Looking for PowerCLI solution to poll vmWare machines for Blue Screen of Death /BSOD

[ewingfox]

I've started automating some data exports from Vmware about our machines - basic information like name, host, CPU/Memory , tool install and status - my boss appreciates the frequency of the data, and I'm using PowerBI to provide some simplistic reports.  The problem is - now he wants more specific information to identify machines that are BSOD - I've found old references to 2009 work by Eric Sloof, but startlingly nothing since then - I would expect this would be a common report asked by many admins and administrators!   I doubt I can link to outside sources, but the first google result for "Virtual Machine Blue Screen detector'.  It references many outdated tools, and includes a UI which I have no use for.

Any pointers would be very helpful - thanks!

Ewing

[LucD]

Since the machine is dead after a BSOD, there is nothing to query.

And just checking if a machine doesn't reply doesn't give you the machines that have a BSOD.

The only thing that you can query is the screen, and then you come back to Eric's solution.

Take a screenshot (via the API), OCR the text and check if it a STOP.

[ewingfox]

Thanks LucD​ . I haven't played around with the API yet -  and so far, all of the online guides assume that the reader knows how to use API (I don't).  Happy to own being a newb here, only way to learn.  I've also heard that folks are unsure if my org wants us connecting via API, so I definitely have some additional learning to do.  Once I wrap my head around connecting via the API, I might be back with more informed questions :smileygrin:

[LucD]

The script Eric wrote has everything you need.

It takes the screenshot and transfers it, and then calls the OCR.

Btw, PowerCLI cmdlets, and for that matter, any CLI, call APIs under the cover.

So a company that forbids to use of API doesn't really know how coding works I'm afraid.