Setting annotations / custom fields directly via VM object

[marc045]

Hi All,

How can I set the value of an annotation / customfield directly via the VM object?

$myVM.CustomFields holds all the customfields, how do I update a value via $myVM.CustomFields?

e.g. To retrieve a value I can do:

$myValue = $myVM.customfields | where { $_.key -eq 'myField' } | select -expandproperty value

This is significantly faster than get-annotation.

How do I SET the value via the same mechanism?

Regards

marc0

[mattboren · Accepted solution]

Hello, marc045-

Once you have the VM object, you should be able to change/update an existing custom value by using the .Net View object's method, "setCustomValue".  You use this method as such:

$myVM.ExtensionData.setCustomValue("myField", "sweet new value")

The method takes two (2) strings:  the key name, and the value to set for that key.  You can find this info by browsing the vSphere API reference at http://www.vmware.com/support/developer/vc-sdk/visdk41pubs/ApiReference/index.html, or by using the Get-Member cmdlet:

$myVM.ExtensionData | Get-Member setCustomValue

Enjoy

[bulletprooffool]

I use set-annotion normally.

Here is a quick sample script, setting annotations based on a csv file:

$vms = import-csv C:\Annotations\VMslatest.csv

foreach ($vm in $vms)
    {
    write-host $vm.VM -fore green
    If ($vm.Storage -ne ""){Get-VM $VM.VM | Set-Annotation -CustomAttribute "Storage" -Value $VM.Storage; write-host "Storage" -fore yellow}
    If ($vm.Notes){set-vm $vm.vm -Description $vm.notes -Confirm:$false; write-host "Notes" -fore yellow}
    }

[AlbertWT]

how to put a timestamp like HH:MM DD/MM/YYYY into the annotation field ? is it possible

[mattboren]

AlbertWT's question was a follow-up to the thread at http://communities.vmware.com/message/1789792#1789792.  Answer to the question about the date formatting posted in that original thread.

[atothek]

Thanks!

[apuckett]

Hi Marc,

Have you considered setting the "notes" field within the annotations?  Reason being is that this is searchable by vSphere, makes finding specific VMs easier.

If this is the case, I created a script that modifies the "notes" field by taking a string ($note), can be multiple strings concatenated or any other data as you wish, and using this line to set the "note" via the VM object ($vm).

Set-VM -VM $vm -Description $note -Confirm:$false;

In your case, it would be:

Set-VM -VM $myVM -Description $myValue -Confirm:$false;

For the complete script, have a look at my previous thread, if you haven't already.

http://communities.vmware.com/thread/320481?tstart=0

Cheers,

- Arin Puckett

[apuckett]

Albert,

Just use the Get-Date PowerShell cmdlet.  For example:

$date = Get-Date;

$note = $data+"`n"+$date

Set-VM -VM $vm -Description $note -Confirm:$false;

Where $data is a string of anything of importance you want in the "notes" field.

Hope that helps,

- Arin Puckett