Comments on: Call for Script Ideas: VMware PowerShell Toolkit http://halr9000.com/article/464 (powershell & other stuff) Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:40:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: halr9000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6901 halr9000 Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:20:39 +0000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6901 Most definitely. # list all templates in a single folder get-folder "Templates" | get-template Datastores are not associated with clusters, they are attached to host servers, so we have to do this: # list datastores avail to cluster member host server (get-cluster "DRS cluster Foo" | get-vmhost)[0] | get-datastore The (blah)[0] stuff grabs only the first host server in the cluster. You could pipe get-vmhost to get-datastore, but you'd get duplicate results. Most definitely.

# list all templates in a single folder
get-folder “Templates” | get-template

Datastores are not associated with clusters, they are attached to host servers, so we have to do this:
# list datastores avail to cluster member host server
(get-cluster “DRS cluster Foo” | get-vmhost)[0] | get-datastore

The (blah)[0] stuff grabs only the first host server in the cluster. You could pipe get-vmhost to get-datastore, but you’d get duplicate results.

]]> By: new-to-powershell http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6900 new-to-powershell Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:31:29 +0000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6900 is it possible to create a script that will display list of available templates (all in "template" folder) and list of all clusters and a list of all datastore that are available to the chosen cluster - so that a remote admin can simply deploy a vm from a template he selected? is it possible to create a script that will display list of available templates (all in “template” folder) and list of all clusters and a list of all datastore that are available to the chosen cluster - so that a remote admin can simply deploy a vm from a template he selected?

]]> By: VMWareLearner http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6899 VMWareLearner Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:52:05 +0000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6899 Yes, that is a bummer, when you have to deploy 30 VMs at a time with static IP addresses. When I did try with a known good customization tempate and the following command line command line, get-template w2k3stdR2-template | new-vm -vmhost mytestesx01.internal.dev.org -name ScriptVM01 -OSCustomizationSpec PCK_W2k3_32BIT_STD the process runs to about 95% then fails with this error: 8/28/2008 3:48:01 PM New-VM BB572FA5-355A-4225-BBEF-8A035305A24E The operation for the entity vm-2663 failed with the following message: "Customization failed." At line 3, position 99 get-template w2k3stdR2-template | new-vm -vmhost mytestesx01.internal.dev.org -name ScriptVM01 -OSCustomizationSpec PCK_W2k3_32BIT_STD Thoughts? Yes, that is a bummer, when you have to deploy 30 VMs at a time with static IP addresses.

When I did try with a known good customization tempate and the following command line command line,
get-template w2k3stdR2-template | new-vm -vmhost mytestesx01.internal.dev.org -name ScriptVM01 -OSCustomizationSpec PCK_W2k3_32BIT_STD

the process runs to about 95% then fails with this error:
8/28/2008 3:48:01 PM New-VM BB572FA5-355A-4225-BBEF-8A035305A24E The operation for the entity vm-2663 failed with the following message: “Customization failed.”
At line 3, position 99
get-template w2k3stdR2-template | new-vm -vmhost mytestesx01.internal.dev.org -name ScriptVM01 -OSCustomizationSpec PCK_W2k3_32BIT_STD

Thoughts?

]]> By: halr9000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6898 halr9000 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:59:46 +0000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6898 Right now you actually can't change the IP during a clone using the VI Toolkit. This is a big glaring hole unfortunately. Template is a VM that is marked as a template. It's identical underneath the covers. But you can do more stuff with a template with regards to VM deployment. Right now you actually can’t change the IP during a clone using the VI Toolkit. This is a big glaring hole unfortunately.

Template is a VM that is marked as a template. It’s identical underneath the covers. But you can do more stuff with a template with regards to VM deployment.

]]> By: VMWareLearner http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6897 VMWareLearner Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:37:48 +0000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6897 How about changing the IP address during the cloning process? What is the difference between a Template and a virtual machine? How about changing the IP address during the cloning process?
What is the difference between a Template and a virtual machine?

]]> By: Chris Dearden http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6866 Chris Dearden Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:12:41 +0000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6866 The London one - They mentioned the book - look forward to its release ! The London one - They mentioned the book - look forward to its release !

]]> By: halr9000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6865 halr9000 Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:13:40 +0000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6865 I like it. That would not be very hard to do, I think. Which user group meeting was this? I like it. That would not be very hard to do, I think. Which user group meeting was this?

]]> By: Chris Dearden http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6864 Chris Dearden Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:56:12 +0000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6864 A slight variation on the templating one. I'd like to maintain a machine as a live template - sitting idle on my network , picking up security updates / build tweaks and AV data. Untill "hot cloning to template" is available ( not gone to update 2 yet ) I'm looking for a script that I can run as a scheduled task to shut a specified guest down , and clone to a template ( overwriting the last template ), then boot it back up. I'm a complete powershell virgin but have seen the light at a recent usergroup meeting :) A slight variation on the templating one.

