retrieve vhdx path from a remote server - powershell

hi i' m trying to retrieve the vhdx of specified vmname from the remote host server
here part of the script
$pth="C:\path\resize-vm"
$list=gc $pth\list-host.txt
foreach ($hostserver in $list) {
$vm=(Invoke-Command -ComputerName $hostserver -ScriptBlock {Get-VM}).VMName
Write-Host -NoNewline " here the vm installed in " $hostserver `r`n $vm
$vmname=Read-Host -Prompt "please chose a vmname to resize "
#the issue in the last line
$pathvhd=Invoke-Command -ComputerName $hostserver -ScriptBlock {(Get-VMHardDiskDrive -VMName $vmname).path}
When I launch this command $vmname="dc-kozhan"
I am getting this error
Cannot validate argument on parameter 'VMName'. The argument is null
or empty. Provide an argument that is not null or empty, and then try
the command again.
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidData: (:) [Get-VMHardDiskDrive], ParameterBindingValidationException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentValidationError,Microsoft.HyperV.PowerShell.Commands.GetVMHardDiskDrive
Command
+ PSComputerName : h-uludag-3
But when I specified dc-kozhan literally it work
PS C:\Users> Invoke-Command -ComputerName $hostserver -ScriptBlock {(Get-VMHardDiskDrive -VMName "DC-KOZAHAN")
.path}
V:\DC-KOZAHAN\DC-KOZAHAN-SYSTEM.vhdx
V:\DC-KOZAHAN\DC-KOZAHAN-DIRECTORY.vhdx
V:\DC-KOZAHAN\DC-KOZAHAN-SYSVOL.vhdx
V:\DC-KOZAHAN\DC-KOZAHAN-BACKUP.vhdx
does anyone have an idea why it does not work when it's specified in a variable

You need to understand how to pass arguments inside the scriptblock. The scope is different when you try to pass the value inside the scriptblock. As a result, $VMname is becoming null in your first statement.
Kindly change your existing Invoke-command statement to the below one:
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $hostserver -ScriptBlock {Param([string]$vmname)(Get-VMHardDiskDrive -VMName $vmname)} -ArgumentList $vmname
Also, my suggestion for you to read about the argumentlist in powershell in case invoke-command
Hope it helps.

Related

cannot validate argument on parameter "Path" The argument is null or empty

I was trying to create a simple script that would go to a server and get the acl details of a folder. I tested the command:
Invoke-command -Computername Servername -ScriptBlock {(Get-Acl "\\Server\Folder\user folders").access | ft- auto}
This worked ok. However when I was trying to put it into a script that would allow me to enter the path in via a variable I always get:
Cannot validate argument on parameter 'Path'. The argument is null or empty. Supply an argument that is not null or empty and then
try the command again.
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidData: (:) [Get-Acl], ParameterBindingValidationException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentValidationError,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.GetAclCommand
Here is my script:
#get folder permissions from remote computer
$serverName = read-host "Please enter the name of the target server"
$folderPath = "\\server_name\Folder\user folders"
#read-host "Please enter the full path to the target folder"
Invoke-command -ComputerName $serverName -ScriptBlock {(get-acl $folderPath).access | ft -wrap}
Its probably something very simple, but I'd appreciate the help.
The issue is because you are trying to use the $folderPath variable, but on the remote computer that variable does not exist.
You will need to pass it through as an argument. There are multiple ways to do so, two such ways are below:
# Add desired variable to ArgumentList and define it as a parameter
Invoke-command -ComputerName $serverName -ArgumentList $folderPath -ScriptBlock {
param($folderPath)
(get-acl $folderPath).access | ft -wrap
}
OR
# In PS ver >= 3.0 we can use 'using'
Invoke-command -ComputerName $serverName $folderPath -ScriptBlock {(get-acl $using:folderPath).access | ft -wrap}

