Azure Resource Inventory (ARI)
October 6, 2025 · View on GitHub
Azure Resource Inventory (ARI)
A powerful PowerShell module for generating comprehensive Azure environment reports
📋 Table of Contents
- Overview
- Key Features
- Getting Started
- Usage Guide
- Parameters Reference
- Output Examples
- Important Notes
- Authors & Acknowledgments
- Contributing
- License
🔍 Overview
Azure Resource Inventory (ARI) is a comprehensive PowerShell module that generates detailed Excel reports of any Azure environment you have read access to. It is designed for Cloud Administrators and technical professionals who need an easy and fast way to document their Azure environments.
✨ Key Features
- Complete Resource Documentation: Detailed inventory of all Azure resources
- Interactive Excel Reports: Well-formatted spreadsheets with resources organized by type
- Visual Network Diagrams: Generate interactive topology maps of your Azure environment
- Security Analysis: Integration with Azure Security Center (optional)
- Cross-Platform Support: Works on Windows, Linux, Mac, and Azure Cloud Shell
- Automation-Ready: Can be deployed via Azure Automation Accounts
- Low-Impact: Read-only operations with no changes to your environment
🚀 Getting Started
Prerequisites
- PowerShell 7.0+ (required)
- Azure Account with read access to resources you want to inventory
- Administrator privileges during script execution (for module installation)
Installation
Install the module directly from PowerShell Gallery:
Install-Module -Name AzureResourceInventory
Quick Start
To generate a basic inventory report:
Import-Module AzureResourceInventory
Invoke-ARI
📖 Usage Guide
Basic Commands
Run ARI with specific tenant:
Invoke-ARI -TenantID <Azure-Tenant-ID>
Scope to specific subscription:
Invoke-ARI -TenantID <Azure-Tenant-ID> -SubscriptionID <Subscription-ID>
Include resource tags in the report:
Invoke-ARI -TenantID <Azure-Tenant-ID> -IncludeTags
Common Scenarios
Run in Azure Cloud Shell:
Invoke-ARI -Debug
Include Security Center Data:
Invoke-ARI -TenantID <Azure-Tenant-ID> -SubscriptionID <Subscription-ID> -SecurityCenter
Skip Azure Advisor Data Collection:
Invoke-ARI -TenantID <Azure-Tenant-ID> -SubscriptionID <Subscription-ID> -SkipAdvisory
Skip Network Diagram Generation:
Invoke-ARI -TenantID <Azure-Tenant-ID> -SkipDiagram
Automation Account Integration
If you want to automatically run ARI, there is a way to do it using Automation Accounts:
See the Automation Guide for implementation details.
📝 Parameters Reference
| Parameter | Description | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Core Parameters | ||
| TenantID | Specify the tenant ID for inventory | -TenantID <ID> |
| SubscriptionID | Specify subscription(s) to inventory | -SubscriptionID <ID> |
| ResourceGroup | Limit inventory to specific resource group(s) | -ResourceGroup <NAME> |
| Authentication | ||
| AppId | Application ID for service principal auth | -AppId <ID> |
| Secret | Secret for service principal authentication | -Secret <VALUE> |
| CertificatePath | Certificate path for service principal | -CertificatePath <PATH> |
| DeviceLogin | Use device login authentication | -DeviceLogin |
| Scope Control | ||
| ManagementGroup | Inventory all subscriptions in management group | -ManagementGroup <ID> |
| TagKey | Filter resources by tag key | -TagKey <NAME> |
| TagValue | Filter resources by tag value | -TagValue <NAME> |
| Content Options | ||
| SecurityCenter | Include Security Center data | -SecurityCenter |
| IncludeTags | Include resource tags | -IncludeTags |
| SkipPolicy | Skip Azure Policy collection | -SkipPolicy |
| SkipVMDetails | Skip Azure VM Extra Details collection | -SkipVMDetails |
| SkipAdvisory | Skip Azure Advisory collection | -SkipAdvisory |
| IncludeCosts | Includes Azure Cost details for the Subscriptions (Requires the module Az.CostManagement) | -IncludeCosts |
| SkipVMDetails | Skip extra details for the VM Families (Quota, vCPUs and memory) | -SkipVMDetails |
| Output Options | ||
| ReportName | Custom report filename | -ReportName <NAME> |
| ReportDir | Custom directory for report | -ReportDir "<Path>" |
| Lite | Use lightweight Excel generation (no charts) | -Lite |
| Diagram Options | ||
| SkipDiagram | Skip diagram creation | -SkipDiagram |
| DiagramFullEnvironment | Include all network components in diagram | -DiagramFullEnvironment |
| Other Options | ||
| Debug | Run in debug mode | -Debug |
| NoAutoUpdate | Skip the auto update of the ARI Module | -NoAutoUpdate |
| AzureEnvironment | Specify Azure cloud environment | -AzureEnvironment <NAME> |
| Automation | Run using Automation Account | -Automation |
| StorageAccount | Storage account for automation output | -StorageAccount <NAME> |
| StorageContainer | Storage container for automation output | -StorageContainer <NAME> |
📊 Output Examples
Excel Report
Network Topology View
To view the XML files in draw.io format, open them at https://draw.io.
Interactive features show resource details on hover:
Organization View
Resources View
⚠️ Important Notes
Very Important: ARI will not upgrade existing PowerShell modules. Ensure you have the required modules installed.
CloudShell Limitation: When running in Azure CloudShell, the Excel output will not have auto-fit columns and you may see warnings during execution. The inventory results will still be correct.
Our Test Environment
| Tool | Version |
|---|---|
| Windows | 11 22H2 |
| PowerShell | 7.4.4 |
Output Details
- Default output location:
- Windows:
C:\AzureResourceInventory\ - Linux/CloudShell:
$HOME/AzureResourceInventory/
- Windows:
- Output filename format:
AzureResourceInventory_Report_yyyy-MM-dd_HH_mm.xlsx - Diagram filename format:
AzureResourceInventory_Diagram_yyyy-MM-dd_HH_mm.xml(Draw.io format)
👥 Authors & Acknowledgments
- Claudio Merola (claudio.merola@microsoft.com)
- Renato Gregio
Special thanks to Doug Finke, the author of PowerShell ImportExcel module.
🤝 Contributing
Please read our CONTRIBUTING.md which outlines all policies, procedures, and requirements for contributing to this project.
📜 License
Copyright (c) 2025 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
This project may contain trademarks or logos for projects, products, or services. Authorized use of Microsoft trademarks or logos is subject to and must follow Microsoft's Trademark & Brand Guidelines. Use of Microsoft trademarks or logos in modified versions of this project must not cause confusion or imply Microsoft sponsorship. Any use of third-party trademarks or logos are subject to those third-party's policies.