PowerCLI

Currently I’m working very hard on my upcoming Dutch VMUG presentation. While I was testing the demo part which is going to be real cool btw, I discovered a real useful feature in the Virtualization EcoShell. The EcoShell Provides pre-defined and customizable reports as well as automated maps without hassle in HTML, XML and CSV formats, including support for Microsoft Visio. But if you want to hassle with XML, what’s the best way? The example screenshots show how to export a selection of data stores to an XML file and then create an Microsoft Excel Map by importing the XML from the file. Excel really does a good job with creating an XML-based representation objects from the EcoShell. The under laying technique is based on the Export-Clixml cmdlet, it creates an XML-based representation of an object or objects and stores it in a file. You can then use the Import-CLIXML cmdlet to re-create the saved object based on the contents of that file. This cmdlet is similar to ConvertTo-XML, except that Export-Clixml stores the resulting XML in a file. ConvertTo-XML returns the XML, so you can continue to process it in Windows PowerShell.

VMware vSphere PowerCLI 4.0 Update 1 has been tested against the beta release of vSphere 4.1. To find the related issues, see Known Issues, Compatibility with VMware vSphere 4.1 Beta.

What's New in This Release?
This release of vSphere PowerCLI 4.0 Update 1 introduces the following new capabilities:

•Managing the failover and load-balancing policies of VirtualSwitch and VirtualPortGroup objects with Get-NicTeamingPolicy and Set-NicTeamingPolicy.
•Copying files in and out of guest operating systems with Copy-VMGuestFile.
•Restarting virtual machines with Restart-VM.
•Managing the power state of hosts using Start-VMHost, Restart-VMHost, Suspend-VMHost, and Stop-VMHost.
•Managing guest networks with Get-VMGuestNetworkInterface, Set-VMGuestNetworkInterface, Get-VMGuestRoute, New-VMGuestRoute, Remove-VMGuestRoute, and Set-VMGuestRoute.
•Retrieving and removing USB devices with Get-UsbDevice and Remove-UsbDevice.
•Managing NIC customization settings with Get-OSCustomizationNicMapping, New-OSCustomizationNicMapping, and Set-OSCustomizationNicMapping.
•Handling virtual machine questions with Get-VMQuestion and Set-VMQuestion.
•Working with host storages and iSCSI HBA devices with Get-VMHostHba, Set-VMHostHba, Get-iScsiHbaTarget, New-iScsiHbaTarget, Remove-iScsiHbaTarget, Set-iScsiHbaTarget, and Set-VMHostStorage.
•Moving templates with Move-Template and Move-Inventory.
•Managing the access control system with Get-VIPrivilege, Get-VIRole, New-VIRole, Remove-VIRole, Set-VIRole, Get-VIPermission, New-VIPermission, Remove-VIPermission, and Set-VIPermission.
•Managing DRS recommendations with Get-DrsRecommendation and Apply-DrsRecommendation.
•Upgrading hosts with Install-VMHostPatch.
•Managing virtual appliances with Get-VApp, Export-VApp, Import-VApp, New-VApp, Remove-VApp, Set-VApp, Start-VApp, and Stop-VApp.
•Managing PCI and SCSI passthrough devices with Add-PassthroughDevice, Get-PassthroughDevice, and Remove-PassthroughDevice.
•Running BAT (Windows) and BASH (Linux) scripts with Invoke-VMScript.
•Granting and revoking shell access with New-VMHostAccount and Set-VMHostAccount.
•Uploading firmware packages with Set-VMHostFirmware.
•Creating virtual machines with thin provisioned disks with New-VM.
•Cloning powered-on virtual machines with New-VM.
•Resizing virtual disks and guest partitions with Set-HardDisk.
•Extending, cloning, inflating, and reallocating virtual hard disks with Copy-HardDisk, New-HardDisk, and Set-HardDisk.
•Managing the host time zones with Get-VMHostAvailableTimeZone and Set-VMHost.
•Working with default Datastore Provider and Inventory Provider drives.
•Working with files and directories in datastores by using the Datastore Provider.
For more information on changes made in vSphere PowerCLI 4.0 Update 1, including deprecations and security enhancements, see the vSphere PowerCLI Change Log.

