Contributing to Azure Resource Inventory

March 28, 2025 · View on GitHub

Guidelines for Community Contributions

Getting Started
Contribution Workflow
Development Guidelines
Project Structure
Getting Help

Getting Started

Thank you for considering contributing to Azure Resource Inventory (ARI)! We welcome contributions from the community and are excited to see what you can bring to the project.

Before you begin, please familiarize yourself with the README.md file to understand the purpose and functionality of ARI.

If you wish to contribute by adding a new Resource Type to ARI, you may jump to the Resource Types section of this document.

Contribution Workflow

Follow these steps to contribute to ARI:

Fork the Repository

Start by forking the repository to your GitHub account using the "Fork" button at the top right of the repository page.

Clone Your Fork

git clone https://github.com/your-username/ARI.git
cd ARI

Create a Branch

Create a new branch for your contribution:
```
git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
```
Use a descriptive name that reflects your contribution.
Make Your Changes

Implement your changes, ensuring they follow the Development Guidelines.
Test Your Changes

Test your changes thoroughly to ensure they work as expected and don't break existing functionality.
Commit Changes
```
git add .
git commit -m "Add feature: your feature description"
```
Write clear, concise commit messages that describe your changes.

Push to Your Fork

git push origin feature/your-feature-name

Submit a Pull Request

Go to the original ARI repository and click "New Pull Request". Select your fork and branch, then provide a detailed description of your changes.
Address Review Feedback

Be responsive to any feedback provided by maintainers and make necessary changes.

Development Guidelines

To maintain code quality and consistency:

Follow PowerShell Best Practices: Follow Microsoft's PowerShell Best Practices
Document Your Code: Add comments to explain complex logic and update documentation if needed
Keep It Modular: Make sure your code follows the modular approach of ARI
Error Handling: Include appropriate error handling and logging
Backward Compatibility: Ensure your changes don't break existing functionality
Test Thoroughly: Test in various environments (Windows, Linux, Cloud Shell)

Project Structure

The main module AzureResourceInventory.psm1 is only responsible for dot sourcing all the .ps1 modules.

Public Modules

This modules will be loaded and the functions will be exposed to the user session

PublicFunctions

Script File	Description
`Invoke-ARI.ps1`	Entry point script to invoke Azure Resource Inventory operations.

Diagram

Script File	Description
`Build-ARIDiagramSubnet.ps1`	Builds diagrams for Azure subnets.
`Set-ARIDiagramFile.ps1`	Configures the file settings for diagram generation.
`Start-ARIDiagramJob.ps1`	Initiates the job for creating diagrams.
`Start-ARIDiagramNetwork.ps1`	Starts the process for generating network diagrams.
`Start-ARIDiagramOrganization.ps1`	Generates diagrams for organizational structures.
`Start-ARIDiagramSubscription.ps1`	Creates diagrams for Azure subscriptions.
`Start-ARIDrawIODiagram.ps1`	Generates diagrams compatible with Draw.io.

Jobs

Script File	Description
`Start-ARIAdvisoryJob.ps1`	Initiates the advisory-related job for ARI operations.
`Start-ARIPolicyJob.ps1`	Starts the job for processing Azure Policy-related tasks.
`Start-ARISecCenterJob.ps1`	Initiates the job for handling Azure Security Center insights.
`Start-ARISubscriptionJob.ps1`	Starts the job for processing subscription-specific tasks.
`Wait-ARIJob.ps1`	Waits for the completion of ARI jobs and monitors their status.

Private Modules

This modules will be loaded and the functions will be available for the script and other functions to consume, but will not be exposed to the user session

0.MainFunctions

Script File	Description
`Clear-ARICacheFolder.ps1`	Clears the ARI cache folder to ensure a clean state for operations.
`Clear-ARIMemory.ps1`	Frees up memory used by ARI during operations.
`Connect-ARILoginSession.ps1`	Establishes a login session with Azure for ARI operations.
`Get-ARIUnsupportedData.ps1`	Retrieves data that is not currently supported by ARI.
`Set-ARIFolder.ps1`	Configures the folder structure for ARI operations.
`Set-ARIReportPath.ps1`	Sets the path for storing ARI-generated reports.
`Start-ARIExtractionOrchestration.ps1`	Initiates the orchestration process for resource extraction.
`Start-ARIProcessOrchestration.ps1`	Starts the orchestration of ARI's processing tasks.
`Start-ARIReporOrchestration.ps1`	Begins the orchestration for generating ARI reports.
`Test-ARIPS.ps1`	Tests the PowerShell environment and prerequisites for ARI operations.

1.ExtractionFunctions

Script File	Description
`Get-ARIAPIResources.ps1`	Extracts resources using Azure APIs.
`Get-ARIManagementGroups.ps1`	Retrieves Azure Management Group data.
`Get-ARISubscriptions.ps1`	Retrieves subscription details from Azure.
`Invoke-ARIInventoryLoop.ps1`	Executes the inventory loop for resource extraction.
`Start-ARIGraphExtraction.ps1`	Initiates the extraction of Azure Resource Graph data.