Property is empty when run through Invoke-Command

I am trying to individually monitor memory usage of a process (w3wp.exe) that has multiple instances of itself by filtering out a string found in the process' CommandLine property.
It works when I run this script locally:
$proc = (WmiObject Win32_Process -Filter "Name = 'w3wp.exe'" | Where-Object {$_.CommandLine -like "*SomeTextFromCl*"})
$id = $proc.ProcessId
$ws = [math]::round((Get-Process -Id $id).WS/1MB)
Write-Host $ws
However, when I try to run it remotely through Invoke-Command, I get an error telling that the Id property's value is null:
Cannot bind argument to parameter 'Id' because it is null.
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidData: (:) [Get-Process], ParameterBindingValidationException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentValidationErrorNullNotAllowed,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.GetProcessCommand
+ PSComputerName : RemoteServerName
My Invoke-Command syntax is:
Invoke-Command -ComputerName RemoteServerName -FilePath script.ps1 -Credential $mycredential
I'm sure it's simple but I'm back to PS after a long absence and I had a look around but couldn't find anything really helpful.
You are writing the answer to the console. You use the ps1 as a function, so you should use:
return $ws
instead of
write-host $ws

Adding Shared Printer to Remote Computer via Powershell

I am unable to run an invoke-command script to install printers on a remote machine. My code works locally, but as soon as I pipe it into Invoke-command, i get errors.
Local:
$Printer = "\\server1\printer1"
(New-Object -Com Wscript.Network).AddWindowsPrinterConnection($Printer)
And this adds the printer just fine. I can do this same command on the remote computer with no issues. But when i tried to execute the command remotely I have the issues.
Remote:
$compname = "computer"
$Printer = "\\server1\printer1"
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $CompName -Scriptblock {(New-Object -Com Wscript.Network).AddWindowsPrinterConnection('$Printer')}
Which returns the error "The printer name is invalid"
So I tried to see what the shell was sending to the remote computer with the following code, and everything in the write output looks good, but I still get errors:
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $CompName -Scriptblock {(New-Object -Com Wscript.Network).AddWindowsPrinterConnection('$Printer'); write-host "(New-Object -Com Wscript.Network).AddWindowsPrinterConnection('$Printer')"}
Output:
Exception calling "AddWindowsPrinterConnection" with "1" argument(s): "The printer name is invalid. (Exception from
HRESULT: 0x80070709)"
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodInvocationException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : ComMethodTargetInvocation
+ PSComputerName : computer
(New-Object -Com Wscript.Network).AddWindowsPrinterConnection('\\server1\printer1')
Edit 1/5/2015
So I've tried Paul's code with a number of different entries to the argumentlist. All have not worked so far. i think the first 3 are closer to an answer.
-ArgumentList ""\\server1\printer1""
-ArgumentList ""'\\server1\printer1'""
-ArgumentList "\"\\server1\printer1""
Results in:
Invoke-Command : A positional parameter cannot be found that accepts argument '\\server1\printer1'.
At line:1 char:1
+ Invoke-Command -ComputerName $CompName -Scriptblock {(New-Object -Com Wscript.Ne ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (:) [Invoke-Command], ParameterBindingException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : PositionalParameterNotFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.InvokeCommandCommand
-ArgumentList "'\\server1\printer1'"
-ArgumentList \'"\\server1\printer1"'
-ArgumentList \""\\server1\printer1""
-ArgumentList \"\\server1\printer1"
Result in:
Exception calling "AddWindowsPrinterConnection" with "1" argument(s): "The printer name is invalid. (Exception from
HRESULT: 0x80070709)"
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodInvocationException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : ComMethodTargetInvocation
+ PSComputerName : sso-mxl327082y
Try this:
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $CompName -Scriptblock {(New-Object -Com Wscript.Network).AddWindowsPrinterConnection($args[0]); write-host "(New-Object -Com Wscript.Network).AddWindowsPrinterConnection($($args[0]))"} -ArgumentList "\\server1\printer1"
I think it´s because your $printer variable is placed between single quotes, variables between single quotes are not interpreted by powershell. So the printername your function probably gets is "$printer".
In case you wonder it is printed out correctly in your write-host statement because here the single quotes are inside a string.
you need to use $Using:yourvar to pass variables to the scriptblock
$compname = "computer"
$Printer = "\\server1\printer1"
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $CompName -Scriptblock
{
(New-Object -Com Wscript.Network).AddWindowsPrinterConnection($Using:$Printer)
}
I think it's because of the so called 'double hop problem', where your authentication isn't transfered to the next remote computer which is sharing the printer.
I tried to solve similar problem using add-printer and following this article double hop problem solution.
However, although it works with get-childitem etc. it doesn't work with add-printer cmdlet.

