Welcome back to our Indispensable Azure Tools series! This time, we’re diving into Desired State Configuration (DSC) v3, an absolute must for automating configs in your DevOps workflows. Use it in your CI/CD pipelines or when managing a hybrid infra, DSC v3 delivers automation awesomeness to keep your systems in the state you desire :-). Let’s discover what it is, what’s new since its release, and how it connects with DevOps, IaC, the Well-Architected Framework, and hybrid environments.
What’s DSC v3 All About?
DSC v3 is one of the most powerful solutions for defining, deploying, and enforcing system configurations, it’s like GitOps for your servers. It ensures your infra stays in the desired state you’ve coded, catching drift before it derails your infrastructure. Launched in March, it’s no longer only for Windows or PowerShell. It’s cross-platform, Windows, Linux, and macOS, making it a no-brainer for managing VMs, on-premise, or cloud-native stacks.
When Was It Released?
DSC v3 was made general available on March, 2025, as per Microsoft’s announcement. It’s already gaining traction in the DevOps community for its flexibility Azure integrations.
What’s New in DSC v3?
DSC v3 is a massive upgrade from v2, ditching PowerShell-only constraints for a more modern and DevOps-friendly approach. Here’s what’s changed:
- Cross-Platform: DSC v2 was Windows-only and PowerShell-dependent. DSC v3 supports Windows, Linux, and macOS, no PowerShell required.
- Language Freedom: Forget PowerShell scripts—v3 lets you write resources in any language (Python, Go, Bash) as long as they output JSON or YAML.
- CLI-Driven Execution: No more local config managers or services. DSC v3 runs as a command, streamlining automation in pipelines.
- Azure Integration: Tighter integration with Azure Automanage and VMs, compared to v2’s limited cloud support.
- Backward Compatibility: Adapters let you reuse v2 resources, easing the transition.
- Orchestration Improvements: Works seamlessly with tools like WinGet and Azure Arc, unlike v2’s clunky tooling.
These upgrades make DSC v3 a lean, mean config machine, ready for modern DevOps workflows.
The dsc config get command retrieves the current state of the resource instances defined in a configuration document.
DSC v3 in Your DevOps Pipeline
In DevOps, DSC v3 is your shift-left tool for configs. It plugs into your CI/CD pipeline, like Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, or Jenkins, to automate system setups. You define your infra’s desired state in code, check it into Git, and let DSC enforce it across dev, staging, and prod. Say goodbye to “it works on Dev” chaos :-).
For Infrastructure as Code (IaC), DSC v3 is a truly great asset. You write configs as JSON or YAML, version them in Git, and deploy via pipelines, removing tech debt and manual errors. It also pairs very well with Bicep or Terraform, ensuring your infra scales. Additionally, its now language-agnostic resources let you and your team code in whatever language they want, Python, Rust, and more.
Syncing with the Azure Well-Architected Framework
The Azure Well-Architected Framework is your blueprint for building resilient, secure, and cost-effective systems. DSC v3 supports WAF’s pillars with:
- Reliability: Locks in configs to prevent drift, keeping systems rock-solid.
- Security: Enforces best practices via Azure Automanage, hardening your stack.
- Cost Optimization: Automates lean configs to avoid resource bloat.
- Operational Excellence: Streamlines deployments in CI/CD pipelines.
- Performance Efficiency: Tunes resources for max performance.
With Azure Automanage, DSC v3 applies WAF-compliant policies to VMs, making it very valuable for teams chasing cloud excellence.
Going Hybrid: DSC v3 Beyond Azure
DSC v3 isn’t just about Azure anymore!, it’s gone hybrid. With Azure Arc, DSC now extends your config to on-prem servers, AWS, GCP, or actually any cloud. You get consistent configs across your entire infra, no matter where it lives. Its cross-platform support and language flexibility make it perfect for managing diverse environments. Whether you’re running legacy servers or cloud-native apps, DSC v3 keeps everything in the desired state.
Pro Tips for Getting Started
Want to hit the ground running? Here are some tips from the community:
- Ditch PowerShell Mindset: Embrace any language for resources, Python, Go, whatever.
- Automate Resource Creation: Use build scripts to generate configs faster.
- Go Incremental: DSC v3 supports partial updates, so you don’t have to redeploy everything.
- Join the Community: Check up the GitHub repo and explore tutorials at DSC Samples for hands-on guides.
Desired State Configuration v3 is an excellent successor. It powers up your CI/CD pipelines, aligns with the Azure Well-Architected Framework, and fully supports hybrid infra with Azure Arc. Its cross-platform, language-agnostic features makes it a must-have for modern IT stacks. Ready to level up on DSC? Check out the official DSC docs, GitHub repo, and DSC Samples for code, tutorials, and community updates.
Stay tuned as we roll out more indispensable tools to power up your Azure cloud journey!