I'm tearing my hair out trying to invoke-command but pass the path to the exe as a parameter
eg:
I want to take this command
powershell Invoke-Command -ComputerName localhost -ScriptBlock { param($command ) C:\windows\system32\getmac.exe /$command } -ArgumentList ?
and translate it into a form like this
powershell Invoke-Command -ComputerName localhost -ScriptBlock { param($path, $command ) $path\getmac.exe /$command } -ArgumentList C:\windows\system32,?
I've tried all manner of quoting, ampersands and other contortions but can't get it to work. The above attempt results in
Unexpected token '\getmac.exe' in expression or statement.
At line:1 char:97
(I don't really want to invoke getmac on localhost, this is the runnable, SO distilled version)
Try this option. It shows me help for cscript.exe.
C:\>powershell.exe Invoke-Command -ComputerName localhost -ScriptBlock { param($path, $command ) cmd /c $path $command } -args '"C:\windows\system32\cscript.exe"','"/?"'
I tried other options using & and then path and arguments and it was giving me missing } exception. Then using cmd /c instead of & inside scriptblock fixed the issue.
Powershell won't parse a string as a command that way. For e.g. if you do this:
$path="C:\Windows\System32"
$path\getmac.exe
You would get the same error. The trick to work around this is to use the invoke operator &:
&$path\getmac.exe
or in your example, like this (also note that for a command that you pass to the powershell executable, you must wrap it in scriptblock braces):
powershell -command {Invoke-Command -ComputerName localhost -ScriptBlock { param($path, $command ) &$path\getmac.exe /$command } -ArgumentList C:\windows\system32,?}
Related
I'm looking for help to run commands on remote computers regarding a line with mcafee agent to get it command run remotely.
$Machines = Get-Content -Path "C:\server_list.txt"
foreach ($computer in $Machines){
Write-host "Executing Events on $computer" -b "yellow" -foregroundcolor "red"
$command = Start-Process -NoNewWindow -FilePath "C:\Program Files\McAfee\Agent\cmdagent.exe" -ArgumentList "/e /l C:\temp"
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $computer -ScriptBlock {$command}
}
When I executed this command run locally but not remotely.
I'm looking for help here I have not full experience but I'm started automating some task on my job.
Please suggest some tips
I really appreciate it
Thanks
$command = Start-Process -NoNewWindow -FilePath "C:\Program Files\McAfee\Agent\cmdagent.exe" -ArgumentList "/e /l C:\temp"
This doesn't define a command for later execution with Invoke-Command, it instantly executes the Start-Process command, which is not your intent, and it is the reason it runs locally.
To fix that, you'd have to define it as a script block ({ ... }):
$command = { Start-Proces ... }, and then pass it as-is to Invoke-Command's -ScriptBlock parameter (Invoke-Command -ComputerName $computer -ScriptBlock $command) (don't enclose it in { ... } again).
Additionally, I suggest taking advantage of Invoke-Command's ability to target multiple computers at once, in parallel, and to avoid using Start-Process for synchronous invocation of an external program in the same window.
To put it all together:
$machines = Get-Content -Path "C:\server_list.txt"
Write-host "Executing Events on the following computers: $machines" -b "yellow" -foregroundcolor "red"
# Define the command as a script block, which is a piece of PowerShell code
# you can execute on demand later.
# In it, execute cmdagent.exe *directly*, not via Start-Process.
$command = { & "C:\Program Files\McAfee\Agent\cmdagent.exe" /e /l C:\temp }
# Invoke the script block on *all* computers in parallel, with a single
# Invoke-Command call.
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $machines -ScriptBlock $command
Note the need to use &, the call operator, to invoke the cmdagent.exe executable, because its path is quoted (of necessity, due to containing spaces).
Alternatively, you can define the script block directly in the Invoke-Command call:
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $machines -ScriptBlock {
& "C:\Program Files\McAfee\Agent\cmdagent.exe" /e /l C:\temp
}
A notable pitfall when targeting remote computers is that you cannot directly reference local variables in the (remotely executing) script block, and must instead explicitly refer to them via the $using: scope; e.g., $using:someLocalVar instead of $someLocalVar - see this answer for more information.
The problem is that $command is only valid for your local session - if you try to use it in a remote session, $command is $null and does nothing. Additionally, you are actually assigning $command whatever Start-Process returns, not what you want the command to be.
Just put the command in the script block (and while you're at it you can run this on every machine with a single command without having to loop over each one synchronously):
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $Machines -ScriptBlock { Start-Process -NoNewWindow -FilePath "C:\Program Files\McAfee\Agent\cmdagent.exe" -ArgumentList "/e /l C:\temp" }
As a precursor to running an installation file on several remote servers, I need to update the Powershell setting MaxMemoryPerShellMB. This requires running a PS session as Administrator on the remote server. I have been trying to run Invoke-Command which then runs a ScriptBlock consisting of a Start-Process command which includes the -Verb RunAs parameter. Nothing seems to work, however.