powershell Start-Service fails

I have very simple powershell script that starts service remotely.
Invoke-Command -Session $session -ScriptBlock { Start-Service "My test service v1" }
works fine but
$myval="My test service v1"
Invoke-Command -Session $session -ScriptBlock { Start-Service $myval }
fails with
Cannot validate argument on parameter 'InputObject'. The argument is
null or empty. Supply an argument that is not null or empty and then
try the command again.
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidData: (:) [Start-Service], ParameterBindingValidationException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentValidationError,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.StartServiceCommand
+ PSComputerName : mdfiletest
To me they are the same. Why is this not working? thanks
It does not work because when the scriptblock is executed on the remote server, the variable $myval does not exist in session state; it only exists on the local (client) side. The powershell v2/v3 compatible way to do this is:
invoke-command -session $session -scriptblock {
param($val); start-service $val } -args $myval
Another powershell v3 (only) way is like this:
invoke-command -session $session -scriptblock { start-service $using:myval }
The $using prefix is a special pseudo-scope which will capture the local variable and try to serialize it and send it remotely. Strings are always serializable (remotable.)

Handle errors in ScriptBlock in Invoke-Command Cmdlet

I am trying to install a service on a remote machine using the powershell.
So far I have the following:
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $remoteComputerName -ScriptBlock {
param($password=$password,$username=$username)
$secpasswd = ConvertTo-SecureString $password -AsPlainText -Force
$credentials = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PSCredential ($username, $secpasswd)
New-Service -Name "XXX" -BinaryPathName "c:\XXX.exe" -DisplayName "XXX XXX XXX" -Description "XXXXXX." -Credential $credentials -ErrorVariable errortext
Write-Host("Error in: " + $errortext)
} -ArgumentList $password,$username -ErrorVariable errortext
Write-Host("Error out: " + $errortext)
When there is an error while executing New-Service the $errortext ErrorVariable get set properly inside the ScriptBlock, because the text: "Error in: shows me the error.
The ErrorVariable of the Invoke-Command does not get set (which I expected).
My question is:
Is it somehow possible to set the ErrorVariable of the Invoke-Command to the error I got inside the ScriptBlock?
I know I could also use InstalUtil, WMI and SC to install the service, but this is not relevant at the moment.
No, you can't get the Errorvariable from the Invoke-Command call to be set the same as in the scriptblock.
But if your goal is "detect and handle errors in the scriptblock, and also get errors returned back to the context of the Invoke-Command caller" then just do it manually:
$results = Invoke-Command -ComputerName server.contoso.com -ScriptBlock {
try
{
New-Service -ErrorAction 1
}
catch
{
<log to file, do cleanup, etc>
return $_
}
<do stuff that should only execute when there are no failures>
}
$results now contains the error information.
The Invoke-Command argument list is a one way deal. You can either output the error variable in the script e.g. on the last line of the scriptblock put:
$errortext
or better yet, just don't capture the error via the -ErrorVariable at all. The scriptblock output, including errors, will flow back to the caller even over a remote connection.
C:\> Invoke-Command -cn localhost { Get-Process xyzzy } -ErrorVariable errmsg 2>$null
C:\> $errmsg
Cannot find a process with the name "xyzzy". Verify the process name and call the cmdlet again.
+ CategoryInfo : ObjectNotFound: (xyzzy:String) [Get-Process], ProcessCommandException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : NoProcessFoundForGivenName,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.GetProcessCommand
+ PSComputerName : localhost
In general, I think it is much better to keep errors on the error stream, separated from the normal output.
This is almost certainly not the "correct" answer, but this is what I use when I want Invoke-Command to throw an error in the script.
$error.Clear()
Invoke-Command -ComputerName localhost -ScriptBlock {Command-ThatFails}
if ($error.Count -gt 0) { throw $error[0] }
If you wanted to keep the error in a variable, you could do the following:
$error.Clear()
Invoke-Command -ComputerName localhost -ScriptBlock {Command-ThatFails}
if ($error.Count -gt 0) { $myErrorVariable = $error[0] }
In the strictest sense, I believe the answer is no, you cannot set Invoke-Command's ErrorVariable to the contents of the ErrorVariable inside the script block. The ErrorVariable is only for the command it's attached to.
However, you can pass the variable in the script block out to Invoke-Command's scope. In your code you run your New-Service command with -ErrorVariable errortext. Instead, create your variable in the 'script' scope by prefacing the variable name with "script:", like this: -ErrorVariable script:errortext. That makes the variable available outside of the script block as well as inside.
Now your final line Write-Host("Error out: " + $errortext) will output the error that was generated inside of the script block.
More information here and here.