Get-DbaPbmObjectSet

Synopsis

Retrieves Policy-Based Management object sets from SQL Server instances

Description

Retrieves object sets from SQL Server’s Policy-Based Management (PBM) feature, which define collections of SQL Server objects that policies can target for compliance monitoring. Object sets group related database objects like tables, stored procedures, or views based on specific criteria, allowing you to apply policies consistently across similar objects. This is essential for DBAs implementing standardized configurations and compliance rules across multiple databases and instances.

Syntax

Get-DbaPbmObjectSet
    [[-SqlInstance] <DbaInstanceParameter[]>]
    [[-SqlCredential] <PSCredential>]
    [[-ObjectSet] <String[]>]
    [[-InputObject] <PSObject[]>]
    [-IncludeSystemObject]
    [-EnableException]
    [<CommonParameters>]

Examples

Example: 1

PS C:\> Get-DbaPbmObjectSet -SqlInstance sql2016

Returns all object sets from the sql2016 PBM instance

Example: 2

PS C:\> Get-DbaPbmObjectSet -SqlInstance sql2016 -SqlCredential $cred

Uses a credential $cred to connect and return all object sets from the sql2016 PBM instance

Optional Parameters

-SqlInstance

The target SQL Server instance or instances. This can be a collection and receive pipeline input to allow the function to be executed against multiple SQL Server instances.

-SqlCredential

Login to the target instance using alternative credentials. Accepts PowerShell credentials (Get-Credential).
Windows Authentication, SQL Server Authentication, Active Directory - Password, and Active Directory - Integrated are all supported.
For MFA support, please use Connect-DbaInstance.

-ObjectSet

Specifies the name(s) of specific Policy-Based Management object sets to retrieve. Accepts multiple values and supports wildcards.
Use this when you need to examine particular object sets rather than retrieving all available sets from the instance.

-InputObject

Accepts Policy-Based Management store objects from Get-DbaPbmStore via pipeline input for processing multiple stores.
Use this when you need to process object sets from multiple SQL Server instances or when chaining PBM commands together.

-IncludeSystemObject

Includes SQL Server system object sets in the results, which are excluded by default to focus on user-defined sets.
Use this when you need to audit or examine Microsoft’s built-in Policy-Based Management object sets for compliance or educational purposes.

-EnableException

By default, when something goes wrong we try to catch it, interpret it and give you a friendly warning message.
This avoids overwhelming you with “sea of red” exceptions, but is inconvenient because it basically disables advanced scripting.
Using this switch turns this “nice by default” feature off and enables you to catch exceptions with your own try/catch.

Outputs

Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Dmf.ObjectSet

Returns one ObjectSet object per object set found on the specified SQL Server instance(s).

Default display properties (via Select-DefaultView):

• ComputerName: The computer name of the SQL Server instance
• InstanceName: The SQL Server instance name
• SqlInstance: The full SQL Server instance name (computer\instance)
• ID: Unique identifier for the object set
• Name: Name of the object set
• Facet: The facet that this object set targets (e.g., Server, Database, Table)
• TargetSets: Collection of target sets that define the objects included in this set
• IsSystemObject: Boolean indicating if this is a Microsoft system object set

Additional properties available (from SMO ObjectSet object):

• Parent: Reference to the parent PolicyStore object
• IdentityKey: The identity key for the object
• Urn: The Uniform Resource Name
• State: The current state of the SMO object (Existing, Creating, Pending, Dropping, etc.)
• Metadata: The object metadata All properties from the base SMO ObjectSet object are accessible using Select-Object * even though only default properties are displayed by default.