Create a scheduled task to relocate VM and convert disk from thin to thick lazy

[vcubegiovannive]

Hello everyone,

I need to create several scheduled task to relocate VM with Storage Migration.

The script create tasks reading infos from a csv file formatted with 2 column: VM,DestDatastore

The script is based on the one decribed in this article: http://www.lucd.info/2009/10/18/scheduled-tasks-methodaction/

Below my changes:

Param(
  [Parameter(Mandatory=$True,Position=1)]
  [string]$CsvFile
)


$startTime = [Datetime] $(Get-Date -format 'MM/dd/yyyy') + " 20:00"
$startInterval = 5  

$si = get-view ServiceInstance  
$scheduledTaskManager = Get-View $si.Content.ScheduledTaskManager  

$offset = 0  
Import-Csv $CsvFile | % {  


  $vm = Get-View -ViewType VirtualMachine -Filter @{"Name"=$_.VM}  

  $spec = New-Object VMware.Vim.ScheduledTaskSpec  
  $spec.Name = "svMotion_to_VMAX_of_" + $_.VM  
  $spec.Description = "Migrate " + $_.VM + " to " + $_.DestDatastore  
  $spec.Enabled = $true  
  $spec.Scheduler = New-Object VMware.Vim.OnceTaskScheduler  
  $spec.Scheduler.runat = $startTime.AddMinutes($offset)  
  $offset += $startInterval  
  $spec.Action = New-Object VMware.Vim.MethodAction  
  $spec.Action.Name = "RelocateVM_Task"  

  $arg1 = New-Object VMware.Vim.MethodActionArgument  
  $arg1.Value = New-Object VMware.Vim.VirtualMachineRelocateSpec  
  $arg1.Value.datastore = (Get-Datastore -Name $_.DestDatastore).Extensiondata.MoRef  

  $spec.Action.Argument += $arg1  
  $arg2 = New-Object VMware.Vim.MethodActionArgument  
  $arg2.Value = [VMware.Vim.VirtualMachineMovePriority]"defaultPriority"  
  $spec.Action.Argument += $arg2  

  $scheduledTaskManager.CreateScheduledTask($vm.MoRef, $spec)  

} 

My problem is that I'm unable to code how to convert disks to thick lazy zeroed during storage migration (regardless the original format).

Any idea?

Thanks

Message was edited by: vcubegiovannivecchi Code updated

[LucD]

The MethodAction for a scheduled task is rather limited.

Afaik it doesn't give you access to all possibilities of the invoked method (RelocateVM in this case).

I guess it would be a lot more flexible to use the RunScriptAction for the scheduled task, and then do the migration and format change in that script.

[vcubegiovannive]

ThanksLucD‌ for your reply.

Do you confirm that it's there is no way to script the disk format change during the scheduled task creation?

[LucD]

No, not afaik.

Via the Web Client/C# Client that option is also not there.

[vcubegiovannive]

LucD‌ I think you are wrong:

[dmmcsherry]

It can be done according to this KB:

VMware KB: Changing the thick or thin provisioning of a virtual disk

Additionally if looking at the Set-HardDisk Cmdlet, it looks like it is possible to change formats as long as the datastore is also changing:

Set-HardDisk - vSphere PowerCLI Cmdlets Reference

[vcubegiovannive]

LucD‌ it seems that RunScriptAction could be triggered only by an alarm...

[LucD]

I stand corrected :smileygrin:

Let me check that out, and see how they pass that parameter on the CreateScheduledTask call.

We are still talking about a Scheduled Task ?

[LucD]

Try something like this.

It will specify the format per vDisk connected to the VM

Param( 

  [Parameter(Mandatory=$True,Position=1)] 

  [string]$CsvFile 

) 

$startTime = [Datetime] $(Get-Date -format 'MM/dd/yyyy') + " 20:00" 

$startInterval = 5   

$si = get-view ServiceInstance   

$scheduledTaskManager = Get-View $si.Content.ScheduledTaskManager   

$offset = 0   

Import-Csv $CsvFile | % {   

  $vm = Get-View -ViewType VirtualMachine -Filter @{"Name"=$_.VM}   

  $spec = New-Object VMware.Vim.ScheduledTaskSpec   

  $spec.Name = "svMotion_to_VMAX_of_" + $_.VM   

  $spec.Description = "Migrate " + $_.VM + " to " + $_.DestDatastore   

  $spec.Enabled = $true   

  $spec.Scheduler = New-Object VMware.Vim.OnceTaskScheduler   

  $spec.Scheduler.runat = $startTime.AddMinutes($offset)   

  $offset += $startInterval   

  $spec.Action = New-Object VMware.Vim.MethodAction   

  $spec.Action.Name = "RelocateVM_Task"   

  $arg1 = New-Object VMware.Vim.MethodActionArgument   

  $arg1.Value = New-Object VMware.Vim.VirtualMachineRelocateSpec   

  $vm.Config.Hardware.Device | where{$_ -is [VMware.Vim.VirtualDisk]} | %{

    $disk = New-Object VMware.Vim.VirtualMachineRelocateSpecDiskLocator

    $disk.DiskId = $_.Key

    $disk.Datastore = $ds.Extensiondata.MoRef

    $disk.diskBackingInfo =New-Object VMware.Vim.VirtualDiskFlatVer2BackingInfo

    $disk.diskBackingInfo.ThinProvisioned = $false

    $disk.diskBackingInfo.FileName = ''

    $disk.diskBackingInfo.DiskMode = ''

    $disk.diskBackingInfo.ThinProvisioned = $false

    $arg1.Value.disk += $disk

  }

  $spec.Action.Argument += $arg1   

  $scheduledTaskManager.CreateScheduledTask($vm.MoRef, $spec)   

}