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hharold
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PowerCLI: Detect incorrect Time Configuration

Hi all,

I am looking for PowerCLI code to detect "Incorrect Date&Time Settings"

We have some ESXi 4.0 U1 hosts (Dell blades) of which the BIOS time has a too large offset to the NTP server.

Therefore it will never sync the time.

In vCenter the Date & Time Configuration is shown as red (differs too much from client).

Is there any Powershell code to detect which host has a misconfigured date / time setting?

(I don't like going through 200 hosts manually..... Smiley Wink )

Thanks for your help.

Regards,

Harold

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ykalchev
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Hi,

VMHost.ExtensionData property is new to PowerCLI 4.1 and in order to run this script with PowerCLI 4.0 you should replace it with get-view

invocation:

Get-VMhost | Get-view |% {
    #get host datetime system
    $dts = get-view $_.ConfigManager.DateTimeSystem
...

Here is the final version of the script:

$allowedDifferenceSeconds = 20

get-view -ViewType HostSystem -Property Name, ConfigManager.DateTimeSystem | %{    
    #get host datetime system
    $dts = get-view $_.ConfigManager.DateTimeSystem
    
    #get host time
    $t = $dts.QueryDateTime()
    
    #calculate time difference in seconds
    $s = ( $t - [DateTime]::UtcNow).TotalSeconds
    
    #check if time difference is too much
    if( $s -gt $allowedDifferenceSeconds){
        #print host and time difference in seconds
        $row = "" | select HostName, Seconds
        $row.HostName = $_.Name
        $row.Seconds = $s
        $row
    }
}

It's using Get-View -ViewType HostSystem since it's the fastest way to get view for each VMhost object

Regards,

Yasen Kalchev

PowerCLI Dev Team

Yasen Kalchev, vSM Dev Team

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nnedev
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Hi,

Here is simple that can do that for you:

$allowedDifferenceSeconds = 20

get-vmhost | %{    
    #get host datetime system
    $dts = get-view $_.ExtensionData.configManager.DateTimeSystem
    
    #get host time
    $t = $dts.QueryDateTime()
    
    #calculate time difference in secconds
    $s = ( $t - [DateTime]::UtcNow).TotalSeconds
    
    #check if time difference is too much
    if( $s -gt $allowedDifferenceSeconds){
        #print host and time difference in seconds
        $row = "" | select HostName, Seconds
        $row.HostName = $_.Name
        $row.Seconds = $s
        $row
    }
}

Regards,

Nedko Nedev

PowerCLI Development Team

Regards, Nedko Nedev PowerCLI Development Team
hharold
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Hello Nedko,

Thanks for your quick reply.

This code does look like what I am looking for, but it does not seem to work.

Is this by any chance PowerCLI 4.1 code?

We are still on 4.0....

Thanks again.

Regards,

Harold

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ykalchev
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Hi,

VMHost.ExtensionData property is new to PowerCLI 4.1 and in order to run this script with PowerCLI 4.0 you should replace it with get-view

invocation:

Get-VMhost | Get-view |% {
    #get host datetime system
    $dts = get-view $_.ConfigManager.DateTimeSystem
...

Here is the final version of the script:

$allowedDifferenceSeconds = 20

get-view -ViewType HostSystem -Property Name, ConfigManager.DateTimeSystem | %{    
    #get host datetime system
    $dts = get-view $_.ConfigManager.DateTimeSystem
    
    #get host time
    $t = $dts.QueryDateTime()
    
    #calculate time difference in seconds
    $s = ( $t - [DateTime]::UtcNow).TotalSeconds
    
    #check if time difference is too much
    if( $s -gt $allowedDifferenceSeconds){
        #print host and time difference in seconds
        $row = "" | select HostName, Seconds
        $row.HostName = $_.Name
        $row.Seconds = $s
        $row
    }
}

It's using Get-View -ViewType HostSystem since it's the fastest way to get view for each VMhost object

Regards,

Yasen Kalchev

PowerCLI Dev Team

Yasen Kalchev, vSM Dev Team
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hharold
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Thanks all, this works fine!

I just made one change, to also check hosts having a negative time offset:

if( $s -gt $allowedDifferenceSeconds -or $s -lt (0 - $allowedDifferenceSeconds) ){

Regards,

Harold

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LucD
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You could also use the Absolute value mathematical function and use a shorter condition

if([math]::abs($s) -gt $allowedDifferenceSeconds){

____________

Blog: LucD notes

Twitter: lucd22


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

hharold
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Thnaks Luc,

I knew there was some way to make it absolute, this solves all my questions on this topic.

Thanks guys !

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tomnelson
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Someone could tell me how can I run this script I have VMware 4.1 Update 1 vSphere PowerCLI

thanks for you help.

tomas!

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LucD
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Have you installed the latest PowerrCLI build on a Windows box ?

