DSC resource kinds

DSC supports different behaviors and expectations for different kinds of resources.

For command resources, DSC determines what kind a resource is by analyzing the resource manifest. For more information about how DSC determines resource kinds, see DSC resource kind schema reference.

Typical resources

Typical resources manage the state of a configurable component. The properties of these resources define the configurable settings of the component they represent. Each instance of a typical resource represents a distinct item, like an installable software package, a service, or a file.

You can always invoke the Get operation for typical resources to return the actual state of a specific instance. If the resource has the set capability, you can use the Set operation to enforce the desired state for a specific instance.

Adapter resources

An adapter resource makes noncommand resources available to DSC. They always have a resources property that takes an array of nested resource instances. Adapters can provide extra control over how the adapted resources are processed.

For example, the Microsoft.DSC/PowerShell adapter enables you to use PowerShell Desired State Configuration (PSDSC) resources in DSC. PSDSC resources are published as components of PowerShell modules. They don't define resource manifests.

Group resources

Group resources always operate on nested DSC Resource instances. Group resources can change how the nested instances are processed, like the Microsoft.DSC/Assertion group resource.

Group resources can also be used to bundle sets of resources together for processing, like the Microsoft.DSC/Group resource. You can use the dependsOn property for a resource instance in a configuration to point to a group resource instead of enumerating each resource in the list.

Importer resources

Importer resources resolve an external source to a set of nested DSC Resource instances. The properties of an importer resource define how to find and resolve the external source.

An importer resource must always define the kind and resolve properties in the resource manifest.

For example, the Microsoft.DSC/Import importer resource resolves instances from an external configuration document, enabling you to compose configurations from multiple files.