The Connect-AzAccount cmdlet is an essential tool for Windows users who need to authenticate and manage Azure resources using PowerShell. This cmdlet is part of the Azure PowerShell module and allows users to establish a connection to their Azure account, enabling them to execute various Azure management tasks directly from the command line.

Examples:

1. Installing the Azure PowerShell Module:

   Before using Connect-AzAccount, ensure that the Azure PowerShell module is installed. You can install it using the following command in PowerShell:

   Install-Module -Name Az -AllowClobber -Scope CurrentUser

   This command installs the Az module, which includes the Connect-AzAccount cmdlet. The -AllowClobber parameter ensures that any existing modules with the same names are overwritten, and -Scope CurrentUser installs the module for the current user only.

2. Connecting to Azure:

   Once the Az module is installed, you can connect to your Azure account using the following command:

   Connect-AzAccount

   This command opens a login window where you can enter your Azure credentials. After successful authentication, your session is connected to your Azure account, and you can start managing resources.

3. Connecting with a Service Principal:

   For automated scripts, it is often preferable to use a service principal rather than a user account. Here’s how you can connect using a service principal:

   $tenantId = "your-tenant-id"
   $appId = "your-application-id"
   $password = "your-application-password"
   
   Connect-AzAccount -ServicePrincipal -TenantId $tenantId -ApplicationId $appId -Credential (New-Object System.Management.Automation.PSCredential($appId, (ConvertTo-SecureString $password -AsPlainText -Force)))

   Replace your-tenant-id, your-application-id, and your-application-password with your actual Azure AD tenant ID, application ID, and application password, respectively.

4. Verifying the Connection:

   After connecting, you can verify the active Azure subscription using:

   Get-AzContext

   This command displays the current Azure subscription and account details.

5. Disconnecting from Azure:

   To disconnect your session, use the following command:

   Disconnect-AzAccount

   This command terminates the session with Azure, ensuring no further operations can be performed until you reconnect.