Failed to get "notes" of virtual machine

[vincekwok]

I tried to use a powershell script to get some information of virtual machine. I can get VMHost, VMname and GuestVersion by using the script in the following, but failed to get notes of VM. Anyone know why I cannot get notes, please help me on this. Thank you in advance.

report = @()
foreach ($vmView in (Get-View -ViewType VirtualMachine))
{
    $report += $vmView | Select-Object @{Name="VMHost"; Expression={(Get-View $vmView.Runtime.Host).Name}},
                                       @{Name="VMName"; Expression={$_.Name}},
@{Name="Notes"; Expression={$_.Description}},

                                       @{Name="GuestVersion"; Expression={$vmView.Guest.GuestFullName}}
}
$report | Sort-Object VMName -Descending | Export-Csv "d:\vm_GuestVersion.csv" -NoTypeInformation

[LucD · Accepted solution]

There is no need to do this with the Get-View cmdlet.

You can do

$report = @()
foreach ($vm in Get-VM)
{
    $report += $vm | `
        Select-Object @{Name="VMHost"; Expression={($_.Host).Name}},
            @{Name="VMName"; Expression={$_.Name}},
            @{Name="Notes"; Expression={$_.Description}},
            @{Name="GuestVersion"; Expression={$_.Guest.OSFullName}}
}
$report | Sort-Object VMName -Descending | Export-Csv "d:\vm_GuestVersion.csv" -NoTypeInformation 

If you want to do this with the Get-View cmdlet for whatever reason, you can do

$report = @()
foreach ($vmView in (Get-View -ViewType VirtualMachine))
{
    $report += $vmView | `
        Select-Object @{Name="VMHost"; Expression={(Get-View $vmView.Runtime.Host).Name}},
            @{Name="VMName"; Expression={$_.Name}},
            @{Name="Notes"; Expression={$_.Config.Annotation}},
            @{Name="GuestVersion"; Expression={$vmView.Guest.GuestFullName}}
}
$report | Sort-Object VMName -Descending | Export-Csv "d:\vm_GuestVersion.csv" -NoTypeInformation

But note that since you require a Get-View each time for the hostname, the performance will suffer.

[vincekwok]

Thank you very much, your script works.

[DjinjiRinji]

Hi LucD

Great code!! Could you help me inject that "get note" code into this script

Thank you.

script source: http://www.wooditwork.com/2010/08/16/exporting-all-that-useful-vm-information-with-powercli/

@"

===============================================================================

Title:         Export-VMInfo.ps1

Description:   Exports VM Information from vCenter into a .CSV file for importing into anything

Usage:         .\Export-VMInfo.ps1

Date:          04/03/2010

===============================================================================

"@

filter Get-FolderPath {

    $_ | Get-View | % {

        $row = "" | select Name, Path

        $row.Name = $_.Name

        $current = Get-View $_.Parent

#        $path = $_.Name # Uncomment out this line if you do want the VM Name to appear at the end of the path

        $path = ""

        do {

            $parent = $current

            if($parent.Name -ne "vm"){$path = $parent.Name + "\" + $path}

            $current = Get-View $current.Parent

        } while ($current.Parent -ne $null)

        $row.Path = $path

        $row

    }

}

$VCServerName = "XXXXXXXXXX"

$VC = Connect-VIServer $VCServerName

$Datacenter = "XXXX"

$ExportFilePath = "XXXXXXXXX\Export-VMInfo.csv"

$Report = @()

$VMs = Get-Datacenter $Datacenter | Get-VM

$Datastores = Get-Datastore | select Name, Id

$VMHosts = Get-VMHost | select Name, Parent

ForEach ($VM in $VMs) {

      $VMView = $VM | Get-View

      $VMInfo = {} | Select VMName,Powerstate,OS,Folder,IPAddress,ToolsStatus,Host,Cluster,Datastore,NumCPU,MemMb,DiskGb, DiskFree, DiskUsed

      $VMInfo.VMName = $vm.name

      $VMInfo.Powerstate = $vm.Powerstate

      $VMInfo.OS = $vm.Guest.OSFullName

      $VMInfo.Folder = ($vm | Get-Folderpath).Path

      $VMInfo.IPAddress = $vm.Guest.IPAddress[0]

      $VMInfo.ToolsStatus = $VMView.Guest.ToolsStatus

      $VMInfo.Host = $vm.host.name

      $VMInfo.Cluster = $vm.host.Parent.Name

      $VMInfo.Datastore = ($Datastores | where {$_.ID -match (($vmview.Datastore | Select -First 1) | Select Value).Value} | Select Name).Name

      $VMInfo.NumCPU = $vm.NumCPU

      $VMInfo.MemMb = [Math]::Round(($vm.MemoryMB),2)

      $VMInfo.DiskGb = [Math]::Round((($vm.HardDisks | Measure-Object -Property CapacityKB -Sum).Sum * 1KB / 1GB),2)

      $VMInfo.DiskFree = [Math]::Round((($vm.Guest.Disks | Measure-Object -Property FreeSpace -Sum).Sum / 1GB),2)

      $VMInfo.DiskUsed = $VMInfo.DiskGb - $VMInfo.DiskFree

      $Report += $VMInfo

}

$Report = $Report | Sort-Object VMName

IF ($Report -ne "") {

$report | Export-Csv $ExportFilePath -NoTypeInformation

}

$VC = Disconnect-VIServer -Confirm:$False

[LucD]

Sure. I just show the lines that are needed.

