Set a variable equal to the output of a powershell script - powershell

Question

This is a little difficult to explain, but I will do my best. I am writing some code to import AD contacts to users' mailboxes through EWS using Powershell.
I have a Main.ps1 file that calls all the other scripts that do work in the background (for example 1 imports the AD modules) another imports O365 modules.
I have 1 script container that connect to EWS. The code looks like this:
#CONFIGURE ADMIN CREDENTIALS
$userUPN = "User#domain.com"
$AESKeyFilePath = ($pwd.ProviderPath) + "\ConnectToEWS\aeskey.txt"
$SecurePwdFilePath = ($pwd.ProviderPath) + "\ConnectToEWS\password.txt"
$AESKey = Get-Content -Path $AESKeyFilePath -Force
$securePass = Get-Content -Path $SecurePwdFilePath -Force | ConvertTo-SecureString -Key $AESKey
#create a new psCredential object with required username and password
$adminCreds = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PSCredential($userUPN, $securePass)
Try
{
[Reflection.Assembly]::LoadFile("\\MBX-Server\c$\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange\Web Services\2.2\Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.dll") | Out-Null
$service = New-Object Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.ExchangeService([Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.ExchangeVersion]::Exchange2013_SP1)
$service.Credentials = New-Object Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.WebCredentials($userUPN,$adminCreds.GetNetworkCredential().Password)
$service.Url = new-object Uri("https://outlook.office365.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx");
return $service
}
Catch
{
Write-Output "Unable to connect to EWS. Make sure the path to the DLL or URL is correct"
}
The output of that code prints out the Service connection, but I want the information for that output stored in a variable such as $service.
Then I would pass that variable to another script that binds to the mailbox I want...
The problem I am having is $service doesn't seem to be storing that information. It only print it out once when I return it from the script above, but it doesn't append that information in the main script. When I print out $service it prints out once, but then it clears itself.
Here is my main script
CLS
#Root Path
$rootPath = $pwd.ProviderPath #$PSScriptRoot #$pwd.ProviderPath
Write-Host "Importing all necessary modules."
#******************************************************************
# PREREQUISITES
#******************************************************************
#Nuget - Needed for O365 Module to work properly
if(!(Get-Module -ListAvailable -Name NuGet))
{
#Install NuGet (Prerequisite) first
Install-PackageProvider -Name NuGet -Scope CurrentUser -Force -Confirm:$False
}
#******************************************************************
#Connect w\ Active Directory Module
& $rootPath\AD-Module\AD-module.ps1
#Load the O365 Module
& $rootPath\O365-Module\O365-module.ps1
#Clear screen after loading all the modules/sessions
CLS
#******************************************************************
# PUT CODE BELOW
#******************************************************************
#GLOBAL VARIABLES
$global:FolderName = $MailboxToConnect = $Service = $NULL
#Connect to EWS
& $rootPath\ConnectToEWS\ConnectToEWS.ps1
#Debug
$Service
#Create the Contacts Folder
& $rootPath\CreateContactsFolder\CreateContactsFolder.ps1
#Debug
$service
$ContactsFolder
#Clean up Sessions after use
if($NULL -ne (Get-PSSession))
{
Remove-PSSession *
}
[GC]::Collect()
The first time I output the $service variable, it prints fine. In the 2nd Debug output it doesn't print out anymore, and I believe that it why the script is failing when I launch "CreateContactsFolder.ps1"
Here is the content of "CreateContactsFolder.ps1"
CLS
Try
{
$service.ImpersonatedUserId = New-Object Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.ImpersonatedUserId([Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.ConnectingIdType]::SmtpAddress, $MailboxToConnect);
$RootFolder = [Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.Folder]::Bind($service,[Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.WellKnownFolderName]::MsgFolderRoot)
$RootFolder.Load()
#Check to see if they have a contacts folder that we want
$FolderView = new-Object Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.FolderView(1000)
$ContactsFolderSearch = $RootFolder.FindFolders($FolderView) | Where-Object {$_.DisplayName -eq $FolderName}
if($ContactsFolderSearch)
{
$ContactsFolder = [Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.ContactsFolder]::Bind($service,$ContactsFolderSearch.Id);
#If folder exists, connect to it. Clear existing Contacts, and reupload new (UPDATED) Contact Info
Write-Output "Folder alreads exists. We will remove all contacts under this folder."
# Attempt to empty the target folder up to 10 times.
$tries = 0
$max_tries = 0
while ($tries -lt 2)
{
try
{
$tries++
$ErrorActionPreference='Stop'
$ContactsFolder.Empty([Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.DeleteMode]::HardDelete, $true)
$tries++
}
catch
{
$ErrorActionPreference='SilentlyContinue'
$rnd = Get-Random -Minimum 1 -Maximum 10
Start-Sleep -Seconds $rnd
$tries = $tries - 1
$max_tries++
if ($max_tries -gt 100)
{
Write-Output "Error; Cannot empty the target folder; `t$EmailAddress"
}
}
}
}
else
{
#Contact Folder doesn't exist. Let's create it
try
{
Write-Output "Creating new Contacts Folder called $FolderName"
$ContactsFolder = New-Object Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.ContactsFolder($service);
$ContactsFolder.DisplayName = $FolderName
$ContactsFolder.Save([Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.WellKnownFolderName]::MsgFolderRoot)
}
catch
{
Write-Output "Error; Cannot create the target folder; `t$EmailAddress"
}
}
}
Catch
{
Write-Output "Couldn't connect to the user's mailbox. Make sure the admin account you're using to connect to has App Impersonization permissions"
Write-Output "Check this link for more info: https://help.bittitan.com/hc/en-us/articles/115008098447-The-account-does-not-have-permission-to-impersonate-the-requested-user"
}
return $ContactsFolder

Answer 1

In the Main script, capture the returned variable from the EWS script like
$service = & $rootPath\ConnectToEWS\ConnectToEWS.ps1
Or dot-source that script into the Main script, so the variables from EWS.ps1 are local to the Main script, so you don't need to do return $service in there:
. $rootPath\ConnectToEWS\ConnectToEWS.ps1
and do the same for the CreateContactsFolder.ps1 script
OR
define the important variables in the called scripts with a global scope $global:service and $global:ContactsFolder
See About_Scopes