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13 Replies Last post: Nov 4, 2009 8:55 AM by LucD

how to make that Customfields automatic insert values? posted: Nov 3, 2009 1:10 AM

shatztal

102 posts since
Feb 4, 2008

i want to make that every time a new ivrtual machine is created to a VM is Deployed or a Clone is be made

that some of my custom attributes are automatic insert with info , For example:

Domain attribute with but the Domain name of that machine

Os attribute with the Os Information like it is written in the summarry.

and another thing is it possible to enter value of custom attributes in the Customization specification?

Re: how to make that Customfields automatic insert values?

1. Nov 3, 2009 1:23 AM

in response to: shatztal

LucD

2,431 posts since
Oct 31, 2005

The problem is more complex than it looks at first sight.
You can easily run a script when a VM is created through an Alarm with a trigger of "VM created".
But since your custom attribute contains the Domain you will have to wait to run the script until the VM has joined the domain.

The Alarm script can wait in a loop till it sees the new VM in the domain.

Or you could use the "Run once"script but I'm not really sure this will run after your VM has joined the domain.

I would go for an Alarm that loops until the new VM is seen in the domain and then extract the information (partially via Invoke-VMScript or WMI) to populate the Custom Fields.

Re: how to make that Customfields automatic insert values?

2. Nov 3, 2009 2:08 AM

in response to: LucD

shatztal

102 posts since
Feb 4, 2008

but how can i make it that it take the values of the domain?

about the waiting i don't care , once a day a global script will run on all the farm an check if the value are Empty then make the input to the fields.

but the real problem is how to make that the Os automaticly updated when hw is up without me inserting an External Script or isen't it possible?

Re: how to make that Customfields automatic insert values?

3. Nov 3, 2009 2:28 AM

in response to: shatztal

LucD

2,431 posts since
Oct 31, 2005

If you can live with the fact that the custom fields can be updated once a day from a central location, it's even easier.

You can use the following snippet to get the domainname of the domain to which the VM belongs.
You could include some further testing if nothing is returned, which would mean the guest is not a member of the domain.

The code can handle the situation where the VM name (as seen in vCenter) is different from the hostname in the guest's OS.

This code doesn't require the installation of any snapins to handle the domain queries.

$vmName = <vmName>

$strGuest = (Get-VM $vmName | Get-VMGuest).HostName.Split(".")[0]

$objRootDSE = New-Object System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntry("LDAP://RootDSE")
$strRootDN = $objRootDSE.Get("rootDomainNamingContext")

$objRootDomain = New-Object System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntry("GC://" + $strRootDN)
$objSearcher = New-Object System.DirectoryServices.DirectorySearcher
$objSearcher.SearchRoot = $objRootDomain

$objSearcher.Filter = ("(&(objectClass=computer)(name=$strGuest))")

$intProperties = $objSearcher.PropertiesToLoad.Add("canonicalName")

$objResults = $objSearcher.FindAll()
if ($objResults.Count -eq 1) {
	$strDomain = [string]($objResults[0].Properties.canonicalname)
	$strDomain = $strDomain.SubString(0, $strDomain.IndexOf("/"))
}
$strDomain

Since there are some square brackets in the code I attached the script.

Attachments:

VM-get-domain.ps1 (795 bytes)

Re: how to make that Customfields automatic insert values?

4. Nov 3, 2009 3:24 AM

in response to: LucD

shatztal

102 posts since
Feb 4, 2008

Thanks alot about the script i wan to do that also for the OS Attribute .

the other threat that i opened is for the Owner and Description Attribute.

cause i want that supose somone creates a VM then i want that a script will popup and asked me the owner name and the description for the VM. i wanted to do that the script will run in the "run once" but i need to verify that powershell and vshpere cli tool is installed and that the script will run in the vshpere cli console so i think it is a bigger issue here

do you have maybe any idea how i should do it ? maybe i can insert in the Customization Specification Attributes like the owner and other thinks.

Re: how to make that Customfields automatic insert values?

5. Nov 3, 2009 4:21 AM

in response to: shatztal

LucD

2,431 posts since
Oct 31, 2005

You could get the OS Attribute like this

$vmName = <vm-name>
(Get-VM $vmName | Get-VMGuest).OSFullName

Is the new guest created under the userid of the "owner" ?
In that case you could use the Get-ViEvent cmdlet to obtain the userid of the one that created the guest.
With the userid you can launch an AD search to get the Full Name or Display Name.

