Get-VM output to custom PowerCLI function

[PetarHavezov]

Hi,

I have some basic PowerCLI skill but want to improve them using more advance features like function, modules and so on.

I want to create PowerShell function which to accept as pipeline VMs object (output from Get-VM).

Very frequently I want to export info about VMs, so I want to simplify this using function.

I write this simple function for this, but there is something wrong with it. Only one VM is display as output. I expect to be many. Where is my mistake.

Example:

Get-Datastore XXX |Get-VM |Info-VM |ft

function Info-VM {

  param(

  [Parameter(Mandatory=$true,ValueFromPipeline=$true)]

  [VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Impl.V1.VM.UniversalVirtualMachineImpl[]]$Entity

  )

$Entity | Select @{N="VmName";E={$_.Name} },

PowerState,

@{N="GuestOsHostname";E={$_.Guest.HostName} },

@{N="GuestOsIpAddress"; E={ ( ($_.Guest.IPaddress |  where {([IPAddress]$_).AddressFamily -eq [System.Net.Sockets.AddressFamily]::InterNetwork} )  ) -join ", "  }  },

@{N="EsxHost";E={$_.VMHost } },

@{N="vCPU";E={$_.NumCPU} },

MemoryGB,

@{N="ProvStorageGB"; E={[math]::round($_.ProvisionedSpaceGB,2)}},

@{N="UsedStorageGB"; E={[math]::round($_.UsedSpaceGB,2)}},

Notes,

@{N="OsVersion_ReportedByTools"; E={$_.Guest.OSFullName } },

@{N="OsVersion_Configure"; E={$_.ExtensionData.Config.GuestFullName} },

@{N="BiosUuid"; E={$_.ExtensionData.Config.UUID} },

@{N="ToolsStatus"; E={$_.ExtensionData.Guest.ToolsRunningStatus} }

$VMInfo

}

[LucD · Accepted solution]

You have to use a Process block when handling pipeline input.
Also, I changed the type to a strong type, see PowerCLI Best Practice: Correct Use of Strong Typing

function Info-VM {

    param(

    [Parameter(Mandatory=$true,ValueFromPipeline=$true)]

    [VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Types.V1.Inventory.VirtualMachine[]]$Entity

    )

  process {

  $Entity | Select @{N="VmName";E={$_.Name} },

  PowerState,

  @{N="GuestOsHostname";E={$_.Guest.HostName} },

  @{N="GuestOsIpAddress"; E={ ( ($_.Guest.IPaddress |  where {([IPAddress]$_).AddressFamily -eq [System.Net.Sockets.AddressFamily]::InterNetwork} )  ) -join ", "  }  },

  @{N="EsxHost";E={$_.VMHost } },

  @{N="vCPU";E={$_.NumCPU} },

  MemoryGB,

  @{N="ProvStorageGB"; E={[math]::round($_.ProvisionedSpaceGB,2)}},

  @{N="UsedStorageGB"; E={[math]::round($_.UsedSpaceGB,2)}},

  Notes,

  @{N="OsVersion_ReportedByTools"; E={$_.Guest.OSFullName } },

  @{N="OsVersion_Configure"; E={$_.ExtensionData.Config.GuestFullName} },

  @{N="BiosUuid"; E={$_.ExtensionData.Config.UUID} },

  @{N="ToolsStatus"; E={$_.ExtensionData.Guest.ToolsRunningStatus} }

    }

}

Get-VM | info-VM

[LucD]

If you want to read up on functions and pipeline input, this is a good article

Down the Rabbit Hole- A Study in PowerShell Pipelines, Functions, and Parameters

[PetarHavezov]

LucD thank you.

You are bulletproof PS Guru. Fast and professional answer. But most important give people and some guidelines for self-improvement.