http://downloads.vmware.com/d/details/sdkwin40u1/ZHcqYmQlcHRiZGVqdA

Carter Shanklin just released the alpha version of project Onyx trough Twitter and YouTube. Onyx generates PowerShell code to help you solve your toughest automation challenges. See the full demonstration with a complete explanation of how to use Onyx at YouTube. Once you have downloaded Project Onyx (http://blogs.vmware.com/files/onyx_1.5.3607.25516.zip) this video shows you how to use it. I already did some tests and it looks awesome.

Onyx is a standalone application that serves as a proxy between the vSphere Client and the vCenter Server. It monitors the network communication between them and translates it into an executable PowerShell code. Later, this code can be modified and saved into a reusable function or script.

1. To connect to a server, click the "Connect" icon.

2. Enter the IP of the vCenter Server on which you want to work and click Connect.

3. Connect with any of the following clients:

    For vSphere Client, in the "IP Address" field enter the following address:
    http:// [IP of the machine where Onyx is running] : [listening port]
      
    For vSphere PowerCLI, run the following command:
    Connect-VIServer [IP of the machine where Onyx is running] -Protocol http
    -Port [listening port] -User [username] -Pass [password]

4. To start the generation of PowerCLI.NET scripts, click the "Start" icon.

5. To save the generated script, click the "Save output to file" icon.

Note: To run the generated script, use VMware vSphere PowerCLI.
Free download at: http://www.vmware.com/go/powercli

Scott Herold is happy to announce that the 1.2 version of Virtualization EcoShell is officially available for download at TheVESI.org Download Page. 

We’ve added several new key features that we will be highlighting on our blog over the next several days!  Make sure you you download the newest release and give it a shot!  Don’t forget to check back here for tips and tricks on how to use the new features over the next few days!

New in the Virtualization EcoShell 1.2 Release

•Charts Tab allowuing users to graph any information presented in the grid view using various chart formats
•Best Practices Filters allow customers to easly perform daily checks of common misconfigurations
•Custom Attribute Manager allows users to view all custom attributes and quickly modify custom attribute values against multiple entities
•Hyper-V PowerPack allowing administrators to manage indivdual Microsoft Hyper-V installations using PowerShell

The first new feature that stroke my eye was the Chart tab in the Grid. After some customization , I was able to create really cool charts. You can select different types like Area, Column, Doughnut, Line, Scatter, Stacked Area and Stacked Column. The horizontal axes labels hold the category and can be fed by everything that’s measurable. You can also select multiple legend entries.

http://www.thevesi.org

Pablo Roesch : Folks, Our marketing team put together a nice poster with all the PowerCLI commandlets for your enjoyment. We handed some out during VMworld and have a few hardcopies left. Here is a PDF for folks that are interested. Regards, Pablo Download Powercli-poster.

http://blogs.vmware.com/developer/2009/10/get-your-powercli-poster-on-.html

You definitely have to attend Scott Herold’s session (DS-16) at the VMware Developer day or Carter Shanklin’s PowerShell session at the VMworld 2009. In those two sessions you might see the new version of the  Virtualization EcoShell 1.2 in action. Since I’m not attending but delivering a VMware ICM training instead :-( Scott Herold was kind enough to let me do some pre-testing with version 1.2. The upgrade went smooth. The first new feature that stroke my eye was the Chart tab in the Grid. After some customization , I was able to create really cool charts. You can select different types like Area, Column, Doughnut, Line, Scatter, Stacked Area and Stacked Column. The horizontal axes labels hold the category and can be fed by everything that’s measurable. You can also select multiple legend entries.

 http://www.thevesi.org

Onyx generates code to help you solve your toughest automation challenges.

