In a recent VMTN Round table podcast we were asked what our predictions would be for 2009, mine was “Automation of VMware Products”, after visiting VMWorld Europe 2009 in Cannes it would seam that my prediction was coming true.
Whilst there I attended ‘TA01 – Managing VMware With PowerShell’ presented by Carter Shanklin (VI Toolkit Product Manager), one of the developer of the VI toolkit and also Dennis Zimmer (CTO of Icomasoft).
Using powershell to manage applications is no new thing, Microsoft are pushing things that way with the release of Exchange 2007 where everything in the GUI is pushed back down to the powershell console and completed there.
So, Imagine if you could do that with VMware products, how amazing would that be !
VI Toolkit Quick Reference Guide
I’m currently sat in Heathrow Airport Terminal 1, I have just found a nice Zurich stand where they give you place to sit, a plug for the laptop and even an Ethernet cable with free Internet access, how nice is that !
So I thought I would best use my time to upload a Quick Reference guide to the VI Toolkit, hopefully I will be handing a few of these out at VMWorld but thought I would also add it to my blog for those of you who were unable to make it.
If you are interested in getting started with the VI Toolkit then print off the attached pdf file on a duplex printer, fold it in half and you have the ultimate getting started guide.
Thanks to C.Shanklin, S.Herold, L.Dekens and C.Bunch for their help with the editing and for the one-liners.
Have Fun !
Following my previous network information script I was asked to add the VSwitch, so here it is…
The following script will add some nice host network information into an object which is exported to a csv file for passing to the network guys or can be used to find your server in that mess of cables that are always meaning to be tidied in the data center.
Are you using PowerGUI and the VMware Powerpack yet, if the answer is no then why not ?
If you think its something that you will have to learn and you just dont have the time then please stop making excuses right now because VMGuru has just released some great new videos that not only show you how to get started but will also convert you into a guru.
The following videos are available from VMGuru’s site here
1. Establishing Connections to your VMware Infrastructure using the PowerGUI Console
2. Navigate your VMware Infrastructure using the PowerGUI Console
3. Execute Links and Actions in the PowerGUI Console
4. Create and Save Filters using the PowerGUI Console
5. Using the PowerGUI Script Editor
$Filename = "C:\MyInformation.csv"
Connect-VIServer MYSERVER
$myCol = @()
Foreach ($VM in (Get-View -ViewType VirtualMachine |Sort Name)){
$MYInfo = "" |select-Object VMName,CPUReservation,CPULimit,CPUShares,MEMSize,MEMReservation,MEMLimit,MEMShares
$MYInfo.VMName = $VM.Name
$MYInfo.CPUReservation = $VM.Config.CpuAllocation.Reservation
If ($VM.Config.CpuAllocation.Limit-eq "-1"){
$MYInfo.CPULimit = "Unlimited"}
Else{
$MYInfo.CPULimit = $VM.Config.CpuAllocation.Limit
}
$MYInfo.CPUShares = $VM.Config.CpuAllocation.Shares.Shares
$MYInfo.MEMSize = $VM.Config.Hardware.MemoryMB
$MYInfo.MEMReservation = $VM.Config.MemoryAllocation.Reservation
If ($VM.Config.MemoryAllocation.Limit-eq "-1"){
$MYInfo.MEMLimit = "Unlimited"}
Else{
$MYInfo.MEMLimit = $VM.Config.MemoryAllocation.Limit
}
$MYInfo.MEMShares = $VM.Config.MemoryAllocation.Shares.Shares
$myCol += $MYInfo
}
$myCol |Export-csv -NoTypeInformation $Filename
Following the list of Powershell users collated by @StevenMurawski over at Mind of Root I thought I would follow suite and try and maintain a list of the VMware related twitters who I have found very informative and useful over the last couple of months of using twitter.
If I have missed you or you would prefer not to be on this list please let me know via the comments or contacting me on twitter @alanrenouf
You can also download the below powershell script that will run through this list and automatically follow them for you.
Download the PowerShell Script HERE
List last updated 14 August 09
Also as mentioned by Andrew Storrs there is a Virtualization Twitter Group here