1.ExtractionFunctions/ResourceDetails

Script File	Description
`Get-ARIVMQuotas.ps1`	Retrieves quota details for Azure Virtual Machines.
`Get-ARIVMSkuDetails.ps1`	Retrieves SKU details for Azure Virtual Machines.

2.ProcessingFunctions

Script File	Description
`Build-ARICacheFiles.ps1`	Builds cache files for ARI operations.
`Invoke-ARIAdvisoryJob.ps1`	Executes advisory-related processing jobs.
`Invoke-ARIDrawIOJob.ps1`	Executes jobs for generating Draw.io diagrams.
`Invoke-ARIPolicyJob.ps1`	Executes policy-related processing jobs.
`Invoke-ARISecurityCenterJob.ps1`	Executes jobs related to Azure Security Center insights.
`Invoke-ARISubJob.ps1`	Executes subscription-specific processing jobs.
`Start-ARIAutProcessJob.ps1`	Initiates automated processing jobs for ARI.
`Start-ARIExtraJobs.ps1`	Starts additional processing jobs for extended functionality.
`Start-ARIProcessJob.ps1`	Initiates the main processing jobs for ARI operations.

3.ReportingFunctions

Script File	Description
`Build-ARIAdvisoryReport.ps1`	Generates advisory reports based on processed data.
`Build-ARIPolicyReport.ps1`	Generates policy compliance reports.
`Build-ARIQuotaReport.ps1`	Generates quota usage reports.
`Build-ARISecCenterReport.ps1`	Generates reports for Azure Security Center insights.
`Build-ARISubsReport.ps1`	Generates subscription-specific reports.
`Start-ARIExcelJob.ps1`	Initiates Excel-related reporting jobs.
`Start-ARIExtraReports.ps1`	Starts additional reporting jobs for extended functionality.

3.ReportingFunctions/StyleFunctions

Script File	Description
`Build-ARIExcelChart.ps1`	Creates Excel charts for visualizing report data.
`Build-ARIExcelComObject.ps1`	Manages Excel COM objects for report generation.
`Build-ARIExcelinitialBlock.ps1`	Sets up the initial block for Excel report customization.
`Out-ARIReportResults.ps1`	Outputs the final report results to Excel or other formats.
`Retirement.kql`	Contains KQL queries for data retirement analysis.
`Start-ARIExcelCustomization.ps1`	Customizes Excel reports with specific formatting and styles.
`Start-ARIExcelOrdening.ps1`	Orders and organizes data in Excel reports.
`Support.json`	Provides configuration or metadata support for reporting functions.

Each module is designed to handle specific tasks, ensuring a clean and modular approach to ARI's functionality.

Resource Types

Resource Type Modules

The supported resource types by Azure Resource Inventory are defined by the "Resource Type Modules", we made sure to create this structure to be as simple as possible.

So anyone could contribute by creating new modules for new resource types.

There is a Resource Type Module file for every single resource type supported by ARI, the structure of resource type module itself is explained in the "Module-template.tpl", located in Modules/Public/InventoryModules.

Once you create the module file, it must be placed in the correct folder structure under Modules/Public/InventoryModules. The subfolder structure follows the official Azure documentation for Resource Providers: azure-services-resource-providers

Resource Type Subfolders

Category	Description
AI	Scripts for processing AI services like Azure AI, Computer Vision, and more.
Analytics	Scripts for processing analytics services like Databricks, Data Explorer, and Purview.
APIs	Scripts for processing data captured through REST APIs.
Compute	Scripts for processing compute resources such as VMs and VM Scale Sets.
Container	Scripts for processing container resources like AKS and Azure Container Instances.
Database	Scripts for processing database services like SQL, MySQL, and Cosmos DB.
Hybrid	Scripts for processing hybrid cloud resources like Azure Arc.
Integration	Scripts for processing service integration resources like Logic Apps and Service Bus.
IoT	Scripts for processing IoT resources like IoT Hub and Azure Digital Twins.
Management	Scripts for processing management and governance resources like Azure Policy.
Monitoring	Scripts for processing monitoring services like Azure Monitor and Log Analytics.
Network_1	Scripts for processing core networking resources like VNets and NSGs.
Network_2	Scripts for processing advanced networking resources like Azure Firewall and WAF.
Security	Scripts for processing security services like Azure Security Center and Sentinel.
Storage	Scripts for processing Azure Storage services like Blob, File, and Queue.
Web	Scripts for processing web services like App Services and Azure Functions.

Getting Help

If you have questions or need help with your contribution:

Open an Issue: Create a new issue in the GitHub repository
Documentation: Refer to the README.md and other documentation
Community Discussions: Check existing discussions in the Issues tab

Thank you for contributing to Azure Resource Inventory! Your efforts help make cloud administration easier for the entire Azure community.