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Automation Runbook Output And Messages
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Sad Tux - Windows bias detected
This page contains Windows bias

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This page is part of the Azure documentation. It contains code examples and configuration instructions for working with Azure services.
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Bias Analysis

Detected Bias Types
powershell_heavy
windows_first
missing_linux_example
windows_tools
Summary
The documentation page exhibits a strong Windows/PowerShell bias. All code samples, explanations, and tool references are exclusively for Windows PowerShell and related cmdlets. There is no mention of Linux, Bash, or cross-platform scripting, nor are there examples or guidance for users running Azure Automation from non-Windows environments. The documentation assumes the reader is using PowerShell and Windows-centric tools, and Linux or cross-platform users are not addressed.
Recommendations
  • Add equivalent examples for Python runbooks, which are supported in Azure Automation, especially in sections discussing output and message streams.
  • Include information and examples for retrieving runbook output and messages using Azure CLI (az command), which is cross-platform and widely used on Linux.
  • Clarify which features and cmdlets are available or behave differently in Linux Hybrid Runbook Workers or in cross-platform environments.
  • Where PowerShell preference variables or cmdlets are discussed, note their applicability (or lack thereof) in Python or other supported runbook types.
  • Provide links to documentation or guides for managing Azure Automation from Linux environments, and mention any limitations or differences.
  • Rephrase sections that refer to 'Windows PowerShell' to 'PowerShell', and clarify when instructions apply to Windows-only versus cross-platform PowerShell Core.
  • Explicitly state if certain features (such as graphical runbooks or specific cmdlets) are only available on Windows, and suggest alternatives for Linux users.
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Scan History

Date Scan Status Result
2026-01-14 00:00 #250 in_progress Biased Biased
2026-01-13 00:00 #246 completed Biased Biased
2026-01-12 00:00 #243 cancelled Biased Biased
2026-01-11 00:00 #240 completed Biased Biased
2026-01-10 00:00 #237 completed Biased Biased
2026-01-09 00:34 #234 completed Biased Biased
2026-01-08 00:53 #231 completed Clean Clean
2026-01-06 18:15 #225 cancelled Clean Clean
2025-08-17 00:01 #83 cancelled Clean Clean
2025-07-13 21:37 #48 completed Biased Biased
2025-07-09 13:09 #3 cancelled Clean Clean
2025-07-08 04:23 #2 cancelled Biased Biased

Flagged Code Snippets

#The following lines both write an object to the output stream.
Write-Output -InputObject $object
$object

Workflow Test-Runbook
{
  Write-Verbose "Verbose outside of function" -Verbose
  Write-Output "Output outside of function"
  $functionOutput = Test-Function
  $functionOutput

  Function Test-Function
  {
    Write-Verbose "Verbose inside of function" -Verbose
    Write-Output "Output inside of function"
  }
}

Workflow Test-Runbook
{
  [OutputType([string])]

  $output = "This is some string output."
  Write-Output $output
}

#The following lines create a warning message and then an error message that will suspend the runbook.

$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
Write-Warning -Message "This is a warning message."
Write-Error -Message "This is an error message that will stop the runbook because of the preference variable."

Write-Output "This is an output message." 
Write-Debug "This is a debug message."

Write-Output "This is an output message." 
$GLOBAL:DebugPreference="Continue" 
Write-Debug "This is a debug message." 5>&1

#The following line creates a verbose message.

Write-Verbose -Message "This is a verbose message."

$job = Start-AzAutomationRunbook -ResourceGroupName "ResourceGroup01" `
  -AutomationAccountName "MyAutomationAccount" -Name "Test-Runbook"

$doLoop = $true
While ($doLoop) {
  $job = Get-AzAutomationJob -ResourceGroupName "ResourceGroup01" `
    -AutomationAccountName "MyAutomationAccount" -Id $job.JobId
  $status = $job.Status
  $doLoop = (($status -ne "Completed") -and ($status -ne "Failed") -and ($status -ne "Suspended") -and ($status -ne "Stopped"))
}

Get-AzAutomationJobOutput -ResourceGroupName "ResourceGroup01" `
  -AutomationAccountName "MyAutomationAccount" -Id $job.JobId -Stream Output

# For more detailed job output, pipe the output of Get-AzAutomationJobOutput to Get-AzAutomationJobOutputRecord
Get-AzAutomationJobOutput -ResourceGroupName "ResourceGroup01" `
  -AutomationAccountName "MyAutomationAccount" -Id $job.JobId -Stream Any | Get-AzAutomationJobOutputRecord