Automation

Hi All,

Im trying to create a VM with PowerCLi but im failing to link New-VM with a network addapter??

I know you can create new network addapter with:

New-NetworkAdapter -MacAddress 00:50:56:bb:00:13 -Type e1000 -NetworkName "Vlan 6 Virtual Machine"

But this will just create a nIc card on the server im connected to using

connect-viserver

You should be able to do this as follows

Get-VM MyVM | Get-NetworkAdapter | Set-NetworkAdapter -MacAddress "00:50:56:bb:00:13"

Or if you want to add a new NIC you can do

Get-VM MyVM | Net-NetworkAdapter -MacAddress "00:50:56:bb:00:13" Type e1000 -NetworkName "Vlan 6 Virtual Machine"

You have to pass the VM, either via the pipeline or via the -VM parameter.

LucD, you are a machine!

New-VM

-Name VMSTORE23 -VMHost $esxhost -Datastore $datastore -DiskMB 20000 -MemoryMB 2048 -NumCpu 2

New-NetworkAdapter -VM VMSTORE23 -NetworkName "Virtual Machine Network" -type Vmxnet3 -StartConnected

This creates a SECOND adapter with the correct settings. I need to create just the single adapter. Is this how you have piped the command. Sorry quite new to powershell, not sure how pipeing works.

Thanks for your help

When you do your New-VM it will create a NIC that is connected to the portgroup you define with the -NetworkName parameter.

You pipe the result of the New-VM cmdlet, which is a VM object, to the Get-NetworkAdapter cmdlet to retrieve the NIC object and then you pipe that object to the Set-NetworkAdapter cmdlet to change the MAC address.

This would look something like this

New-VM -Name VMSTORE23 -VMHost $esxhost -Datastore $datastore `

  -DiskMB 20000 -MemoryMB 2048 -NumCpu 2 `

  -NetworkName "Virtual Machine Network" | `

Get-NetworkAdapter | Set-NetworkAdapter  -type Vmxnet3 -StartConnected

Note the backtick at the end of the first 3 lines, that is a continuation character.

Hi LucD,

thanks you have been very helpfull. Unfortunatly im still in a bit of a tangle, im using the following commad piping the customization in as your example:

New-VM -Name VMSTORE23 -VMHost $esxhost -Datastore $datastore -DiskMB 20000 -MemoryMB 2048 -NumCpu 2 -NetworkName "Vlan 6 Virtual Machine Network" | Get-NetworkAdapter | Set-NetworkAdapter -Type Vmxnet3 -MacAddress 00:50:56:bb:00:2b

But recive the folowwing error:

2/14/2011 3:10:57 PM Get-NetworkAdapter The pipeline has been stopped.

At :line:39 char:18

+ Get-NetworkAdapter <<<< | Set-NetworkAdapter -Type Vmxnet3 -MacAddress 00:50:56:bb:00:2b

2/14/2011 3:10:57 PM Set-NetworkAdapter The MAC address is invalid or is not in the valid range 00:50:56:00:00:00 - 00:50:56:3F:FF:FF.

At :line:39 char:39

+ Get-NetworkAdapter | Set-NetworkAdapter <<<< -Type Vmxnet3 -MacAddress 00:50:56:bb:00:2b

You're nearly there, the MAC address has to be specified as a string, place it between quotes.

New-VM -Name VMSTORE23 -VMHost $esxhost -Datastore $datastore -DiskMB 20000 -MemoryMB 2048 -NumCpu 2 -NetworkName "Vlan 6 Virtual Machine Network" | Get-NetworkAdapter | Set-NetworkAdapter -Type Vmxnet3 -MacAddress "00:50:56:bb:00:2b" -Confirm:$false

I added the -Confirm parameter, that way you will not be prompted for the change.

Thanks LucD!

Thats worked a treat!