Run Azure PowerShell cmdlets using Docker Containers

In this blog post, we’ll show you how to run Azure PowerShell cmdlets using Docker containers.

Azure PowerShell provides a familiar PowerShell interface to manage Azure resources and infrastructure. It enables you to automate tasks, provision resources, and integrate scripting into CI/CD pipelines in Azure DevOps. As of its version 14 release, Azure PowerShell supports 100% of all Azure services, giving organizations the ability to automate business processes and reduce manual operations via the Azure portal.

Running Azure PowerShell from a Docker container offers several key benefits:

• No local installation required: Azure PowerShell runs from an isolated Docker image, eliminating the need to install or manage it locally.
• Support for multiple versions: You can run different versions of Azure PowerShell in containers, which is helpful when newer versions lack support for specific cmdlets.
• Always up to date: The image runs the latest stable release by default.
• Multi-environment support: Easily manage multiple Azure environments without repeatedly signing in and out.

Prerequisites

To get started, ensure you have the following installed:

• WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) for Windows users
• Docker Desktop

Pull the Azure PowerShell Docker Image

Download the official Azure PowerShell Docker image with:

docker pull mcr.microsoft.com/azure-powershell:latest

Run the Container and Connect to Azure

Launch a container using:

docker run -it mcr.microsoft.com/azure-powershell:latest

Once inside the container, authenticate with Azure:

Connect-AzAccount -UseDeviceAuthentication

You can now begin executing Azure PowerShell commands.

Running Scripts from Your Local Machine

To run scripts stored on your local machine, mount a folder into the container:

docker run -it --rm -v C:\\localfolder:/data mcr.microsoft.com/azure-powershell:latest

Inside the container, the mounted folder will appear at /data, allowing access to your local scripts.

Using Docker to run Azure PowerShell is a simple and powerful way to streamline automation without cluttering your local development environment.

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