Scripting Archives - Virtually Boring

How to Add ESXi Hosts to vCenter using PowerShell

October 6, 2020July 14, 2016 by Daniel

There are quite a few clicks needed to add a host to vCenter. If you are deploying multiple hosts to your environment you have many clicks ahead. You should script it! This PowerShell script will make adding multiple hosts to vCenter easy!

Let’s see it in action!

#####################################################################
# Load VMware Plugins and connect to vCenter
#####################################################################

Add-PSSnapin vmware.vimautomation.core
## Enter your vCenter here
connect-viserver -server LABVC01.virtuallyboring.com

########################################################################
# Add Multiple Hosts to vCenter
########################################################################

# Variables
## You can use comma separated names or change to pull from a text file. Your pick.
$ESXiHosts = "ESXi01.virtuallyboring.com" , "ESXi02.virtuallyboring.com" , "ESXi03.virtuallyboring.com"
## Enter the name of a Data Center or Host Cluster
$ESXiLocation = "Nested ESXi Cluster"

# Start Script
$credentials = Get-Credential -UserName root -Message "Enter the ESXi root password"

Foreach ($ESXiHosts in $ESXiHosts) {
Add-VMHost -Name $ESXiHosts -Location $ESXiLocation -User $credentials.UserName -Password $credentials.GetNetworkCredential().Password -RunAsync -force
Write-Host -ForegroundColor GREEN "Adding ESXi host $ESXiHosts to vCenter"
}
# End Script

#####################################################################

# Load VMware Plugins and connect to vCenter

#####################################################################

Add-PSSnapin vmware.vimautomation.core

## Enter your vCenter here

connect-viserver -server LABVC01.virtuallyboring.com

########################################################################

# Add Multiple Hosts to vCenter

########################################################################

# Variables

## You can use comma separated names or change to pull from a text file. Your pick.

$ESXiHosts = "ESXi01.virtuallyboring.com" , "ESXi02.virtuallyboring.com" , "ESXi03.virtuallyboring.com"

## Enter the name of a Data Center or Host Cluster

$ESXiLocation = "Nested ESXi Cluster"

# Start Script

$credentials = Get-Credential -UserName root -Message "Enter the ESXi root password"

Foreach ($ESXiHosts in $ESXiHosts) {

Add-VMHost -Name $ESXiHosts -Location $ESXiLocation -User $credentials.UserName -Password $credentials.GetNetworkCredential().Password -RunAsync -force

Write-Host -ForegroundColor GREEN "Adding ESXi host $ESXiHosts to vCenter"

}

# End Script

Add Virtual Machine Templates (.VMTX) to Inventory using PowerShell

October 7, 2020July 14, 2015 by Daniel

Here is a script that will scan a datastore for VM templates (.VMTX) and add them to inventory. This is a modified version of the Add Virtual Machines (.VMX) to Inventory script.

You must have VMware PowerCLI installed in order to have the cmdlets required for PowerShell to run the script.

Add VMTX (Virtual Machine Templates) to Inventory from a Datastore:

#####################################################################
# Load VMware Plugins and vCenter Connect #
#####################################################################

Add-PSSnapin vmware.vimautomation.core

connect-viserver -server ENTER VCENTER FQDN HERE
#####################################################################
# Add .VMTX (VM Templates) to Inventory from Datastore #
#####################################################################

# Variables: Update these to the match the environment
$Cluster = &amp;amp;quot;ENTER CLUSTER NAME HERE&amp;amp;quot;
$Datastore = &amp;amp;quot;ENTER DATASTORE NAME HERE&amp;amp;quot;
$VMFolder = &amp;amp;quot;ENTER FOLDER NAME HERE&amp;amp;quot;
$ESXHost = Get-Cluster $Cluster | Get-VMHost | select -First 1

foreach($Datastore in get-datastore $Datastore)
{
# Collect .vmtx paths of registered VMs on the datastore
$registered = @{}
Get-Template -Datastore $Datastore | ForEach-Object -Process {
$registered.Add($_.Name+'.vmtx',$true)
}

# Set up Search for .VMTX Files in Datastore(s)
$null = New-PSDrive -Name TgtDS -Location $Datastore -PSProvider VimDatastore -Root '\'
$unregistered = @(Get-ChildItem -Path TgtDS: -Recurse | `
Where-Object -FilterScript {
$_.FolderPath -notmatch '.snapshot' -and $_.Name -like '*.vmtx' -and !$registered.ContainsKey($_.Name)
}
)
Remove-PSDrive -Name TgtDS

#Register all .vmtx Files as VMs on the datastore
foreach($vmtxFile in $unregistered)
{
New-Template -Name $vmtxFile.Name -TemplateFilePath $vmtxFile.DatastoreFullPath -VMHost $ESXHost -Location $VMFolder -RunAsync
}
}

#####################################################################

# Load VMware Plugins and vCenter Connect #

#####################################################################

Add-PSSnapin vmware.vimautomation.core

connect-viserver -server ENTER VCENTER FQDN HERE

#####################################################################

# Add .VMTX (VM Templates) to Inventory from Datastore #

#####################################################################

# Variables: Update these to the match the environment

$Cluster = &amp;quot;ENTER CLUSTER NAME HERE&amp;quot;