If yes,

  • save the script in a file with a .ps1 extension
  • start the PowerCLI prompt
  • check that the execution policy is set to remotesigned.
    • execute Get-ExecutionPolicy from the prompt
    • if not set correctly, execute Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned
  • connect to the vSphere server with Connect-VIServer -Server <servername>
  • run the script by typing .\<name-of-the-script>.ps1 at the prompt


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

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tomnelson
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Thanks thanks for answering ...

I did the steps described, and the console will not mark any error, but does not return any results. Any ideas?

We appreciate your help.!!

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LucD
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The script tests if there is a time drift greater than 20 seconds.

If not, there is no output.

The following version adds a positive message to the script.

$allowedDifferenceSeconds = 20

get-view -ViewType HostSystem -Property Name, ConfigManager.DateTimeSystem | %{   
    #get host datetime system
    $dts = get-view $_.ConfigManager.DateTimeSystem
   
    #get host time
    $t = $dts.QueryDateTime()
   
    #calculate time difference in seconds
    $s = ( $t - [DateTime]::UtcNow).TotalSeconds
   
    #check if time difference is too much
    if(
[math]::abs($s) -gt $allowedDifferenceSeconds){
        #print host and time difference in seconds
        $row = "" | select HostName, Seconds
        $row.HostName = $_.Name
        $row.Seconds = $s
        $row
    }
    else{
        Write-Host "Time on" $_.Name "within allowed range"
    }
}


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

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tomnelson
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Thanks a lot; this version is very helpful to me,  thank you very much.

tom.

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sushil_mudgil
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HI ,

Apologies for bumping up a very old thread but is there any way i can run this script against a list of 200 EsxI server . say i enter the name of server in a simple text file, it read that text file and calls this script to give me the output . I just need to know what time the hosts are running . if there is a difference, it should just report that so tht i can correct it manually or if possible script be able to correct it.

I am currently runnig windows powershell ver 2.0 & running Vsphere 5 . Not sure if i can use the same for running .Ps1 ext scripts..

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LucD
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You will need to have the PowerCLI snapin installed to run the script.

If I understand you correctly, you want to retrieve the names of the ESXi servers to check from a text file.

Is that correct ?


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

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sushil_mudgil
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Yes, that;s Correct. Idea is to feed the name of EsxI server from a text file and Let the script get me time on the host. If required, it should synch a pre defined time on All esxI hosts .

Say ..i am running correct time on my Windows server from where i am running the script. I am trying to synch the time of all esxI host with this correct time . In the end, i want all my esxI hosts running correct time .

Apologies in advance for nit picking but i am new to Scripting & don ;t have even a slight idea fo scripts...

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LucD
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Try something like this

$allowedDifferenceSeconds = 20 
$esxnames
=  [string]::Join('|',(Get-Content -Path C:\vmhosts.txt | %{"^" + $_}))   get-view -ViewType HostSystem -Property Name, ConfigManager.DateTimeSystem -Filter @{"Name"=$esxnames} | %{     #get host datetime system     $dts = get-view $_.ConfigManager.DateTimeSystem        #get host time     $t = $dts.QueryDateTime()         #calculate time difference in seconds     $s = ( $t - [DateTime]::UtcNow).TotalSeconds        #check if time difference is too much     if([math]::abs($s) -gt $allowedDifferenceSeconds){         #print host and time difference in seconds         $row = "" | select HostName, Seconds
       
$row.HostName = $_.Name
        $row.Seconds = $s
       
$row
    }    
else{         Write-Host "Time on" $_.Name "within allowed range"
    } }

The vmhosts.txt file contains a hostname per line.


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

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sushil_mudgil
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Thanks Lucd .

I will test Out the script and feedback.

Just a curious question : - the script is not asking for any authentication, so i beleive it will use logged in user credentials to connect to Esx hosts .

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sushil_mudgil
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tested the script . I am getting below error ..

PS D:\sushil> .\time.ps1

The term 'get-view' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. Check the sp

elling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.

At D:\sushil\time.ps1:4 char:9

+ get-view <<<<  -ViewType HostSystem -Property Name, ConfigManager.DateTimeSystem -Filter @{"Name"=$esxnames} | %{

    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (get-view:String) [], CommandNotFoundException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CommandNotFoundException

Not sure where it went wrong...

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LucD
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Do you have the PowerCLI snapin installed ?

Get-PSSnapin | Select Name,Version

Do you see an entry that says VMware.VimAutomation.Core ?


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

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sushil_mudgil
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No Below is the output...

PS D:\> Get-PSSnapin | Select name,version

Name                                                        Version
----                                                        -------
Microsoft.PowerShell.Diagnostics                            1.0.0.0
Microsoft.WSMan.Management                                  1.0.0.0
Microsoft.PowerShell.Core                                   1.0.0.0
Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility                                1.0.0.0
Microsoft.PowerShell.Host                                   1.0.0.0
Microsoft.PowerShell.Management                             1.0.0.0
Microsoft.PowerShell.Security                               1.0.0.0


PS D:\>

Edit : - enabled the Plug in and I get a error "As unable to connect to Server" which is correct as i didn;t connect to VC server.

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