Technical Note

Running Custom Scripts in the Guest Operating System with Invoke-VMScript

VMware vSphere PowerCLI 5.1 Release 1
InVMwarevSpherePowerCLIyoucanuseInvoke-VMScripttorunacustomscriptintheguestoperating systemsofyourvirtualmachines.WhenrunningInvoke-VMScriptdoesnotdelivertheexpectedresults,you candeterminewhenandwhereaproblemoccurredbyknowinghowInvoke-VMScriptworks. TolearnmoreaboutthefeaturesofInvoke-VMScript,runGet-Help Invoke-VMScript.

Step-By-Step Overview of Running Invoke-VMScript

WhenyourunInvoke-VMScript,thecmdletfollowsastepbystepprocedure. 1 2 Invoke-VMScriptdetectstheGuestInfodataobjectforthespecifiedvirtualmachine. FromtheGuestInfodataobject,Invoke-VMScriptverifiestherunningstatusandversionofVMware Toolsonthespecifiedvirtualmachine.Thecmdletalsodeterminestheguestoperatingsystemofthe virtualmachine. IfyouhavenotpassedavaluetotheScriptTypeparameter,Invoke-VMScriptdetectsthetypeofyour scriptautomatically.

WhentheguestoperatingsystemisWindows,Invoke-VMScriptrunsyourscriptasaPowerShell script. WhentheguestoperatingsystemisLinux,Invoke-VMScriptrunsyourscriptasaBASHscript.

BasedontheversionofyourVMwarevirtualizationsoftware,Invoke-VMScriptselectsaservicetorun yourscriptwith.

ForvCenterServer5.0andlaterorESX/ESXi5.0andlater,Invoke-VMScriptrunsyourscript throughtheVIMservice. ForearliervCenterServerandESX/ESXiversions,Invoke-VMScriptrunsyourscriptthroughthe VIXcomponent.TheVIXcomponentisincludedwithPowerCLI. NOTETheVIXcomponentdoesnotsupportSSPIforguestcredentials.

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Invoke-VMScriptwaitsforVMwareToolstoconfirmthatthevirtualmachineispoweredon. AfterVMwareToolsconfirmsthatthevirtualmachineispoweredon,Invoke-VMScriptauthenticates withtheguestoperatingsystem.Thecmdletusestheauthenticationcredentialsyouprovidedwhenyou calledInvoke-VMScript.

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Running Custom Scripts in the Guest Operating System with Invoke-VMScript

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Invoke-VMScriptcreatesaTEMPfileinthevirtualmachine.ThecmdletusestheTEMPfiletostorethe outputofthescript. Basedonthescripttype,Invoke-VMScriptmodifiesthescriptandredirectstheoutputtotheTEMPfile. Basedontheguestoperatingsystem,Invoke-VMScriptselectsascriptinterpreter.

WhentheguestoperatingsystemisWindows,thescriptinterpreteriscmd.exe. WhentheguestoperatingsystemisLinux,thescriptinterpreteris/bin/bash.

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Invoke-VMScriptrunsthescriptinterpreterasaseparateprocessintheguestoperatingsystemand passesthemodifiedscripttotheprocess. Whentheprocesscompletes,Invoke-VMScriptcopiestheTEMPfilefromthevirtualmachinetothe defaulttemporaryfolderontheWindowssystemwherevSpherePowerCLIisrunning. Invoke-VMScriptreadsthecontentsofthelocalcopyoftheTEMPfileandstorestheminavariable. Invoke-VMScriptdeletesthecopiesoftheTEMPfilefromthelocalandthevirtualmachine. Invoke-VMScriptreturnstheoutputofthescript.

Running a PowerShell Script with Invoke-VMScript

WhenyourscriptisaPowerShellscript,Invoke-VMScriptusescmd.exetostartPowerShell. Invoke-VMScriptmodifiesthePowerShellscripttoescapethespecialcharactersthatthescriptcontains.In thescriptinterpreter,thecmdletrunspowershell.exe -Command.Invoke-VMScriptpassesthemodified scripttotheCommandparameter. Toredirectthescriptoutput,Invoke-VMScriptencodesthepowershell.exe -Commandcommandand passesittoanotherPowerShellprocess. TomodifyyourPowerShellscript,Invoke-VMScriptescapesthespecialcharactersthatthescriptcontainsin aparticularorder. 1 2 3 Asinglequotationmark()isreplacedwithadoublequotationmark(). Astringofabackslashandadoublequotationmark(\)isreplacedwithastringoftwobackslashesand adoublequotationmark(\\). Adoublequotationmark()isreplacedwithastringofabackslashandadoublequotationmark(\).

Running a BAT Script with Invoke-VMScript

WhenyourscriptisaBATscript,Invoke-VMScriptusescmd.exetorunthescript.Invoke-VMScript modifiestheBATscripttoescapethespecialcharactersthatthescriptcontains.Thecmdletsurroundsthe modifiedscriptwithdoublequotationmarks()andpassesittothescriptinterpreter. TomodifyyourBATscript,Invoke-VMScriptescapesonlythespecialcharactersthatindicateanewline.A stringforanewline(\r\n\or\n)isreplacedwithastringofaspace,anampersand,andaspace(&).

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Running Custom Scripts in the Guest Operating System with Invoke-VMScript

Running a BASH Script with Invoke-VMScript

WhenyourscriptisaBASHscript,Invoke-VMScriptuses/bin/bashtorunthescript.Invoke-VMScript modifiestheBASHscripttoescapethespecialcharactersthatthescriptcontains.Thecmdletsurroundsthe modifiedscriptwithstringsofabackslashandadoublequotationmark(\)andpassesittothescript interpreter. TomodifyyourBASHscript,Invoke-VMScriptescapesthespecialcharactersthatthescriptcontainsina particularorder. 1 2 3 Astringforanewline(\r\n)isreplacedwithastringofaspace,asemicolon,andaspace(;). Astringofabackslashandadoublequotationmark(\)isreplacedwithastringofasinglequotation mark,adoublequotationmark,andasinglequotationmark(). Adoublequotationmark()isreplacedwithastringofthreebackslashesandadoublequotationmark (\\\).

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