$Datastore = &amp;quot;ENTER DATASTORE NAME HERE&amp;quot;

$VMFolder = &amp;quot;ENTER FOLDER NAME HERE&amp;quot;

$ESXHost = Get-Cluster $Cluster | Get-VMHost | select -First 1

foreach($Datastore in get-datastore $Datastore)

{

# Collect .vmtx paths of registered VMs on the datastore

$registered = @{}

Get-Template -Datastore $Datastore | ForEach-Object -Process {

$registered.Add($_.Name+'.vmtx',$true)

}

# Set up Search for .VMTX Files in Datastore(s)

$null = New-PSDrive -Name TgtDS -Location $Datastore -PSProvider VimDatastore -Root '\'

$unregistered = @(Get-ChildItem -Path TgtDS: -Recurse | `

Where-Object -FilterScript {

$_.FolderPath -notmatch '.snapshot' -and $_.Name -like '*.vmtx' -and !$registered.ContainsKey($_.Name)

}

)

Remove-PSDrive -Name TgtDS

#Register all .vmtx Files as VMs on the datastore

foreach($vmtxFile in $unregistered)

{

New-Template -Name $vmtxFile.Name -TemplateFilePath $vmtxFile.DatastoreFullPath -VMHost $ESXHost -Location $VMFolder -RunAsync

}

Let’s see it in action!

Add Virtual Machines (.VMX) to Inventory using PowerShell

October 7, 2020July 13, 2015 by Daniel

There are quite a few clicks to add a virtual machine from a datastore to inventory. If you were to consolidate an environment and had to add multiple virtual machines this would be quite a manual task. Easier solution? Script it! The below script makes scanning a datastore and registering all virtual machines with vCenter a breeze.

You must have VMware PowerCLI installed in order to have the cmdlets required for PowerShell to run the script.

Add VMX (Virtual Machines) to Inventory from a Datastore:

#####################################################################
# Load VMware Plugins and vCenter Connect #
#####################################################################

Add-PSSnapin vmware.vimautomation.core

connect-viserver -server ENTER VCENTER FQDN HERE
#####################################################################
# Add .VMX (Virtual Machines) to Inventory from Datastore #
#####################################################################

# Variables: Update these to the match the environment
$Cluster = &quot;ENTER CLUSTER NAME HERE&quot;
$Datastore = &quot;ENTER DATASTORE NAME HERE&quot;
$VMFolder = &quot;ENTER FOLDER NAME HERE&quot;
$ESXHost = Get-Cluster $Cluster | Get-VMHost | select -First 1

foreach($Datastore in $Datastore) {
# Searches for .VMX Files in datastore variable
$ds = Get-Datastore -Name $Datastore | %{Get-View $_.Id}
$SearchSpec = New-Object VMware.Vim.HostDatastoreBrowserSearchSpec
$SearchSpec.matchpattern = &quot;*.vmx&quot;
$dsBrowser = Get-View $ds.browser
$DatastorePath = &quot;[&quot; + $ds.Summary.Name + &quot;]&quot;

# Find all .VMX file paths in Datastore variable and filters out .snapshot
$SearchResult = $dsBrowser.SearchDatastoreSubFolders($DatastorePath, $SearchSpec) | where {$_.FolderPath -notmatch &quot;.snapshot&quot;} | %{$_.FolderPath + ($_.File | select Path).Path}

# Register all .VMX files with vCenter
foreach($VMXFile in $SearchResult) {
New-VM -VMFilePath $VMXFile -VMHost $ESXHost -Location $VMFolder -RunAsync
}
}

#####################################################################

# Load VMware Plugins and vCenter Connect #

#####################################################################

Add-PSSnapin vmware.vimautomation.core

connect-viserver -server ENTER VCENTER FQDN HERE

#####################################################################

# Add .VMX (Virtual Machines) to Inventory from Datastore #

#####################################################################

# Variables: Update these to the match the environment

$Cluster = "ENTER CLUSTER NAME HERE"

$Datastore = "ENTER DATASTORE NAME HERE"

$VMFolder = "ENTER FOLDER NAME HERE"

$ESXHost = Get-Cluster $Cluster | Get-VMHost | select -First 1

foreach($Datastore in $Datastore) {

# Searches for .VMX Files in datastore variable

$ds = Get-Datastore -Name $Datastore | %{Get-View $_.Id}

$SearchSpec = New-Object VMware.Vim.HostDatastoreBrowserSearchSpec

$SearchSpec.matchpattern = "*.vmx"

$dsBrowser = Get-View $ds.browser

$DatastorePath = "[" + $ds.Summary.Name + "]"

# Find all .VMX file paths in Datastore variable and filters out .snapshot

$SearchResult = $dsBrowser.SearchDatastoreSubFolders($DatastorePath, $SearchSpec) | where {$_.FolderPath -notmatch ".snapshot"} | %{$_.FolderPath + ($_.File | select Path).Path}

# Register all .VMX files with vCenter

foreach($VMXFile in $SearchResult) {

New-VM -VMFilePath $VMXFile -VMHost $ESXHost -Location $VMFolder -RunAsync

}

Let’s see it in action!

Share this, be sociable!!

Share this, be sociable!!

Share this, be sociable!!