vCheck report error while running from power cli console

[vmk2014]

Hi All,

While running the vCheck from power Cli console it shows following error in transcript. Any pointer will be much appreciated.

WARNING:

Begin Plugin Processing

[19:57:31] ..start calculating Connection settings for vCenter by Alan Renouf v1.20 [1 of 3]

Connect-VIServer : 1/2/2020 7:58:14 PM Connect-VIServer Could not determine user name and/or password for server

USAUR2APWP8500.cfsad.com

At D:\vmk\vcheck\plugins\00 Initialize\00 Connection Plugin for vCenter.ps1:151 char:20

+    $VIConnection = Connect-VIServer -Server $VIServer -Port $Port

+                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [Connect-VIServer], ViServerConnectionException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId :

ViCore_Login_CredentialNotFound,VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Cmdlets.Commands.ConnectVIServer

Connect-VIServer : 1/2/2020 7:58:14 PM Connect-VIServer Could not determine user name and/or password for server

USXYZ2APWPxxx.domain.com

At D:\vmk\vcheck\plugins\00 Initialize\00 Connection Plugin for vCenter.ps1:151 char:20

+    $VIConnection = Connect-VIServer -Server $VIServer -Port $Port

+                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [Connect-VIServer], ViServerConnectionException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ViCore_Login_CredentialNotFound,VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Cmdlets.Commands.ConnectVISe

   rver

D:\vmk\vcheck\plugins\00 Initialize\00 Connection Plugin for vCenter.ps1 : Unable to connect to vCenter, please

ensure you have altered the vCenter server address correctly. To specify a username and password edit the connection

string in the file $GlobalVariables

At D:\vmk\vcheck\vCheck.ps1:896 char:56

+ ... = [math]::round((Measure-Command { $Details = @(. $_.FullName)}).Tota ...

+                                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [Write-Error], WriteErrorException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.WriteErrorException,00 Connection Plugin for vCenter.ps1

D:\vmk\vcheck\plugins\00 Initialize\00 Connection Plugin for vCenter.ps1 : Unable to connect to vCenter, please

ensure you have altered the vCenter server address correctly. To specify a username and password edit the connection

string in the file $GlobalVariables

At D:\vmk\vcheck\vCheck.ps1:896 char:56

+ ... = [math]::round((Measure-Command { $Details = @(. $_.FullName)}).Tota ..

Thanks

vmk.

[LucD]

This is a problem with the vSphere Server connection credentials.
There are a couple of possible solutions

• Connect to the vCenter before calling vCheck.ps1. Then the script will reuse that connection
• Create a VICredentialStoreItem entry for the vCenter (with the same user and from the same station as where the vCheck.ps1 script will run)
• Change the Connect-VIServer line in plugin00 to include a User and Password

[vmk2014]

LucD,

Do i  need to change line#151 in connection00 Plugin vCenter.ps1

From - $VIConnection = Connect-VIServer -Server $VIServer -Port $Port

To - Connect-VIServer vc1.my.domain.com  -user mydomain\user1  -password Welcome

thanks

vmk

[LucD]

Yes, that is one way of providing the credentials.
But be aware that the credentials will be in clear text in that code.

[vmk2014]

Thank LucD,

Any other way to secure password ? Since, its a jump server. However, i'll test to isolate the issue and validate if its working.

thanks

v

[LucD]

You could use the SessionId from an existing connection.

On station A, do the Connect-VIServer.

Then retrieve the sessionid value (a string)

$id = $global:DefaultVIServer.SessionId

Then on station B, use this id to connect

Connect-VIServer -Server <vcsa-fqdn> -Session $id

In this setup you have to pass the id from station A to station B, but no credentials in clear text.

[vmk2014]

LucD,

I'll try the credential part later, but when i tried to implement the vCheck for another vCenter server through task scheduler it keep running without output as earlier i was facing issue.

From power cli console, i did try and it seems it  stuck at plugin level and when i hit enter key then the script start moving to collect other plugin and generate the report and send mail.

How to fix to avoid enter key hit, so that i can run through the task scheduler.

Sort-Object : Exception getting "Name": "One or more errors occurred."

At D:\scripts\vCheck\Plugins\00 Initialize\00 Connection Plugin for vCenter.ps1:202 char:16

+ $VM = Get-VM | Sort-Object Name

+                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidResult: (:PSObject) [Sort-Object], GetValueInvocationException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ExpressionEvaluation,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.SortObjectCommand

Sort-Object : Exception getting "Name": "One or more errors occurred."

