Script error when trying to move vms to their dedicated folders

[marotech]

Hello,

I am having issues when using a script to move VMs from the Discovered VMs folder to their dedicated VM folders as they were on the old vCenter. I already recreated the folder structure on the new vCenter.

The csv from where i am importing is on the form:

Name  Path

vm1     DatacenterFolderName\folder1\folder2\vm1

vm2     DatacenterFolderName\folder2\folder3\vm2 etc

The script is the following:

Get-Module -Name VMware* -ListAvailable | Import-Module

If ($globale:DefaultVIServers ) {

Disconnect-VIServer -Server $global:DefaultVIServers -Force

}

$destVI = Read-Host "Please enter name or IP address of the destination Server"

$datacenter = Read-Host "DataCenter name in VC"

$creds = get-credential

connect-viserver -server $destVI -Credential $creds

# move the vm's to correct location

$VMfolder = @()

$VMfolder = import-csv "c:\csv-files\test\04-$($datacenter)-vms-with-FolderPath.csv" | Sort-Object -Property Path

foreach($guest in $VMfolder){

$key = @()

$key =  Split-Path $guest.Path | split-path -leaf

if ($key -eq $datacenter) {

Write-Host "Root folder $guest.path"

#

Move-VM (Get-VM $guest.Name) -Destination "vm"

}

else

{

Move-VM (Get-VM $guest.Name) -Destination (Get-folder $key)

}

}

Disconnect-VIServer "*" -Confirm:$False

and the error i am getting is the following:

Move-VM : 10/19/2018 7:50:24 AM Move-VM Server task failed: The request refers to an unexpected or unknown type.

At C:\Users\username\Desktop\CheapDisasterRecovery\import-05-move-vms-folders.ps1:27 char:3

+         Move-VM (Get-VM $guest.Name) -Destination (Get-folder $key)

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

    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [Move-VM], VimException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Security_Impl_TaskResultConverter_TaskNotSucceeded,VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Cmdlets.Commands.MoveVM

Can someone let me know what i am doing wrong or if there is something that needs to be modified to make it work?

The original vCenter is 5.5 and the destination vCenter is 6.5.

Thank you.

[LucD]

I don't see any obvious differences.

Did you test run the last version several times?

Does it always work?

[marotech]

I ran your debug version against the production list so to speak and half of the list worked. From what i checked, the other half of the list contains folders that are present in multiple paths, and those are still erroring out.

The error is mostly the same (this time is inventorylocation related parameter):

Move-VM : Cannot convert 'System.Object[]' to the type

'VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Types.V1.Inventory.FolderContainer' required by parameter

'InventoryLocation'. Specified method is not supported.

At

C:\Users\username\Desktop\CheapDisasterRecovery\import-05-move-vms-folders-debugging.ps1:61

char:68

+ ...    Move-VM -VM $vm -Destination $vm.VMHost -InventoryLocation $folder

+                                                                   ~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (:) [Move-VM], ParameterBindingException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CannotConvertArgument,VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Cmdlets.C

   ommands.MoveVM

[LucD · Accepted solution]

Your script will not work when you have two subfolders with the same name.

DC\Folder1\TestFolder\vm2

DC\Folder2\TestFolder\vm2

To avoid that I have added a modified version of my Get-FolderByPath function.

Can you try with this version.

function Get-FolderByPath{

   param(

   [CmdletBinding()]

   [parameter(Mandatory = $true)]

   [System.String[]]${Path},

   [char]${Separator} = '/'

   )

   process{

   foreach($strPath in $Path){

   $root = Get-Folder -Name Datacenters

   $strPath.Split($Separator) | %{

   $root = Get-Inventory -Name $_ -Location $root -NoRecursion

   if((Get-Inventory -Location $root -NoRecursion | Select -ExpandProperty Name) -contains "vm"){

   $root = Get-Inventory -Name "vm" -Location $root -NoRecursion

   }

   }

   $root | where {$_ -is [VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Impl.V1.Inventory.FolderImpl]}|%{

