Need help in installing VMtools on VMs using powercli

[Saswati_vmware]

I tried running this script to install VMtools on VMs. Sometimes "Mount-Tools -VM $VM" doesnt work. It gets timed out in vcenter.

Got this script from another blog.

$VM='testVM01'

## Mounting Datastore

Get-VM -Name $vm | Get-CDDrive| Set-CDDrive -Connected $true -IsoPath '[BMSDatastore] b583c243-068a-96f3-57fe-3becef1b8201/vmtools/windows.iso'-StartConnected $true -Confirm:$false

##Running command to install Vmtools that is mounted on D:\ inside TestVM01.

Invoke-VMScript -VM $VM -ScriptText {'d:\setup64.exe /s /v "/qn reboot=r"'} -ScriptType Powershell -GuestUser <username> -GuestPassword <pass>

##dismount the CD

Dismount-Tools -VM $VM

Its throwing the error:

mount CD on testVM01

IsoPath HostDevice RemoteDevice
------- ---------- ------------
[BMSDatastore] b...
invoke is running
Invoke-VMScript : 4/12/2023 5:25:16 PM Invoke-VMScript Timeout error while waiting for VMware Tools to start in the guest.
At C:\Users\xyz\Scriptvmtoolinstall.ps1:8 char:1
+ Invoke-VMScript -VM $VM -ScriptText {'d:\setup.exe /s /v "/qn reboot= ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : OperationTimeout: (:) [Invoke-VMScript], VimException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : Client20_VmGuestServiceImpl_WaitProcessInGuest_OperationTimeout,VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Cmdlets.Commands.InvokeVmScript

dismounting
Dismount-Tools : 4/12/2023 5:25:19 PM Dismount-Tools Operation "Dismount VMware Tools" failed for VM "DA2416AMS0013" for the following reason: The operation is not allowed in the current
state.
At C:\Users\xyz\Scriptvmtoolinstall.ps1:11 char:1
+ Dismount-Tools -VM $VM
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [Dismount-Tools], VimException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : Client20_VmGuestServiceImpl_DismountVmTools_ViError,VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Cmdlets.Commands.DismountVmTools

Need help.

i need execute this on multiple vms

[LucD]

That is a chicken and egg problem.

To use Invoke-VMScript the targetted VM needs to have VMware Tools installed.

[Saswati_vmware]

Ah.. thought so..

Do you have any other way where we can automate to install VMtools on the VMs the vmtool not installed.

I dont want to manually RDP to VMs go to the PC, click on the drive on which VMtool iso is mounted, and run the installation wizard.

I want to automate that on multiple VMs. Is there anyway we can achieve that?

[LucD]

Do you have a tool to run commands inside the GUest OS on those VMs?
Or is PowerShell installed in the Guest OS of those VMs and is Remote PS active?

[Saswati_vmware]

Hi Lucd,

We do not have a separate tool to run these commands.

We do have windows powershell running in our VMs.

I am trying to run the script from an admin VM remotely to install the tools on all VMs on which tool is not installed.

[LucD]

Then you should be able to use PowerShell Remoting.
See for example Solved: Re: PowerShell remoting to install VMWare tools - VMware Technology Network VMTN

[Saswati_vmware]

Let me check that out. Thanks man!

[Saswati_vmware]

For remote powershell to work , the VM has to be  accessible in the network. Without VMtools, it seems not possible.

Here is what i did:

1. WinRM is disabled by default in our environment.
2. I enabled it on my test machine. I Tested it and it worked!
3. Then, i uninstalled VMtools on that machine, just to test out if i can install vmtools iusing remote powershell feature.

It failed, with error:

PS C:\Users\spb920> .\vmtoolinstallscript.ps1
Enter **DOMAIN** password: **************
New-PSSession : [amsdaspb920] Connecting to remote server amsdaspb920 failed with the following error message : WinRM cannot complete the operation. Verify that the specified computer
name is valid, that the computer is accessible over the network, and that a firewall exception for the WinRM service is enabled and allows access from this computer. By default, the WinRM
firewall exception for public profiles limits access to remote computers within the same local subnet. For more information, see the about_Remote_Troubleshooting Help topic.
At C:\Users\spb920\vmtoolinstallscript.ps1:11 char:14
+ $RMsession = New-PSSession -ComputerName $VM -Credential $Credentials
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : OpenError: (System.Manageme....RemoteRunspace:RemoteRunspace) [New-PSSession], PSRemotingTransportException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : WinRMOperationTimeout,PSSessionOpenFailed

  4 . Next i did a remote console to my test to check the WInRM config. 

This is what i am seeing:

Again, it looks like a chicken and egg situation

Let me know if missed anything here.

[LucD]

In the about_Remote_Requirements page, you will see that it says (for Public networks).

"To enable remoting on client versions of Windows with public networks, use the SkipNetworkProfileCheck parameter of the Enable-PSRemoting cmdlet. It creates a firewall rule that allows remote access only from computers in the same local subnet."