I’d like to maintain a machine as a live template - sitting idle on my network , picking up security updates / build tweaks and AV data.

Untill “hot cloning to template” is available ( not gone to update 2 yet ) I’m looking for a script that I can run as a scheduled task to shut a specified guest down , and clone to a template ( overwriting the last template ), then boot it back up.

I’m a complete powershell virgin but have seen the light at a recent usergroup meeting :)

]]> By: halr9000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6857 halr9000 Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:24:48 +0000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6857 Script? That's a one-liner! :) get-template MyTemplate | new-vm -vmhost esxserver01 -name MyVM -OSCustomizationSpec MySpec Script? That’s a one-liner! :)

get-template MyTemplate | new-vm -vmhost esxserver01 -name MyVM -OSCustomizationSpec MySpec

]]> By: VMWareLearner http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6856 VMWareLearner Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:42:06 +0000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6856 How about a script that creates a new VM based on a template and the settings in the customization wizard? How about a script that creates a new VM based on a template and the settings in the customization wizard?

]]> By: halr9000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6855 halr9000 Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:07:36 +0000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6855 "I started work on this a while ago but have not had time to finish it." yeah, me too. :) I'm pretty sure we'll see a script to do this come out of the VI PowerShell contest (http://vmware.com/go/powershellcontest/). “I started work on this a while ago but have not had time to finish it.”

yeah, me too. :)

I’m pretty sure we’ll see a script to do this come out of the VI PowerShell contest (http://vmware.com/go/powershellcontest/).

]]> By: halr9000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6854 halr9000 Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:01:47 +0000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6854 You can edit the SAN multipath policy and other related stuff via the VI toolkit. I'll have to write about that someday. You can edit the SAN multipath policy and other related stuff via the VI toolkit. I’ll have to write about that someday.

]]> By: Brian http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6853 Brian Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:34:33 +0000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6853 How about a config script that can be used after a host has been created (initial ESX installation) that copies all the network configuration info from an existing ESX host (i.e. vswitches, portgroups, service consoles, etc) to the new host(s). (autoincrement/user input IP addresses?) or if you have made an update on one host, the script can just update all other hosts. make it so that it can copy to all new servers or just one. I started work on this a while ago but have not had time to finish it. How about a config script that can be used after a host has been created (initial ESX installation) that copies all the network configuration info from an existing ESX host (i.e. vswitches, portgroups, service consoles, etc) to the new host(s). (autoincrement/user input IP addresses?) or if you have made an update on one host, the script can just update all other hosts.

make it so that it can copy to all new servers or just one. I started work on this a while ago but have not had time to finish it.

]]> By: Joose http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6570 Joose Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:13:55 +0000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6570 It would be nice if esxcfg-mpath commands could be used. It would be nice if esxcfg-mpath commands could be used.

]]> By: halr9000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6551 halr9000 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 01:41:18 +0000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6551 From the VITK forum: "I want CPU Ready information, i.e. the amount of time a VM is READY to RUN but must WAIT for a the right number of cores to become available." From the VITK forum: “I want CPU Ready information, i.e. the amount of time a VM is READY to RUN but must WAIT for a the right number of cores to become available.”

]]> By: halr9000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6548 halr9000 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:39:18 +0000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6548 @Mark, cool idea, I'll see if that's doable. @Gabrie, try this: <code>$snap = get-vm | get-snapshot $snap | ft @{l = "VM"; e = {$_.vm.name} },name,created,description</code> @Mark, cool idea, I’ll see if that’s doable. @Gabrie, try this:
$snap = get-vm | get-snapshot
$snap | ft @{l = "VM"; e = {$_.vm.name} },name,created,description

]]> By: Gabrie http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6545 Gabrie Tue, 18 Mar 2008 08:56:03 +0000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6545 Hi I would love to have a list of all active snapshots, the time they are running (or creation date), comment and VM they belong to. Gabrie Hi

I would love to have a list of all active snapshots, the time they are running (or creation date), comment and VM they belong to.

Gabrie

]]> By: Mark Schill http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6544 Mark Schill Tue, 18 Mar 2008 02:26:40 +0000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6544 A way to create a snapshot that expires in a specified number of hours would be awesome. A way to create a snapshot that expires in a specified number of hours would be awesome.

]]> By: halr9000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6501 halr9000 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 17:33:07 +0000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6501 Thanks Andrew, I'll add that to my list. Thanks Andrew, I’ll add that to my list.

]]> By: Andrew Kutz http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6500 Andrew Kutz Sat, 01 Mar 2008 17:16:12 +0000 http://halr9000.com/article/464#comment-6500 You could write one to add multiple port groups across many host servers. This is so nice when trunking many VLANs at once. You could write one to add multiple port groups across many host servers. This is so nice when trunking many VLANs at once.

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