At D:\scripts\vCheck\Plugins\00 Initialize\00 Connection Plugin for vCenter.ps1:202 char:16

+ $VM = Get-VM | Sort-Object Name

+                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidResult: (:PSObject) [Sort-Object], GetValueInvocationException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ExpressionEvaluation,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.SortObjectCommand

Sort-Object : Exception getting "Name": "One or more errors occurred."

At D:\scripts\vCheck\Plugins\00 Initialize\00 Connection Plugin for vCenter.ps1:202 char:16

+ $VM = Get-VM | Sort-Object Name

+                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidResult: (:PSObject) [Sort-Object], GetValueInvocationException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ExpressionEvaluation,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.SortObjectCommand

Sort-Object : Exception getting "Name": "One or more errors occurred."

At D:\scripts\vCheck\Plugins\00 Initialize\00 Connection Plugin for vCenter.ps1:202 char:16

+ $VM = Get-VM | Sort-Object Name

+                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidResult: (:PSObject) [Sort-Object], GetValueInvocationException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ExpressionEvaluation,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.SortObjectCommand

Sort-Object : Exception getting "Name": "One or more errors occurred."

At D:\scripts\vCheck\Plugins\00 Initialize\00 Connection Plugin for vCenter.ps1:202 char:16

+ $VM = Get-VM | Sort-Object Name

thanks

v

[LucD]

There seems to be an issue with the Sort-Object.

Any 'funny' characters in the names of the VMs on that vCenter?

[vmk2014]

Sure, let me check. Also, another thing noticed that when the task scheduler run the first job and the next next job, when i tried to run from either scheduler or power cli console manually, it generates or combined the vcheck in one report which confuse a lot. It's seems after running the vcheck the session still remains connected for earlier vCenter when the next job for another vCenter start.

Note :- I have created two task scheduler for 2 different VC and planning to do similar for each VC at different time schedule.

thanks

v

[LucD]

If you have a script where you do the Connect-VIServer and then calls vCheck.ps, you will have to do the Disconnect-VIServer, before starting another run.

Otherwise you will indeed have multiple connections open

[vmk2014]

LucD,

1) You are absolutely right there are around 30 VM's having funny names starting with -_esXpress:VMName  and poweredoff state.

2) If you have a script where you do the Connect-VIServer and then calls vCheck.ps, you will have to do the Disconnect-VIServer, before starting another run.

Otherwise you will indeed have multiple connections open - What about task scheduler job ? Whole purpose of job to remove the manual intervention. For manual connection, i disconnect the VI Server. Does it mean disconnect plugin not working ?

thanks

v

[LucD]

No, it should work.
But I don't know if you saw my reference in one of your other threads.

There is an issue with vCheck and Windows Task Scheduler.

See vCheck is not running as scheduled task · Issue #642 · alanrenouf/vCheck-vSphere · GitHub

We'll be looking at this in the upcoming new version for vCheck

[LucD]

On the VM names, can you try the following against that vCenter where you have the Sort-Object error?

Get-VM | Sort-Object Name

[vmk2014]

Sounds good. Let me try through batch file using task scheduler. It worked earlier

thanks

v

[vmk2014]

Ok, i missed your last thread, i'll check the Get-VM | Sort-Object Name

So how to disconnect the session from vcenter after the job is completed. Does the plugin not working from vCheck  or i need to wait until the task scheduler issue fixed as you mentioned in last thread.

[vmk2014]

LucD,

Please find the output

PowerCLI D:\scripts\vmanme1> Get-VM | Sort-Object Name _esXpress: vmname Helper 01

Sort-Object : A positional parameter cannot be found that accepts argument '_esXpress:'.

At line:1 char:10

+ Get-VM | Sort-Object Name _esXpress: vmname Helper 01

+          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (:) [Sort-Object], ParameterBindingException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : PositionalParameterNotFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.SortObjectCommand

thanks

v

[LucD]

What is the string '_esXpress: vmname Helper 01' doing in there?

The line I want you to run is

Get-VM | Sort-Object -Property Name

The disconnect is indeed done in plugin999.
But are you sure that plugin was executed?

Perhaps the vCheck never got there due to a previous error

[vmk2014]

LucD,

will get back. It bad luck VC is down now and its legacy environment that's why trying to configure report.

thanks

v