See the full demonstration with a complete explanation of how to use Onyx at VMworld -- session VM2241. Bring your business card if you want to be 1 of ten beta (maybe VMware should make that alpha) testers.

I’ve stumbled on a great demo created by someone from China, it’s about controlling virtual distributed switches with PowerCLI. I’m trying to contact this (137145shi) guy because he didn’t post a download link or a homepage URL. The only thing I can see in the video is that he’s copying some VDSAutomation.dll files.

We? developed a PowerShell snap-in to manage vSphere vDS , which could help VI admins a lot. This vedio is a demo about vDS management cmdlets implemented in PowerCLI. There are some preliminary vDS cmdlets showed in this demo and they are listed as follows.

1.Get-VDS
2.Get-DVPortgroup
3.New-VDS
4.New-DVPortgroup
5.Add-VDSHost
6.Remove-VDSHost
7.Set-VDS
8.Set-DVPortgroup
9.Remove-VDS
10.Remove-DVPortgroup

update : Here is the supervisor's official response:

"Sorry this tool is still a bit unbaked as of now, hence no download information. In the mean while, you may attend the upcoming VMworld 2009 TA3521 session, where a number of 3rd party and/or open source Virtual Switch/Networking related management and troubleshooting tools are going to be demonstrated and discussed for the first time."

New in this release: dockable windows in the main console, new message pane, support for Posh v2 modules, and configurable, recently opened files function that remembers your tabs in the editor.  See the release notes attachment for details.

http://www.powergui.org/downloads.jspa

Alan Renouf has created a really cool PowerShell script at http://virtu-al.net

This script will save you time and resources.

I have been using this script for the past month and it has highlighted a number of issues which would have been harder to find without it.

Daily Report does what it says on the tin, it runs as a scheduled task before you get into the office to present you with key information about your infrastructure in a nice easily readable format.

This script picks on the key areas of the virtual infrastructure and reports it all in one place so all you do in the morning is check your email.

One of they key things about this report is if there is no issue in a particular place you will not receive that section in the email, for example if there are no datastores with less than 5% free space (configurable) then the disk space section will not show in the email, this ensures that you have only the information you need in front of you when you get into the office.

So what areas does this script report on ?

Firstly it will give you a very brief summary detailing some of the critical information, it does not list every name and how many cpu’s or how much memory your vms and hosts have as that would be a audit report not a daily report.

http://www.virtu-al.net/2009/07/14/powercli-daily-report/

This afternoon I presented at the Belgium VMUG event. My presentation is called “Managing VMware vSphere 4 with The Virtualization EcoShell.”, here are the slides.

PowerBoots makes it easier for scripters to create graphical user interfaces in PowerShell, exposing much of the power of WPF to PowerShell in a simple syntax which supports events, threading, and much, much, more.

PowerBoots is written as a script module which dynamically generates functions into static script files for each WPF control, combined with a compiled module called PoshWpf which was originally part of PoshConsole (and includes the Out-Wpf cmdlet and New-BootsWindow cmdlets among others) ... the module enables threaded UIs as well as enabling support for styles, control templates and data templates.

At the end of the VMware Fast-track course I delivered this week, I did a Dry Run “Managing VMware vSphere 4 with The Virtualization EcoShell” which I will present next week at the Belgium User Group event. If you didn’t sign up yet and you’re interested in this free event you can register here. Maybe we can meet up and enjoy one of those Palm beers. All the content will be delivered in English.

This morning I replayed the June 2009 PowerCLI Webinar. Carters Shanklin’s WebEx session is awesome, he demoed a well written series of PowerShell scripts. With one of his scripts you’re able to collect the %RDY time statistics for all your Virtual Machines. The most common cause of high ready time is trying to get too much work out of too little hardware. Often this condition is observable when ready time is high and total host CPU utilization is also very high. The only fix for this is to back off the load on the system. VMs should be migrated off or processor resources should be increased. I combined Carter’s script with a new feature in PowerShell 2.0, the Out-GridView which displays the ready time  information in a real cool Data Grid.