PowerShell – How to call / execute PowerShell script from .NET application

Hi All,

Greetings for the day!!!

Today I learned something new so sharing 🙂

Background / Details

• We are implementing SharePoint online governance
• We are automating our tenant Site collections storage quota
• So we have written PowerShell script which went through all Site Collections in tenant, verifies whether storage quota warning level is crossed with specific percentage (configured in configuration list) or not
• If Site Collection level warning level is crossed then increment the storage quota by specific percentage (again configurable value in configuration list)
• We have detailed articles for SharePoint Online storage quota governance – Please have a look at references
• Since we need to automate this process – we need to schedule the PowerShell script
• But for certain reason, our team agreed to schedule application (executable) rather PowerShell
• We need to write .NET application and call to PowerShell script
• Schedule the respective application

Prerequisites

• Visual Studio (I am using Visual Studio 2022 community edition for demo purpose)

Steps to call / executing PowerShell script from .NET application

• Open Visual Studio – Run as administrator

• Create a new project

• Create a C# Console App

• Next give the project name
• Next select the target framework
• Here I am selecting .NET 6.0 (Long Term Support) framework

• Finally, our solution looks like

• To execute our PowerShell we will use ProcessStartInfo class as

//ProcessStartInfo class - This class is used to specify set of values when we start the process
//OR when we use the Process class - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.diagnostics.processstartinfo?view=net-7.0

            ProcessStartInfo process_start_info = new ProcessStartInfo();

• ProcessStartInfo class is available in “System.Diagnostics” namespace
• We will specify “powershell.exe” as FileName property of ProcessStartInfo instance as

            
            process_start_info.FileName = "powershell.exe";

• And as argument property is our PowerShell script path

            process_start_info.Arguments = "\"& \"\"" + _Script_Path + "\"\"\""; 

• We will then use Process class to start the PowerShell process as

            //Process class is used start or stop local and remote processes
            //https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.diagnostics.process?view=net-7.0 

            Process process = new Process();
            
            //specifying ProcessStartInfo instance
            process.StartInfo = process_start_info;
            process.Start();
            process.WaitForExit();

REFERENCES

• Small Tips and Tricks – Microsoft 365 : SharePoint Online – Managing site storage limit – from SharePoint admin center – https://knowledge-junction.in/2023/01/29/small-tips-and-tricks-microsoft-365-sharepoint-online-managing-site-storage-limit-from-sharepoint-admin-center/
• Small Tips and Tricks – Microsoft 365 : SharePoint Online – Know the total storage / space allocated and used storage for my organization – from SharePoint admin center – https://knowledge-junction.in/2023/02/14/small-tips-and-tricks-microsoft-365-sharepoint-online-know-the-total-storage-space-allocated-and-used-storage-for-my-organization-from-sharepoint-admin-center/
• Small Tips and Tricks – Microsoft 365 : SharePoint Online – Know the total storage / space allocated and used storage for my organization – from PowerShell – https://knowledge-junction.in/2023/02/15/small-tips-and-tricks-microsoft-365-sharepoint-online-know-the-total-storage-space-allocated-and-used-storage-for-my-organization-from-powershell/
• Small Tips and Tricks – PowerShell – Microsoft 365 : SharePoint Online – Getting site collection storage details – https://knowledge-junction.in/2023/02/16/small-tips-and-tricks-powershell-microsoft-365-sharepoint-online-getting-site-collection-storage-details/
• Small Tips and Tricks – PowerShell – Microsoft 365 : SharePoint Online – Getting site collection storage details – https://knowledge-junction.in/2023/02/16/small-tips-and-tricks-powershell-microsoft-365-sharepoint-online-getting-site-collection-storage-details/