This document provides an introduction to PowerCLI and demonstrates how to automate various VMware vSphere tasks using PowerCLI and PowerShell cmdlets. It begins with an overview of why automation is useful, then covers PowerShell terminology and key cmdlets. The remainder demonstrates live examples of automating tasks like managing vCenter and storage, provisioning VMs from templates, and suggests additional resources for learning PowerCLI.

1. PowerCLI 101

2. Why AutomateSave TimeReduce RiskScale

3. AgendaIntroduction to PowerShellvCenter managementStorage managementAutomating VM lifecycle

4. PowerShell 101 (Terminology)Cmdlet(pronounced command-lets) are compiled .NET class that perfoma single action on an object. They are named in the <verb>-<singular noun> format.Objects: A collection of properties and methods with a unique type name.Pipeline: Passes whole .NET objects from one cmdlet to another enabling clean powerful syntax.

5. Get-VM | Where-Object {$_.PowerState –eq ‘Powered Off’} | Start-VM | Format-TableGet-VMFormat-TableWhere-ObjectStart-VMPowerShell PipelinePipeline in Action

6. PowerShell 101 ( Key Cmdlets)Get-CommandGet-HelpGet-PSDriveGet-MemberFormat-List

7. Grow Environment!Live Demo

8. Needs & EnvironmentTasks:Create new datacenter

9. Add existing Host and VMs to new vCenter instance.

10. Create a new cluster

11. Add new Host to the new cluster Cmdlets used:Connect-VIServer

12. New-Datacenter

13. Add-VMHost

14. New-Cluster

15. Set-Cluster

16. Move-VMHostGrow Environment# Add host to vCenterConnect-VIServervCenter01.sea-tm.netapp.com# Create Datacenter$Datacenter=New-Datacenter-NameBellevue-Location(Get-Folder)# Add the first hostAdd-VMHost-NamevSphere1.sea-tm.netapp.com-Location$Datacenter`-Force# Create new cluster$Cluster=New-Cluster-NameVMworld-Location$Datacenter# Set the HA/DRS Settings for our clusterSet-Cluster-cluster$Cluster-HAEnabled$True`-HAIsolationResponseDoNothing-DrsEnabled$True-Confirm:$false# Move our existing host into the new clusterMove-VMHost-VMHostvSphere1*-Destination$Cluster# Add an additional host to the clusterAdd-VMHost-NamevSphere2.sea-tm.netapp.com-Location$Cluster`-Force-RunAsync

17. ZOMG I Needs Storage?!Live Demo

18. Needs & EnvironmentTasks:Find and remove any large snapshots.

19. Provision new storage on Array

20. Add datastore to hosts

21. Move VMs to new storage.Cmdlets used:Get-VM

22. Get-Snapshot

23. Get-VMHost

24. New-Datastore

25. Sort-Object

26. Format-Table

27. Remove-Snapshot

28. Set-NaQtree

29. Set-NaNfsExport

30. Move-VM

31. Get-Datastore

32. Connect-NaController

33. New-NaVol

34. Set-NaSis

35. Enable-NaSis

36. Start-NaSis

37. Get-NaQtreeZOMG I Needs Storage?!# Find any large snapshots.Get-VM|Get-Snapshot|Sort-ObjectSizeMB-Descending|Format-TableVM,Name,SizeMB# Delete that sucka!Get-Snapshot-VMSQL01-Nameupdates|Remove-Snapshot-RunAsync# we're still a little tight... Create a new datastore!# Import the NetApp DataONTAP PowerShell ToolkitImport-ModuleDataONTAP# Connect to the NetApp ControllerConnect-NaController10.58.92.213# Create a new volume, and configure dedupeNew-NaVol-Namevmdata1-Aggregateaggr1-SpaceReservenone-Size10t|Set-NaSis-Scheduleauto | Enable-NaSis| Start-NaSis| Get-NaQtree| Set-NaQtree-SecurityStyleunix# Create the NFS exportSet-NaNfsExport-Persistent-Path/vol/vmdata1-Root'172.16.3.0/24'`-ReadWrite'172.16.3.0/24'# Add datastoreGet-Cluster VMworld |Get-VMHost|New-Datastore-Namevmdata1-Nfs`-Path/vol/vmdata1-NfsHost172.16.3.213# Move a VM to make some more room in our oversubscribed datastore.Get-VMExch*|Move-VM-Datastore(Get-Datastorevmdata1)-RunAsync

38. VM ProvisioningLive Demo!

39. Needs & EnvironmentTasks:Clone an existing VM.

40. Create a new VM.

41. Convert VM to VM Template.

42. Deploy multiple VMs from Template.

43. Delete a VM.Cmdlets used:Get-Cluster

44. Get-Datacenter

45. Get-VM

46. Get-VMHost

47. New-VM

48. Remove-VM

49. Set-VM

50. ForEach-ObjectVM Provisioning# We'll use this more than once!$vmhost=Get-Cluster-NameVMworld|Get-VMHost|Select-first1# Clone a VM for the ops team to test a patch.New-VM-NameSQL03_Clone-VMSQL03-VMHost$VMHost-RunAsync# Create a new VM$VM=New-VM-Name"AwesomeVM01"-VMHost$vmhost-DiskMB61440`-MemoryMB4196# Now Make a template of that fool$template=$VM|Set-VM-ToTemplate-Name"VMworld Template"# Add a force multiplier1..6|ForEach-Object{New-VM-Name"VM$_"-Template$template-VMHost$vmhost-RunAsync}# Cleanup old VMGet-VMSQL03_Clone|Remove-VM-DeletePermanently

51. Resources Books

52. Resources Blogs

53. Resources Blogs

54. Resources Forums

55. Resources Forums

56. Resources Forums

57. Where to go from here?Books:Learn Windows PowerShell in a Month of Lunches

58. VMware vSphere PowerCLI ReferenceBlogs:http://www.lucd.info/

59. http://www.virtu-al.net/Forums:http://www.vmware.com/go/PowerCLI

60. http://powershellcommunity.org

61. http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/ITCG/threadsTwitter: Use the hashtag #PowerShell #PowerCLI to get help.