How to execute sqlcmd from powershell? - powershell

Question

I have a string in powershell, which contains a native sqlcmd command. The command itself can be executed successfully in cmd.exe. I have difficulty in executing them in powershell. Anyone can help? Thanks.
This is sql.sql
select ##servername
go
select ##servicename
This is the result when I execute the sqlcmd command from cmd.exe
C:\Users\test>sqlcmd -S "(local)\instance1" -U a -P a -i "c:\temp\sql.sql"
--------------------------------------------------
thesimpsons\INSTANCE1
(1 rows affected)
--------------------------------------------------
INSTANCE1
(1 rows affected)
C:\Users\test>
This is the powershell script to call the sqlcmd command.
$sql = #"
sqlcmd -S "(local)\instance1" -U a -P a -i "c:\temp\sql.sql"
"#
Invoke-Command $sql
When I execute this powershell script, I got the following error.
PS C:\TEMP> $sql = #"
sqlcmd -S "(local)\instance1" -U a -P a -i "c:\temp\sql.sql"
"#
Invoke-Command $sql
Invoke-Command : Parameter set cannot be resolved using the specified named parame
ters.
At line:5 char:15
+ Invoke-Command <<<< $sql
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (:) [Invoke-Command], ParameterBin
dingException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : AmbiguousParameterSet,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands
.InvokeCommandCommand

Answer 1

To call a Win32 executable you want to use the call operator & like this:
& sqlcmd -S "(local)\instance1" -U a -P a -i "c:\temp\sql.sql"

Answer 2

You could also stop using the external 'SQLCMD.EXE' and use the Invoke-Sqlcmd cmdlet instead:
Invoke-Sqlcmd is a SQL Server cmdlet that runs scripts that contain statements from the languages (Transact-SQL and XQuery) and commands that are supported by the sqlcmd utility
Just open the 'sqlps' utility and run
Invoke-Sqlcmd -InputFile "C:\temp\sql.sql"
Please see Running SQL Server PowerShell
You can also load the SQL Server snap-ins manually in PowerShell before using 'Invoke-Sqlcmd';
for MS SQL Server 2012 you can do that by running
Import-Module SqlPs

Answer 3

This is how I build some externals command in my scripts
$scriptblock = {fullpath\sqlcmd -S `"(local)\instance1`" <# comment option -S #>`
-U a `
-P a `
-i `"c:\temp\sql.sql`" }
Invoke-Command -ScriptBlock $scriptBlock
You can then use $args variable inside it and even start it remotly.
$scriptblock = {fullpath\sqlcmd -S `"(local)\instance1`" <# comment option -S #>`
-U a `
-P a `
-i `"$($args[0])`" }
Invoke-Command -ScriptBlock $scriptBlock -argumentList "c:\temp\sql.sql" -computer "remote1"
Remark :
This allow to comment each param.
Be careful not to forget a "`" and no space after them where they are at the end of the line.

Answer 4

Use Invoke-Expression rather than Invoke-Command

Answer 5

The first positional parameter of invoke-command is -scriptblock, and it expects a script block argument. To take advantage of a here-string to build the command and then run it with invoke-command, you need to convert the here-string to a script block:
$sql = #"
sqlcmd -S "(local)\instance1" -U a -P a -i "c:\temp\sql.sql"
"#
Invoke-Command ([scriptblock]::create($sql))

Answer 6

Both instance name and username should be fully qualified
<domain_name>\Instanc_name and <domai_name>\Username. Only your instance name is correctly scripted.

Answer 7

This is what worked for me for using sqlcmd from within the powershell script using the & operator, see sample to generate a csv file:
& cmd /c "sqlcmd -S $sv -i $PROCFILE -s, -v varDB = $dbclean -o $filename"
$sv has server name like SERVERNAME\INSTANCE
$PROCFILE is like d:\TSTSQL\Sqlquery.SQL
$filename is d:\TSTSQL\Desiredoutfilename.CSV
$dbclean is a parameter passed to the sql file