SQL Server 2008 introduces support for Microsoft PowerShell. PowerShell is a powerful scripting shell that lets administrators and developers automate server administration and application deployment. The PowerShell language supports more complex logic than Transact-SQL scripts, giving SQL Server administrators the ability to build robust administration scripts. PowerShell scripts can also be used to administer other Microsoft server products. This gives administrators a common scripting language across servers.

SQL Server provides two PowerShell snap-ins that implement:

• A SQL Server provider, which enables a simple navigation mechanism similar to file system paths. You can build paths similar to file system paths, where the drive is associated with a SQL Server management object model, and the nodes are based on the object model classes. You can then use familiar commands such as cd and dir to navigate the paths similar to the way you navigate folders in a command prompt window. You can use other commands, such as ren or del, to perform actions on the nodes in the path.
  
• A set of cmdlets, which are commands used in PowerShell scripts to specify a SQL Server action. The SQL Server cmdlets support actions such as running a sqlcmd script containing Transact-SQL or XQuery statements.
  

Note:
SQL Server 2008 only supports PowerShell scripts for the technologies supported by the SQL Server Management Objects (SMO): the Database Engine and Service Broker.

 In This Section

Topic	Description
SQL Server PowerShell Help	Lists the locations of information about using SQL Server with PowerShell. Describes how to use Get-Help to get information in the PowerShell environment.
Running SQL Server PowerShell	Contains information about the different ways that SQL Server PowerShell scripts can be run. This includes a new sqlps command prompt utility, integration into SQL Server Management Studio, and SQL Server Agent job steps.
Using the SQL Server PowerShell Provider	Contains information about the SQL Server PowerShell provider that supports the ability to navigate a hierarchy of SQL Server objects.
Using the SQL Server cmdlets	Contains information about the SQL Server PowerShell cmdlets that specify SQL Server actions.
Using SQL Server Identifiers in PowerShell	Contains information about using SQL Server delimited identifiers in PowerShell.
Learning PowerShell	Lists the locations of information describing how to get started using PowerShell.

 See Also

Other Resources

How to: Enable or Disable a Server Network Protocol (SQL Server PowerShell)
Scripting (Database Engine)

Help and Information

Getting SQL Server 2008 Assistance