Get-OvfConfiguration and NetworkMapping that contains dots

[tom_pitman]

Hey.  I'm using PowerCLI 12.0.0, and I have an issue with a script that is used to Import/Export templates between vCenters.

I am using Export-Vapp to export the template to an OVA, and then have logic to map the configuration appropriately to the destination and use Import-Vapp to perform the import.

At one point in my script, I am using Get-OvfConfiguration to retrieve the NetworkMapping of the template, and map the network before Importing the template to the destination.

The problem I am running into is that I have network names that include DOTS, e.g.  VC_Automation_Net-Mgmt_10.10.10.10_23

So when the Get-OvfConfiguration runs, the NetworkMapping is truncated, and the associated object is malformed, making it (seemingly) impossible to map the network for the destination and perform the Import-Vapp.  I have inspected the OVA file, and the network is represented correctly in the XML (dots and all).

This has worked fine for months with non-dotted networks, but due to some Lifecycle management, I have had to move my image processes to a different cluster, and this is the hand I have been dealt.  Is this a bug?  Is there a workaround?  At this point, renaming the networks does not appear to be a solution... Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

D:\ovatemp> Get-OvfConfiguration -Ovf D:\ovatemp\w2k12r2-ehc-202008-temp.ova | select -ExpandProperty NetworkMapping

VC_Automation_Net-Mgmt_10

-------------------------

System.Object

[LucD]

Can you check what this returns?

$ovfConfig = Get-OvfConfiguration -Ovf D:\ovatemp\w2k12r2-ehc-202008-temp.ova

$ovfConfig.PSBase.Item('NetworkMapping')

[tom_pitman]

I'm getting the following.  But to be fair, I get the same with an OVA without dots...

D:\ovatemp> $ovfConfig = Get-OvfConfiguration -Ovf D:\ovatemp\w2k12r2-ehc-202008-temp.ova

D:\ovatemp> $ovfConfig.PSBase.Item('NetworkMapping')

Method invocation failed because [System.Management.Automation.PSInternalMemberSet] does not contain a method named

'Item'.

At line:1 char:1

+ $ovfConfig.PSBase.Item('NetworkMapping')

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

    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (Item:String) [], RuntimeException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : MethodNotFound

[LucD]

Ok, and does this return anything?

$ovfConfig.NetworkMapping | Format-Custom -Depth 5

I just want to establish if the issue already happened during the reading of the XML or when displaying/referring the content

[tom_pitman]

Now we're on to something...

class Object

{

  VC_Automation_Net-Mgmt_10 =

    class Object

    {

      10 =

        class Object

        {

          10 =

            class Object

            {

              10_23 =

                class OvfPropertyImpl

                {

                  Key = NetworkMapping.VC_Automation_Net-Mgmt_10.10.10.10_23

                  Value =

                  DefaultValue =

                  OvfTypeDescription = string

                  Description = The VC_Automation_Net-Mgmt_10.10.10.10_23 network

                }

            }

        }

    }

}

[LucD]

Not really I'm afraid.

From that output, it looks as if the Get-OvfConfiguration already screws up.
The dots in the networkname are apparently interpreted as PowerShell's object nested property separators, instead of as 1 string.

That looks very much like a bug in the Get-OvfConfiguration cmdlet.

You could open an SR for this (but that doesn't fix your immediate issue).
And yes, PowerCLI is supported without a Developer Support Contract, even if GSS might claim differently.

Point them to PowerCLI Support Breakdown

[tom_pitman]

As predicted GSS started asking about our SDK entitlement, I have pointed them to the document you quoted.  We'll see what happens.

Thanks.