How do I refresh service status on remote computer in powershell? - powershell

Question

This script is supposed to check if a service is started on server1 and to start it if it is not.
$cred = Import-Clixml -Path F:\Powershell\Safe\xxxx.txt
$server1 = Invoke-Command -ComputerName xxxx -ArgumentList $servicename -ScriptBlock {
Param($servicename)
Get-Service -Name $servicename
} -Credential $cred
if ($server1.Status -eq "Running"){
Write-Host "The Telephony service is started on xxxx"
} else {
Write-Host "The Telephony service is stopped on xxxx, starting up service"
Start-Sleep -Seconds 5
Invoke-Command -ComputerName xxxx -ArgumentList $servicename -ScriptBlock {
Param($servicename)
Start-Service -Name $servicename
} -Credential $cred
Write-Host "Telephony service is starting xxxx"
Start-Sleep -Seconds 10
$server1.Refresh()
if ($server1.status -eq "Running") {
Write-Host "Telephony service is now started on xxxx"
} else {
Write-Host "The Telephony service failed to start on xxxx please check services and try again."
I get an error stating:
Method invocation failed because [Deserialized.System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController] does not contain a method named 'refresh'
However, when working when using the $server.Refresh() command on a local service and not a remote PC it works just fine. How do I refresh my variable for the service status on a remote PC?

Answer 1

You will have to query the service each time you want to get the status using the second line of your script. Methods are stripped when it is serialized, which happens when the objects get returned from the remote server. Each time you want to get the current status of that service you will need to run:
$server1 = Invoke-Command -ComputerName xxxxxxxxx -ArgumentList $servicename -ScriptBlock {Param($servicename) Get-Service -name $servicename} -Credential $cred
Or put that all in one scriptblock, and do it all on the remote server.
$cred = Import-Clixml -path F:\Powershell\Safe\xxxxxxxx.txt
$SBlock = {
Param($servicename)
$Service = Get-Service -name $servicename
if ($Service.Status -eq "Running"){
"The Telephony service is started on xxxxxxxxx"
}
Else{
"The Telephony service is stopped on xxxxxxxxx, starting up service"
start-sleep -seconds 5
Start-Service -name $servicename
"Telephony service is starting xxxxxxxxx"
start-sleep -seconds 10
$Service.Refresh()
if ($server1.status -eq "Running"){
"Telephony service is now started on xxxxxxxxx"
}
else {
"The Telephony service failed to start on xxxxxxxxx please check services and try again."
}
}
}
Invoke-Command -ComputerName xxxxxxxxx -ArgumentList $servicename -ScriptBlock $SBlock -Credential $cred