Understanding PowerShell’s Import-PSSession Cmdlet

Welcome back to Wahmans PowerShell Blog! Today, we’re diving into a powerful cmdlet that can help bridge PowerShell sessions: Import-PSSession.

Description: Microsoft defines Import-PSSession as a cmdlet that “Imports commands from another session into the current session.” This cmdlet is commonly used when you want to import cmdlets, functions, aliases, and other command types from a remote session into your local session. It’s particularly useful in environments where certain modules or tools are only available remotely.

Why Use Import-PSSession?

Instead of working directly in a Remote PowerShell Session, Import-PSSession brings the tools you need into your local environment — while still executing them remotely. This keeps things responsive and secure, and helps integrate seamlessly into your current workflow.

Getting Started

To use Import-PSSession, you need to first create a session with New-PSSession, then import the commands from that session.

Example 1: Basic Usage – Import Active Directory Cmdlets from Remote Domain Controller

# Create a remote session
$session = New-PSSession -ComputerName DC01 -Credential (Get-Credential)

# Import Active Directory cmdlets from that session
Import-PSSession -Session $session -Module ActiveDirectory

# Now you can use AD cmdlets like Get-ADUser locally
Get-ADUser -Identity jdoe

Example 2: Selectively Import Specific Commands

$session = New-PSSession -ComputerName DC01 -Credential (Get-Credential)

# Import only the Get-ADUser command from the session
Import-PSSession -Session $session -CommandName Get-ADUser

# Use the imported command
Get-ADUser -Filter *

Example 3: Import Cmdlets from Exchange Online (Cloud Session)

# Connect to Exchange Online
$session = New-PSSession -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange \
    -ConnectionUri https://outlook.office365.com/powershell-liveid/ \
    -Credential (Get-Credential) -Authentication Basic -AllowRedirection

# Import Exchange cmdlets
Import-PSSession -Session $session -DisableNameChecking

# Use a command like Get-Mailbox
Get-Mailbox

Example 4: Advanced Usage – Import DPM Module in a Secure Script

# Secure credentials from encrypted file
$cred = Import-Clixml -Path "C:\secure\cred.xml"

# Connect to DPM server
$session = New-PSSession -ComputerName dpmserver01 -Credential $cred

# Import only needed functions from DPM module
Import-PSSession -Session $session -Module DataProtectionManager -Function Get-DPMBackupStatus, Start-DPMBackup

# Use imported functions
Get-DPMBackupStatus -ComputerName Server01

Best Practices

Always close your remote sessions with Remove-PSSession when done.
Use the -AllowClobber parameter to avoid conflicts with existing cmdlets.
Use selective imports for performance and clarity.

PowerShell’s remoting and session importing capabilities are incredibly powerful — and Import-PSSession is a key part of that toolkit. Knowing how to use it effectively can reduce your workload, simplify your scripts, and connect you to more management capabilities with ease.

Happy scripting, and I will see you in the next post!

Wahmans Powershell Blog

Import-PSSession