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FredoGauvino
Contributor
Contributor

How to create Content Library from PowerCLI ?

Hello,

My Name is Fred and I have a Content Library problem...

I have been looking around for the set of functions in PowerCLI to perform some tasks on VMWare new feature called Content Library.

Basically, what I need to do is automate the following functionnalities :

Library Creation

- Create a new Content Library ( with Name, Notes, Server and DataStore )

- List templates stored in a Content Library

- Clone an existing VM to template in library. ( Clone to template in Library... )

Library Usage

- Create a new VM from a Template in the Content Library. ( New VM from This Template ... )

I can manually perform all those tasks using the vcenter web client, but really need a powershell script to do it as it will be used for autonomous tests.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions other than SOAP, AutoIT and stuff like that Smiley Happy

Fred Gauvin

6 Replies
LucD
Leadership
Leadership

There are currently (powerCLI 6R1) no cmdlets for working with Content Libraries, but you can use the API methods.

See for example Create a Local Content Library on an Existing Datastore


Blog: lucd.info  Twitter: @LucD22  Co-author PowerCLI Reference

airra
Contributor
Contributor

Dear colleagues!

I tried the examples described in the article on the link above

http://pubs.vmware.com/vsphere-60/topic/com.vmware.powercli.ug.doc/GUID-E2EF7911-7CFD-4541-B638-DCBB...Create a Local Content Library on an Existing Datastore

However, the script execution results in an error. Search Internet resources is not suggested workarounds.

My script is:

$ContentLibrary = Get-CisService com.vmware.content.local_library

$DatastoreID = (Get-Datastore -Name "content-library").extensiondata.moref.value

$CreateSpec = $ContentLibrary.help.create.create_spec.CreateExample()

$CreateSpec.server_guid = $null

$CreateSpec.name = "test Content Library 2"

$CreateSpec.description = "A New sample Content Library from PowerCLI"

$CreateSpec.type = "LOCAL"

$CreateSpec.publish_info.persist_json_enabled = $false

$CreateSpec.publish_info.published = $false

$DatastoreID = [VMware.VimAutomation.Cis.Core.Types.V1.ID]$DatastoreID

$StorageSpec = New-Object PSObject -Property @{

    datastore_id = $DatastoreID

    type         = "DATASTORE"

    }

$CreateSpec.storage_backings.Add($StorageSpec)

$UniqueID = [guid]::NewGuid().tostring()

$ContentLibrary.create($UniqueID, $CreateSpec)

The result of the last line - ($ContentLibrary.create($UniqueID, $CreateSpec)):

A server error occurred: 'com.vmware.vapi.std.errors.internal_server_error':

Provider method implementation threw unexpected exception: null (Server error

id: 'vapi.bindings.method.impl.unexpected'). Check

$Error[0].Exception.ServerError for more details.

At line:1 char:1

+ $ContentLibrary.create($UniqueID, $CreateSpec)

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

    + CategoryInfo          : OperationStopped: (:) [], CisServerException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : VMware.VimAutomation.Cis.Core.Types.V1.CisServer

   Exception

I would be grateful for your help in solving this problem.

With Best Regards,

AIRRA

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david_sjostrand
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Try Adding:

$CreateSpec.publish_info.authentication_method = 'NONE'

/David Sjöstrand
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david_sjostrand
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

So I wrote some functions for content libraries. You can find them here:

http://poshcode.org/6386

It does most of what you asked for.

- Clone an existing VM to template in library. ( Clone to template in Library... )

This has to be done by first exporting the vm as ovf and then importing the ovf to the library.

Library Usage

- Create a new VM from a Template in the Content Library. ( New VM from This Template ... )

This has to be done by first exporting the ovf from the library and then deploying the ovf.

/David Sjöstrand
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ILA_Vm
Contributor
Contributor

http://poshcode.org/6386

Can get a working Link please?

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ILA_Vm
Contributor
Contributor

http://poshcode.org/6386

Can get a working Link please?

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