # ---------------------------------------------------
16.  
17. #Login to Azure
18. Add-AzureRmAccount
19.  
20. #Select Azure Subscription
21. $subscriptionId =
22. (Get-AzureRmSubscription |
23.     Out-GridView `
24.     -Title 'Select an Azure Subscription ...' `
25. -PassThru).SubscriptionId
26.  
27. Set-AzureRmContext -SubscriptionId $subscriptionId
28.  
29. #Select ResourceGroup
30. $ResourceGroup = Get-AzureRmResourceGroup | Out-GridView -PassThru
31.  
32.  
33. #Select AutomationAccount
34. $AutomationAccount = Get-AzureRmAutomationAccount -ResourceGroupName $ResourceGroup.ResourceGroupName | Out-GridView -PassThru
35.  
36. #Retrieve Runbooks
37. $runbook = Get-AzureRmAutomationRunbook -ResourceGroupName $ResourceGroup.ResourceGroupName -AutomationAccountName $AutomationAccount.AutomationAccountName |
38. Out-GridView -Title 'Select Runbook' -PassThru
39.  
40.  
41. #Show Runbook info
42. $runbook
43.  
44.  
45. #Enable Verbose logging
46. $runbook |
47.     Set-AzureRmAutomationRunbook -LogVerbose $true
48.  
49.  
50. #Start Runbook
51. $runbook |
52.     Start-AzureRmAutomationRunbook -Wait
53.  
54.  
55. #Check status Runbook
56. $Result = (Get-AzureRMAutomationJob -ResourceGroupName $ResourceGroup.ResourceGroupName -AutomationAccountName $AutomationAccount.AutomationAccountName)[0]
57. $Result
58.  
59. #Get All Output
60. Get-AzureRmAutomationJob -id $Result.JobId $ResourceGroup.ResourceGroupName -AutomationAccountName $AutomationAccount.AutomationAccountName |
61.         Get-AzureRmAutomationJobOutput |
62.             Select-Object -Property Summary, Type, Time
63.  
64. #Disable Verbose Output
65. $runbook | Set-AzureRmAutomationRunbook -LogVerbose $false

Here is how it works in action:

I prefer the last option but it’s up to you.

P.S. I changed roles within Microsoft I’m now Consultant for the Data Platform