   Get-Folder -Name $_.Name -Location $root.Parent -NoRecursion

   }

   }

   }

}

Get-Module -Name VMware* -ListAvailable | Import-Module

If ($globale:DefaultVIServers ) {

   Disconnect-VIServer -Server $global:DefaultVIServers -Force

}

$destVI = Read-Host "Please enter name or IP address of the destination Server"

$creds = Get-Credential

connect-viserver -server $destVI -Credential $creds

# move the vm's to correct location

$VMfolder = Import-Csv "C:\csv-files\test\04-$datacenter-vms-with-FolderPath.csv" | Sort-Object -Property Path

foreach($guest in $VMfolder){

   $key =  Split-Path $guest.Path

   $keyFolder = Get-FolderByPath -Path $key -Separator '\'

   $vm = Get-VM -Name $guest.Name

   Move-VM -VM $vm -Destination $vm.VMHost -InventoryLocation $keyFolder

}

Disconnect-VIServer "*" -Confirm:$False

[marotech]

Sure, i will run this first thing when i get back to the office and let you know how it goes.

Thank you for your patience and help Luc, much appreciated.

[marotech]

Hello Luc,

I ran the script and it worked flawlessly. Man, I cannot thank you enough for your help with this issue!

Really appreciate it!

[frased]

New to scripting...  I have an exported .csv in vCenter 5.5 and moves hosts to vCenter 6.5 now.  It that ran perfect on the export.  But I cannot get the below to run in my vCenter6.  Here is the output... 

  .csv contents...  

Name	BlueFolderPath
Demo16	/Demos
Demo1	/Demos
Demo17	/Demos
Demo27	/Demos
Demo15	/Demos

I keep getting errors on my script... 

New-Folder : Cannot convert 'System.Object[]' to the type 'VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Types.V1.Inventory.VIContainer' required by parameter 'Location'. Specified method is not supported.

At line:11 char:55

+             $location = New-Folder -Name $_ -Location $location

+                                                       ~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (:) [New-Folder], ParameterBindingException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CannotConvertArgument,VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Cmdlets.Commands.NewFolder

Here is my script... 

$newDatacenter = "Boston"

$newFolder = "Folder1"

$startFolder = Get-Folder -Name "vm"

Import-Csv "C:\scripts\vm-folder.csv" -UseCulture | %{

    $location = $startFolder

    $_.BlueFolderPath.TrimStart('/').Split('/') | %{

        $tgtFolder = Get-Folder -Name $_ -Location $location -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

        if(!$tgtFolder){

            $location = New-Folder -Name $_ -Location $location

        }

        else{

            $location = $tgtFolder

        }

    }

    $vm = Get-VM -Name $_.Name -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

    if($vm){

        Move-VM -VM $vm -Destination $vm.VMHost -InventoryLocation $folder -Confirm:$false

    }

}

[LucD]

Did you check if there is perhaps an empty line the CSV file?

Can you runt the following on that CSV file?

Import-Csv "C:\scripts\vm-folder.csv" -UseCulture | %{

    Write-Host "$($_.Length) $($_.Name) $($_.BlueFolderPath)"

}

[frased]

I do not see an empty line.  The results returned the following... 

Demo16 /Demos

Demo1 /Demos

Demo17 /Demos

Demo27 /Demos

Demo15 /Demos

[LucD]

Is that error repeated for every line in the CSV, or do you only see it once?

[frased]

Every line...

Demo16               PoweredOn  2        4.000        

New-Folder : Cannot convert 'System.Object[]' to the type 'VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Types.V1.Inventory.VIContainer' required by parameter 'Location'. Specified method is not supported.

At line:11 char:55

+             $location = New-Folder -Name $_ -Location $location

+                                                       ~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (:) [New-Folder], ParameterBindingException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CannotConvertArgument,VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Cmdlets.Commands.NewFolder

Demo1                PoweredOn  2        8.000        

New-Folder : Cannot convert 'System.Object[]' to the type 'VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Types.V1.Inventory.VIContainer' required by parameter 'Location'. Specified method is not supported.