What do you want to see under Description ?
The "Computer description" as it appears in the System control panel applet.
Or the AD Description ?

Re: how to make that Customfields automatic insert values?

6. Nov 3, 2009 7:20 AM

in response to: LucD

shatztal

102 posts since
Feb 4, 2008

about the owner and Deription it is a manuel input cause the Owner for us is the Head of the Application and the Description is the Application that is installed on it

about the OS i am so Stuppid cause i forget there is a Build in Att that is called Guest OS LOL

but with what you said will it give me also if it is with SP or R2 or so?

Re: how to make that Customfields automatic insert values?

7. Nov 3, 2009 9:01 AM

in response to: shatztal

LucD

2,431 posts since
Oct 31, 2005

The R2 indication will be in the OSFullName property
To get the SP level you could use the Get-WmiObject cmdlet.

Get-WmiObject Win32_OperatingSystem –computerName <hostname>

and use the BuildNumber or Version property.
Have a look at Powershell script to retrieve the OperatingSystem and Service Pack for more details

Re: how to make that Customfields automatic insert values?

8. Nov 4, 2009 5:25 AM

in response to: LucD

shatztal

102 posts since
Feb 4, 2008

LucD wrote:If you can live with the fact that the custom fields can be updated once a day from a central location, it's even easier.

You can use the following snippet to get the domainname of the domain to which the VM belongs.
You could include some further testing if nothing is returned, which would mean the guest is not a member of the domain.

The code can handle the situation where the VM name (as seen in vCenter) is different from the hostname in the guest's OS.

This code doesn't require the installation of any snapins to handle the domain queries.



$vmName = <vmName>

$strGuest = (Get-VM $vmName | Get-VMGuest).HostName.Split(".")[0]

$objRootDSE = New-Object System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntry("LDAP://RootDSE")
$strRootDN = $objRootDSE.Get("rootDomainNamingContext")

$objRootDomain = New-Object System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntry("GC://" + $strRootDN)
$objSearcher = New-Object System.DirectoryServices.DirectorySearcher
$objSearcher.SearchRoot = $objRootDomain

$objSearcher.Filter = ("(&(objectClass=computer)(name=$strGuest))")

$intProperties = $objSearcher.PropertiesToLoad.Add("canonicalName")

$objResults = $objSearcher.FindAll()
if ($objResults.Count -eq 1) {
	$strDomain = [string]($objResults[0].Properties.canonicalname)
	$strDomain = $strDomain.SubString(0, $strDomain.IndexOf("/"))
}
$strDomain

Since there are some square brackets in the code I attached the script.

the Script does not print out the Domain Name like it should i tried every command alone and the only think that is not really working here is the lines in the "IF" query

Re: how to make that Customfields automatic insert values?

9. Nov 4, 2009 5:35 AM

in response to: shatztal

LucD

2,431 posts since
Oct 31, 2005

What does

$objResults.Count

return just before the If statement ?
Is it 1 ?

Re: how to make that Customfields automatic insert values?

10. Nov 4, 2009 5:55 AM

in response to: LucD

shatztal

102 posts since
Feb 4, 2008

no it is 0

Re: how to make that Customfields automatic insert values?

11. Nov 4, 2009 5:59 AM

in response to: shatztal

LucD

2,431 posts since
Oct 31, 2005

That means there was no AD entry found with that hostname.
Is the hostname correct ? Have a look in the $strGuest variable.

Re: how to make that Customfields automatic insert values?

12. Nov 4, 2009 6:37 AM

in response to: LucD

shatztal

102 posts since
Feb 4, 2008

i thing it is because it looks in the corp AD and not in the Dev AD

so that's why . i need if it can to make the same progress but it should be considering the DNS NAME maybe then it will work but how can i change the script

Re: how to make that Customfields automatic insert values?

13. Nov 4, 2009 8:55 AM

in response to: shatztal

LucD

2,431 posts since
Oct 31, 2005

I suspect the domainname can also be extracted from

(Get-VM $vmName | Get-VMGuest).HostName

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