Get-Annotation if vm is not null

[Yyy_wanna]

Hi,

     Being puzzled by "get-annotation", I don't know how to use this function correctly.

     Now, I'm  trying to write scripts that I wanna get users events , and  get the custom attribute of vm if have. But "get-annotation" can not return anything

This is my unfinished  scripts 

$events = Get-VIEvent -MaxSamples 200 -Start 6/19/2020 -Finish 6/22/2020

$eventCollection =@()

foreach($event in $events){

    #exclude "null" user

    if( $event.UserName -match "vsphere*"){

    $csvline = "" | Select EventTime,UserName,VM,Applicant,Application,ComputeResource,Host,Dvs,Description

    $csvline.EventTime = $event.CreatedTime

    $csvline.UserName = $event.UserName

    $csvline.VM = $event.VM.Name

     ####  confusion ### This !!!   #####

     if($csvline.VM.Name -ne $null ){

     $csvline.Applicant  = Get-Vm $event.VM.Name | get-Annotation -CustomAttribute "Applicant" |select -ExpandProperty value

     $csvline.Application= Get-Vm $event.VM.Name | get-Annotation -CustomAttribute "Application" |select -ExpandProperty value

     }

     #####

    $csvline.ComputeResource = $event.ComputeResource.Name

    $csvline.Host = $event.Host.Name

    $csvline.Dvs = $event.Dvs.Name

    $csvline.Description = $event.FullFormattedMessage

    $eventCollection += $csvline

    }

}

$eventCollection  | Export-Csv E:\test.csv -NoTypeInformation -Encoding UTF8

Now :   【Applicant and Application  are null   --------how to apply it】 

EventTime	UserName	VM	Applicant	Application	ComputeResource	Host	Dvs	Description
2020/6/21 23:49	vsphere.local\xx	VM1			Cluster1	host1	DVS1	Task: Set virtual machine custom value

【get-vm | get-Annotation -CustomAttribute "Application" |select -ExpandProperty value】

:

flannel-test_01

flannel-test_03

flannel-test_02

Expect input :

EventTime	UserName	VM	Applicant	Application	ComputeResource	Host	Dvs	Description
2020/6/21 23:49	vsphere.local\xx	VM1	YYY	apache1	Cluster1	host1	DVS1	Task: Set virtual machine custom value

[Yyy_wanna]

Parameter validation cannot be performed on parameter 'Name'.The argument is Null or Null.Provide a parameter that is not Null or empty, and then try the command again.

Location row:12 string: 36

+      $csvline.Applicant  = Get-Vm  $csvline.VM  | get-Annotation -Cus ...

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

    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidData: (:) [Get-VM]，ParameterBindingValidationException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentValidationError,VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Cmdlets.Commands.GetVM

I find that's some errors in the  judgment statement, how could I fix the problem

if($csvline.VM.Name -ne $null ){

     $csvline.Applicant  = Get-Vm $event.VM.Name | get-Annotation -CustomAttribute "Applicant" |select -ExpandProperty value

     $csvline.Application= Get-Vm $event.VM.Name | get-Annotation -CustomAttribute "Application" |select -ExpandProperty value

     }

[LucD]

The object $csvline that you are building is a flat object, in other words, there are no nested objects in there, only scalars in the properties.
The $event object on the other hand does have nested objects.

Try with

if($csvline.VM -ne $null ){

    $csvline.Applicant  = Get-Vm $event.VM.Name | get-Annotation -CustomAttribute "Applicant" |select -ExpandProperty value

    $csvline.Application= Get-Vm $event.VM.Name | get-Annotation -CustomAttribute "Application" |select -ExpandProperty value

}

[Yyy_wanna]

hhhhhh    I succeed:)

Finnally:

if($csvline.VM = $event.VM.Name){

     $csvline.Applicant  = Get-Vm $event.VM.Name | get-Annotation -CustomAttribute "Applicant" |select -ExpandProperty value

     $csvline.Application= Get-Vm $event.VM.Name | get-Annotation -CustomAttribute "Application" |select -ExpandProperty value

     }

But it's too slow ,this is an another question:smileyangry:

[LucD · Accepted solution]

That was my reply, but I'm afraid that

if($csvline.VM = $event.VM.Name){

should be

if($csvline.VM -eq $event.VM.Name){

[Yyy_wanna]

Thanks LucD. It's working.

But I find that if the amount of events is increased, such as one day events, in other words,  I remove  "-MaxSamples 200"  parameter,

$events = Get-VIEvent  -Start 6/21/2020 -Finish 6/22/2020

it's too slow .And I have to try another method:smileyconfused:

[LucD]

Unfortunately, Get-VIEvent is very slow, but that is a vCenter issue, not a PowerCLI issue.

Btw, I'm not sure why you are using events in this script.
You seem to take any event, and then take the involved VM (if any) to get further info (like Annotation) from that VM.

What is the purpose of your script?

[Yyy_wanna]

My leader wanna get a record of the administrator's daily operations ,especially vms, so he can develop the control and change process. In fact, i don't know why he wants the vms information

[Yyy_wanna]

if($csvline.VM = $event.VM.Name){

It's two point.

Firstly, it runs as $csvline.VM = $event.VM.Name, so  I can get its csvline.VM value;

Secondly,the result of  it  is decided whether excutes the following statement

     $csvline.Applicant  = Get-Vm $event.VM.Name | get-Annotation -CustomAttribute "Applicant" |select -ExpandProperty value

     $csvline.Application= Get-Vm $event.VM.Name | get-Annotation -CustomAttribute "Application" |select -ExpandProperty value

or not

[LucD]

You can't use the assignment operator (=) in a condition.

That should be the operator -eq (like I said earlier).

The assignments inside the if-block are correct