At line:11 char:55

+             $location = New-Folder -Name $_ -Location $location

+                                                       ~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (:) [New-Folder], ParameterBindingException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CannotConvertArgument,VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Cmdlets.Commands.NewFolder

Demo17               PoweredOn  2        6.000        

New-Folder : Cannot convert 'System.Object[]' to the type 'VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Types.V1.Inventory.VIContainer' required by parameter 'Location'. Specified method is not supported.

At line:11 char:55

+             $location = New-Folder -Name $_ -Location $location

+                                                       ~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (:) [New-Folder], ParameterBindingException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CannotConvertArgument,VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Cmdlets.Commands.NewFolder

Demo27               PoweredOff 2        4.000        

New-Folder : Cannot convert 'System.Object[]' to the type 'VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Types.V1.Inventory.VIContainer' required by parameter 'Location'. Specified method is not supported.

At line:11 char:55

+             $location = New-Folder -Name $_ -Location $location

+                                                       ~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (:) [New-Folder], ParameterBindingException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CannotConvertArgument,VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Cmdlets.Commands.NewFolder

Demo15               PoweredOn  2        10.000       

New-Folder : Cannot convert 'System.Object[]' to the type 'VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Types.V1.Inventory.VIContainer' required by parameter 'Location'. Specified method is not supported.

At line:11 char:55

+             $location = New-Folder -Name $_ -Location $location

+                                                       ~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (:) [New-Folder], ParameterBindingException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CannotConvertArgument,VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Cmdlets.Commands.NewFolder

In the vCenter recent tasks it shows this...

[LucD]

The Move-VM error is a result from the target folder not being there (due to the other error).

The 1st error seems to indicate that the value on the Name parameter of the New-Folder cmdlet is an array instead of a string.

I don't really see how that can happen when loop through the output of the Import-Csv.

Can you just do a

Import-Csv "C:\scripts\vm-folder.csv" -UseCulture

And check if the column headers are also shown?

[frased]

I do see column headers... 

Name BlueFolderPath

---- --------------

OZ-BDC-Demo-27                 /Demos

OZ-BDC-Demo-25                 /Demos

OZ-BDC-Demo-24                 /Demos

OZ-BDC-Demo-23                 /Demos

OZ-BDC-Demo-22                 /Demos

OZ-BDC-Demo-21                 /Demos

OZ-BDC-Demo-18                 /Demos

OZ-BDC-Demo-19                 /Demos

OZ-BDC-Demo-16                 /Demos

[LucD]

But wait a minute, I'm looking at the wrong parameter, it's the Location parameter that complain about getting an array.

Do you by any chance have multiple Datacenters defined, or are you connected to more than vSPhere server?

Does the following return 1 folder or more?

Get-Folder -Name vm

[frased]

I'm confused as to why this is my result... 

PS C:\scripts> Get-Folder -Name vm

Name                           Type          

----                           ----          

vm                             VM            

vm                             VM            

vm                             VM            

vm                             VM            

vm                             VM            

vm                             VM

[LucD]

Can you check the following

$global:defaultviservers

Get-Datacenter

[frased]

I show 1 vCenter connected to my session.  The correct one.

But it is showing all 6 of my DataCenters in Get-Datacenter

[LucD]

And that is causing the issue.

There is a hidden folder named 'vm' under each Datacenter.

Change the $startFolder line like this

$startFolder = Get-Folder -Name "vm" -Location $newDatacenter

[frased]

So that worked and it creates the folders! It began creating the folders. 

Problem now is I am not getting any script errors...  but the VMs aren't moving.  The only error now is in vCenter...

[LucD]

Where are these VMs located?

Are these folders accessible from the cluster on which the VMs are running?

[frased]

Update...  when I run the script from the ./script it actually runs!

My next problem is when it gets to a folder that is more than one level deep it errors with the same error.

/Clients/Bridge-Backups