I have tried with various quoting schemes, single, double, triple, but nothing seems to work.
I've tried running the Start-Process from an Enter-PSSession, with the same results.
Following is the code I'm testing now:
$creds = Get-Credential -Username 'DOMAIN\userID' -Message "Enter Username and Password to access the remote servers."
$ScriptBlock = {
Start-Process -FilePath Powershell.exe -ArgumentList """Set-Item WSMan:\localhost\Shell\MaxMemoryPerShellMB 1024""" -Verb RunAs -Wait
}
Invoke-Command -ComputerName testsvr01 -Credential $creds -ScriptBlock $ScriptBlock
I should be able to RDP to the remote server and run Get-Item WSMan:\localhost\Shell and have it show the updated value, but the value isn't changed.
When running the code it pauses for a second when the Invoke-Command runs, but other than that, there is no feedback in Powershell.
On the remote server I see the following two Kerberos errors in the System Event log.
0x19 KDC_ERR_PREAUTH_REQUIRED,
0xd KDC_ERR_BADOPTION
Any help is greatly appreciated.
> powershell.exe -?
...
EXAMPLES
...
PowerShell -Command "& {Get-EventLog -LogName security}"
-Command
...
To write a string that runs a Windows PowerShell command, use the format:
"& {<command>}"
where the quotation marks indicate a string and the invoke operator (&)
causes the command to be executed.
So you could try to call Set-Item in the following way:
$ScriptBlock = {
Start-Process -FilePath Powershell.exe -ArgumentList "-Command"," &{ Set-Item WSMan:\localhost\Shell\MaxMemoryPerShellMB 1024 }" -Verb RunAs -Wait -PassThru
}
$process = Invoke-Command -ComputerName testsvr01 -Credential $creds -ScriptBlock $ScriptBlock
$process.ExitCode
I'm also returning a process object via -PassThru on which you might check the `ExitCode``
Hope that helps
I have the following script block:
$scriptBlock = {Start-Process ping.exe -ArgumentList localhost -Wait -NoNewWindow -PassThru}
Note: I am using a process as I want to be able to set the working directory the exe is executed in.
If I invoke it locally like this:
Invoke-Command -ScriptBlock $scriptBlock
I get the full ping output displayed. But when I invoke it remotely like this:
Invoke-Command -ComputerName RemoteComputerName -ScriptBlock $scriptBlock
I don't see any of the ping output. How can I get the remote output to display locally?
Drop the Start-Process and invoke the command directly:
$scriptBlock = {ping.exe localhost}
or via the call operator:
$scriptBlock = {& ping.exe localhost}
If you need to run the command from a particular directory, simply change to that directory before running the command:
$scriptBlock = {
Set-Location 'C:\some\folder'
& ping.exe localhost
}
All I am trying to do is to execute a batch file in remote machines as a job.I have batch file located in all machines inside C:\Users\temp folder.Here is my code
$batFile = "test.bat"
foreach($m in $machine)
{
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $m -ScriptBlock{param($batFile) & cmd.exe /c "C:\Users\temp\$batFile"} -Authentication negotiate -Credential $cred -ArgumentList $batFile -AsJob
}
But I keep getting
The expression after '&' in a pipeline element produced an object that was not valid. It must result in a command name, a script
block, or a CommandInfo object
I tried using $using:batFile inside ScriptBlock as well with no success. Can anyone suggest me what I might be doing wrong? I am using powershell version 4.
do a trace on that,
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $m -ScriptBlock{param($batFile) Trace-Command NativeCommandParameterBinder -Expression { & cmd.exe /c "C:\Users\temp\$batFile"}} -Authentication negotiate -Credential $cred -ArgumentList $batFile -AsJob
and Try using Invoke-Expression as a workaround instead of &
invoke-Expression "cmd.exe /c 'C:\Users\temp\$batFile'"
Regards,
Kvprasoon
I need to execute a Powershell script on a remote machine from a local script. Problem is, I don't know the path or filename of the remote script until runitime.
I've tried the following line in my local script:
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $TargetServer -ScriptBlock { & ($TargetMSI) '$MSI' 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Vasanta.Int.MIS' 'Dev' }
Problem is this returns the error: The expression after '&' in a pipeline element produced an invalid object.
If replace the $TargetMSI with a hard-coded string literal then it works fine.
Can anyone please tell me what I need to change?
When you Invoke-Command in v2 there is no direct way to pass variables to scriptblock. You need to use -ArgumentList + param () in scriptblock combo:
Invoke-Command -ScriptBlock { param ($TargetMSI, $MSI) & $TargetMSI '$MSI' } -ArgumentList $TargetMSI, $MSI
this is fixed/ improved in v3 with $using:localvariable syntax.