For some reason DSC errors out with a credential object contains a null password. Unfortunately that is the mechanism use to set group managed service accounts.
Here is a link to a relevant bug in xWebAdministration: https://github.com/PowerShell/xWebAdministration/issues/80#issuecomment-171364644

And here is an example of the output your recieve when you attempt to use a managed service account:

"VERBOSE: [COMPUTERNAME]: LCM: [ End Test ] [[xWebAppPool]testpool] in 0.0070 seconds.
The password supplied to the Desired State Configuration resource MSFT_xWebAppPool is not valid. The password cannot be null or empty.
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidResult: (:) [], CimException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidPassword
+ PSComputerName : localhost

I am trying to update Pester on Windows 2016 to 4.x because the preshipped Pester 3.4.0 emits a note about the depreciation of the -quiet switch when I use the quiet switch. This get's scooped into stdout when executing via AWS SSM remote commands. Version 3.x complains it does not understand "-Show None".

I want to update to 4.x - in which I ran into all the problems documented here: https://github.com/OneGet/oneget/issues/215

But ended up with "Install-module pester -force -SkipPublisherCheck.

So far so bad, but when I go to remove the 3.4.0 version (with admin rights) from: 'c:\program files\windowspowershell\modules\pester\3.4.0' I get errors because only TrustedInstaller has permissions.

If this scenario wasn't horrible enough, putting preinstalled modules under Windows Resource Protection really throws it over the top.

Could someone please make sure that preinstalled modules can be *replaced* cleanly? Or don't preinstall them?

Advances to the current PullServer are, quite frankly, slow and moving in a direction questionable to most MVPs. Microsoft should follow their own lead they took with the DSC modules: opensource it and place it on GitHub so that the community can invest in making a tool that we'd actually like to use.

Example of features still missing that everyone wants:
1. certificate management (use self-signed or pki)
2. web interface for compliance reporting

Example of features added that are questionable/actually bad ideas:
1. partial configurations (multiple pull server sources, mofs, and reports all being _managed_ by the node? who thought this was a good idea when we could do this with composite configurations more elegantly?)
2. specific LCMConfiguration class (why should I _have_ to now maintain two configuration files when 1 used to be just fine? Is it so i can use a feature #1?)

The pullserver is a critical component when it comes to the success of DSC but it's evolving too slowly. Open it up and let the few who are dedicated to DSC succeeding develop an ecosystem that will allow that to happen.

Votes from Connect: 11

Original Date Submitted: 2/6/2013 3:35:55 AM

Description:

********Contact Information********
Handle: DougBB
Site Name: PowerShell
Feedback ID: 778597
***************************************

Frequency: Always Happens
Regression: No, this is new to the most recent version

Problem Description:
Under certain circumstances, when Write-Progress is used in Windows PowerShell ISE and a new tab is opened, the Write-Progress output does not display properly. Closing tabs makes it appear.

Product Studio item created by Connect Synchronizer due to creation of feedback ID 778597 (http://connect.microsoft.com/PowerShell/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=778597).

Repro Steps:
1. Run "powershell_ise.exe -noprofile"
2. Paste the following code in the script pane:
$i = 1..100
$i | % {
write-progress -Activity "Testing Output" -Status $_ -PercentComplete $_
sleep 1
}
3. Note the progress bar works properly
4. Open a new tab by pressing Ctrl+T
5. Switch back to the first tab
6. Note the progress bar continues to works properly
7. Close the second tab
8. Open a new tab by pressing Ctrl+T
9. Switch back to the first tab and note the progress bar is missing
10. Close the third tab
11. Note that the progress bar displays properly again

Expected Results:
The progress bar from Write-Progress is displayed regardless of the state of the tabs in the ISE.

Internal BugId: 4106

Votes from Connect: 23

Original Date Submitted: 10/31/2011 9:54:18 PM

Description:
********Contact Information********
Handle: FuriouS76
Site Name: PowerShell
Feedback ID: 698161
***************************************

Frequency: Always Happens
Regression: Yes, this happens in all previous versions

Problem Description:
I have tried many of the IDE/ISE options out there and prefer Windows ISE. The one feature I would like to see is the ability to undock or break out each pane across multiple monitors. This would allow users in multi-monitor setups to configure the ISE in an ideal setup that would allow faster coding / debugging.

Thanks,
Kirk Hammond.

Product Studio item created by Connect Synchronizer due to creation of feedback ID 698161 (http://connect.microsoft.com/PowerShell/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=698161).

Repro Steps:
n/a

Expected Results:
n/a

Internal BugId: 3128

Votes from Connect: 391

Original Date Submitted: 5/21/2015 12:20:32 AM

Description:
********Contact Information********
Handle: June Blender
Site Name: PowerShell
Feedback ID: 1351032
***************************************

Problem Description:
PowerShell users often read .NET reference pages in MSDN. It's all but required, because Get-Help doesn't describe object members. However, in the Examples section of .NET reference pages, there are no PowerShell examples; not even a PowerShell tab.

MSDN says they cannot demonstrate a demand for PowerShell examples. I'd like to use this feature request to demonstrate the demand.

Product Studio item created by Connect Synchronizer due to creation of feedback ID 1351032 (http://connect.microsoft.com/PowerShell/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=1351032).

Repro Steps:

Internal BugId: 14500

It would be very useful if Out-Gridview provided a build in display of the number of objects in the grid. This could be in a status bar at the bottom or at the top along with the Add Criteria button.

This would update as the filters are applied. It would also be nice if the selected items had a count as well.

It would be especially useful with -passthru as you could have an estimate on the number of objects being passed to the next cmdlet in the pipeline.

You can come up with the count by using measure-object, but that number only comes after committing to pass objects back through the pipeline.

I often pass things from the clipboard or csv files to cmdlets and it would be nice to know how many are going through at execution time.

Love PowerShell!

In order to register external module dependencies (dependencies living in another repository), the name has to be registered in a string array property within the PSData Hashtable property in the PrivateData section in the psd1 manifest like so for registering module 'psFtp':

PrivateData = @{
PSData = @{
# ExternalModuleDependencies
ExternalModuleDependencies = @('psFtp')
}
} # End of PrivateData hashtable

However, the new-modulemanifest doesn't have an -ExternalModuleDepencies parameter, nor is it possible to register externalmoduledependencies like so:

-PrivateData @{ PSData = @{ ExternalModuleDependencies = @('psFtp') } }

Which from a client perspective of the the existing new-modulemanifest api, would be an intuitive way of setting ExternalModuleDependencies.

Suggestion is:
Either make -ExternalModuleDependencies available as parameter or let the processing of the -PrivateData arguments handle nested hashtables (such as PSData in this case).

Delegating access to Windows Server functions (e.g., create a DHCP reservation, modify a DNS record, provision a share, etc.) in a heterogeneous, modern, self-service environment is greatly hindered by available protocols. While RPC, CIM, psremoting/wsman/soap, et al. are *technically* open, they are far enough from modern mainstream app heterogeneous ease of use that they are practically Windows only.
Windows should provide a facility to easily expose Windows functions as simple REST-ish APIs accessible to any calling platform. JEA makes a great engine for executing delegated functions, so I would imagine using JEA or similar as the execution context, but with a REST-ish API in front of it to take requests and return results as JSON or whatnot.
This isn't a new idea (see https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/powershell/2014/09/29/simple-http-api-for-executing-powershell-scripts/ and https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh880865(v=vs.85).aspx ), but currently it is difficult to implement. Windows should embrace this scenario and make it easier to configure and deploy with strong security assurances and clear guidance.