    
 ...
 $VMInfo = {} | Select VMName,Notes,Powerstate,OS,Folder,IPAddress,ToolsStatus,Host,Cluster,Datastore,NumCPU,MemMb,DiskGb, DiskFree, DiskUsed    
 $VMInfo.VMName = $vm.name
 $VMInfo.Notes = $vm.Description 
 ...

[DjinjiRinji]

great!! thanks guru

[nl26348]

Hi Luc

Export info script with notes works fine except that the note text after a semicolon would be skipped.

Do you have any idea why?

[LucD]

No clue.

Is the value complete in $vmInfo.Notes ?

[nl26348]

I've got the same result with $vmInfo.Notes

[LucD]

If you do

Get-VM | Select Name,Description | 
Export-Csv c:\notes.csv -NoTypeInformation -UseCulture 

do you get the complete Description in the CSV file ?

I just tried, and I can't reproduce the problem.

[nl26348]

Yes, then I see the complete Description.

[LucD]

Strange.

Would you mind attaching the script you are using ?

I can't seem to be able to reproduce the problem

[nl26348]

@"

===============================================================================

Title:         Export-VMInfoAOSI.ps1

Description:   Exports VM Information from vCenter into a .CSV file for importing into anything

Usage:         .\Export-VMInfoAOSI.ps1

Date:          31/01/2012

Author        

CSV location  

===============================================================================

"@

filter Get-FolderPath {

    $_ | Get-View | % {

        $row = "" | select Name, Path

        $row.Name = $_.Name

        $current = Get-View $_.Parent

       $path = $_.Name # Uncomment out this line if you do want the VM Name to appear at the end of the path

        $path = ""

        do {

            $parent = $current

            if($parent.Name -ne "vm"){$path = $parent.Name + "\" + $path}

            $current = Get-View $current.Parent

        } while ($current.Parent -ne $null)

        $row.Path = $path

        $row

    }

}

$VCServerName = "xxxxx"

$VC = Connect-VIServer $VCServerName

$VMFolder = "*"

$ExportFilePath = Get-Date -Uformat "\\hostname\vminfo$\%Y%m%d-Export-VMInfo-NL-SI-test.csv"

$Report = @()

$VMs = Get-Folder $VMFolder | Get-VM

$Datastores = Get-Datastore | select Name, Id

$VMHosts = Get-VMHost | select Name, Parent

ForEach ($VM in $VMs) {

      $VMView = $VM | Get-View

      $VMInfo = {} | Select VMName,Powerstate,OS,Folder,IPAddress,ToolsStatus,Notes,Host,Cluster,Datastore,NumCPU,MemMb,DiskGb, DiskFree, DiskUsed

      $VMInfo.VMName = $vm.name

      $VMInfo.Powerstate = $vm.Powerstate

      $VMInfo.OS = $vm.Guest.OSFullName

      $VMInfo.Folder = ($vm | Get-Folderpath).Path

      $VMInfo.IPAddress = $vm.Guest.IPAddress[0]

      $VMInfo.ToolsStatus = $VMView.Guest.ToolsStatus

$VMInfo.Notes = $vm.Notes

      $VMInfo.Host = $vm.host.name

      $VMInfo.Cluster = $vm.host.Parent.Name

      $VMInfo.Datastore = ($Datastores | where {$_.ID -match (($vmview.Datastore | Select -First 1) | Select Value).Value} | Select Name).Name

      $VMInfo.NumCPU = $vm.NumCPU

      $VMInfo.MemMb = [Math]::Round(($vm.MemoryMB),2)

      $VMInfo.DiskGb = [Math]::Round((($vm.HardDisks | Measure-Object -Property CapacityKB -Sum).Sum * 1KB / 1GB),2)

      $VMInfo.DiskFree = [Math]::Round((($vm.Guest.Disks | Measure-Object -Property FreeSpace -Sum).Sum / 1GB),2)

      $VMInfo.DiskUsed = $VMInfo.DiskGb - $VMInfo.DiskFree

      $Report += $VMInfo

}

$Report = $Report | Sort-Object VMName

IF ($Report -ne "") {

$report | Export-Csv $ExportFilePath -NoTypeInformation

}

# $VC = Disconnect-VIServer -Confirm:$False

I see the second part of the notes text after the semicolon in column B in the exportinfo csv file.

Where I expected in column A

[LucD]

That's most probably because the semicolon is the CSV separator in your regional settings.

Try using the Delimiter parameter on the Export-Csv cmdlet, that way you can assign an other character as a CSV delimiter.

Just to confirm that the semicolon is causing the problem.

[nl26348]

Yes, you're right.

Export-Csv $ExportFilePath -Delimiter ";" -NoTypeInformation  fixed my problem.

Thanks!

[LucD]

The only problem you will now have is that Excel will not be able to display the columns correctly, since it expects the default separator.