How to create a partition for the hard drive of a new VM?

[PowerPete]

I wrote a small PowerShell script that automates the process of creating a new VM. The script does what it should except that the new hard drive doesn't contain a partition and therefore the OS (I provide a CD drive with an ISO file) cannot install.

I couldn't find any option with New-VM and anything inside the PowerCLI documentation so I am really wondering how this can be accomplished.

I am using VMWare Workstation and not vSphere but this shouldn't make any difference from the perspective of PowerCLI and New-VM.

Kind regards,

Peter

Here is my script (the comments and the messages are in German). The important part is New-VM down below:

<#
.Synopsis
Anlegen einer VM mit einer ISO-Datei
.Description
Bei den DataStore-Pfaden kommt es auf die Groß-/Kleinschreibung an
#>

# Snapin laden
Add-PsSnapin -Name VMware.VimAutomation.Core

# Konfiguration setzen - keine Zertifikatwarnung
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -DefaultVIServerMode Single -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -DisplayDeprecationWarnings:$True -Confirm:$False | Out-Null

# Eckdaten für die Anmeldung am VIServer festlegen
$IP = "192.168.2.100"
$Port = "453"
$UserName = "Administrator"
$Pw = ConvertTo-SecureString -String "!secret" -AsPlainText -Force
$Cred = New-Object -Typename System.Management.Automation.PsCredential -ArgumentList $UserName, $Pw

# Verbinding zum VIServer herstellen
$VIServer = Connect-VIServer -Server $IP -Credential $Cred -Port 453 -Protocol https -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

# Gab es ein Problem?
if (!$?)
{
  Write-Warning "Keine Verbindung mit VI-Server möglich."
  break
}

Write-Verbose "Verbindung mit VI-Server hergestellt." -Verbose

# ISO-Ordner anlegen wenn er noch nicht existiert
$ISODataStorePath = "vmstores:\$IP@$Port\ha-datacenter\standard\ISO"
if (!(Test-Path -Path $ISODataStorePath))
{
   md -Path $ISODataStorePath -Verbose | Out-Null
}

# ISO-Datei in DataStore kopieren
$XPISOName = "de_windows_xp_professional_with_service_pack_3_x86_cd_x14-80444.iso"
$XPISOPath = "E:\ISOS\$XPISOName"
if (!(Test-Path -Path $XPISOPath))
{
    Write-Verbose "Kopiere $XPISOName nach $ISODataStorePath" -Verbose
    Copy-DatastoreItem -Item $XPISOPath -Destination $ISODataStorePath
}

# VM anlegen
$VMNeu = New-VM -Name XPA -MemoryMB 768 -NetworkName "NAT" -CD -DiskGB 20 -DiskStorageFormat Thin -GuestID winXPProGuest

# CD-Laufwerk mit ISO-Path verbinden
$VMNeu | Get-CDDrive | Set-CDDrive -IsoPath "[standard] ISO\$XPISOName" -StartConnected:$True -Confirm:$False | Out-Null

# Zum Schluss die VM starten - zur Abwechslung einmal asynchron
# $VMNeu | Start-VM -Confirm:$false -RunAsync

[DarkPassenger]

You should have a look at the vmkfstools.

https://www.vmware.com/support/developer/vcli/vcli41/doc/reference/vmkfstools.html

Viele Grüße

EDIT

Forget what I said to --createfs. Thats on datastore level. Anyway vmkfstools should offer something that helps.

[LucD]

I'm afraid that PowerCLI doesn't contain any cmdlets to create partitions.

But PowerShell does contain some cmdlets to create partitions, see for example A Woops–Creating Partition and Format disk using PowerShell does not update the $ share, a post from the Deployment Bunny.

But you will need to have an environment that has PowerShell and that can access the vDisk.

Should be easy, set up a VM and install an OS on there with PowerShell.

Then attach the new vDisk to this VM and do the partitioning and formatting.

Would that be a possible solution ?

[PowerPete]

Hello,

Thanks a lot. That clarifies what I was suspecting. I was just uncertain because VM Workstation does the partitioning for a new drive inside the UI so I had hoped there might be a "hidden feature" of New-VM that does the same thing.

Regards,

Pete