Find when vCenter Server is actually accessible after restarting

[macdougall]

I'm trying to create automated scripts that rely on knowing when my vCenter Server is actually accessible via powercli.

I've installed vCenter on a windows VM not the vCSA.

Using Alan Renouf's example I was able to check the status of services as the VM starts, but they didn't seem to relate to when I could connect to vCenter either with PowerCLI or through the web client.

Even after the VM is started and the VMware services are all in a "Running" state, there's a few minutes before you can actually get access.

Any ideas how to find the moment that vCenter becomes available through PowerCLI / Powershell query or another method?

Versions:

ESXi 6.5

vCenter Server 6.5 (Win2012 Server)

PowerCLI 6.3 R1

[LucD]

I was looking for the same, but then for a VCSA.

Haven'y found anything conclusive I'm afraid.

In the end I reverted to a Try-Catch in a timed loop, where I do a Connect-VIServer till it succeeds.

Open for better ideas :smileygrin:

Update: at one point I waited for the 'Web Client service' to run (on a VCSA), but that wasn't conclusive to be able to do a Connect-ViService.

I used something like this

# Wait for start of VCSA services

# Use the Web Client service to check

$sshUser = $vcsaCred.GetNetworkCredential().username

$sshPswd = $vcsaCred.GetNetworkCredential().password

$plinkoptions = "-ssh -l $($sshUser) -pw '$($sshPswd)'"

$plinkHost = $vm.networkConnections[0].ipConfig.fqdn

$plinkCmd = 'service vsphere-client status'

$msg = ""

while($msg -notmatch 'VMware vSphere Web Client is running:'){

    sleep 10

    $msg = Invoke-Expression -Command "echo Y | $($plinkDir)\Plink.exe $($plinkOptions) $($plinkHost) $($plinkCmd)"

}

Still looking for a 100% working test, so I can finally finish my automatic lab startup script

[macdougall]

I appreciate the feedback. I'll keep trying and maybe do something similar in the meantime.

Thanks!