PowerCLI cmdlets

Connecting to a Server

To run specific vSphere PowerCLI cmdlets and perform administration or monitoring tasks, first establish a

connection to an ESX or a vCenter Server.

In the vSphere PowerCLI console window, type the following cmdlet:

Connect-VIServer -Server

To manage virtual machines

1 After establishing a connection to a server, list all virtual machines on the target system:

Get-VM | sort name

2 Save the name and the power state properties of the virtual machines in the myPool resource pool into a

file named myVMProperties.txt:

$pool = Get-ResourcePool myPool

Get-VM -Location $pool | Select-Object Name, PowerState > myVMProperties.txt

3 Start the MyVM virtual machine:

Get-VM "myVM" | Start-VM

4 Retrieve information of the guest OS of the myVM virtual machine:

Get-VMGuest myVM | fc

5 Shutdown the OS of the myVM virtual machine:

Shutdown-VMGuest "myVM"

6 Power off the myVM virtual machine:

Stop-VM "myVM"

7 Move the virtual machine myVM from the ABC host to the XYZ host:

Get-VM -Name “myVM” -Location (Get-VMHost ‘ABC’) | Move-VM –Destination (Get-VMHost ‘XYZ’)

To manage virtual machine hosts

1 List all hosts on the target VMware vSphere server you have established a connection with:

Get-VMHost

2 Add a standalone virtual machine host to the vCenter Server:

Add-VMHost -Name myHost -Location (Get-Datacenter Main) -User root -Password pass

3 Activate maintenance mode for the myHost virtual machine host:

Get-VMHost myHost | Set-VMHost -State maintenance

4 Remove the myHost virtual machine host from maintenance mode:

Get-VMHost myHost | Set-VMhost -State connected

5 Shut down the myHost virtual machine host

$host = Get-VMHost myHost

$hv = Get-View $h.ID

$hv.ShutdownHost_Task($true)

6 Remove the myHost virtual machine host without confirmation:

Remove-VMHost $host -Confirm:$false

To manage cluster

Get-cluster | sort-object "Name"