PowerShell is an object-oriented automation engine and scripting language with an interactive command-line shell that Microsoft developed to help IT professionals configure systems and automate administrative tasks.

PowerShell, built on the .NET framework, works with objects, whereas most command-line shells are based on text. PowerShell serves as an automation tool for system administrators, employed in both IT departments and external entities, such as managed service providers, because of its scripting capabilities.

PowerShell originated as a propriety offering that was only available on Windows. In 2016, Microsoft open sourced PowerShell and made it available on Linux and macOS.

What does PowerShell do?
Microsoft designed PowerShell to automate system tasks, such as batch processing, and to create system management tools for commonly implemented processes. The PowerShell language, similar to Perl, offers several ways to automate tasks: