esxcli.software.vib.list() stopped working

[cybercoaster1]

I used a short script to check a VIB version on each ESXi host in the past. However, I just tried using it again and get the error

Method invocation failed because [VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Impl.V1.EsxCli.EsxCliElementImpl] does not contain a method named 'list'.

At line:1 char:1

+ $esxcli.software.vib.list()

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

    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (list:String) [], RuntimeException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : MethodNotFound

I lot has changed not only now using 6.5 but I have a new desktop and reloaded PowerCLI since the last time I used it. Looks like maybe a module is missing? If I run $esxcli.software.vib is shows the 'list' element.

Here is the script -

Get-VMHost |

ForEach-Object -Process {

  $esxcli = Get-EsxCli -V2 -VMHost $_

  $esxcli.software.vib.list() | where "Name" -eq "nimble-ncs" |

  select @{N='VMHost';E={$esxcli.VMHost.Name}},Name,Version,CreationDate,InstallDate,Vendor

} | Export-Csv -Path .\ncm.csv -UseCulture -NoTypeInformation

Anyone know what could be going on?

Thanks in advance

[LucD · Accepted solution]

You are using the V2 switch.

The way to call a method has changed a bit with V2 (see PowerCLI 6.3 R1: Get-ESXCLI Why the V2?)

You should do

Get-VMHost |

   ForEach-Object -Process {

   $esxcli = Get-EsxCli -V2 -VMHost $_

   $esxcli.software.vib.list.Invoke() | where {$_.Name -eq "nimble-ncs"} |

  select @{N = 'VMHost'; E = {$esxcli.VMHost.Name}}, Name, Version, CreationDate, InstallDate, Vendor

} | Export-Csv -Path .\ncm.csv -UseCulture -NoTypeInformation

[cybercoaster1]

Thanks, I just added the -v2 to see if that would help. Before I and now I get this

Object of type 'InternalVimApi_50.ManagedObjectReference' cannot be converted to type 'System.String'.

At line:5 char:4

+    $esxcli.software.vib.list.Invoke() | where "Name" -eq "nimble-ncs" ...

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

    + CategoryInfo          : OperationStopped: (:) [], ArgumentException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : System.ArgumentException

[LucD]

Seems I lost the braces for the Where-clause during the copy/paste of the code.
I corrected the above, please try again.

[cybercoaster1]

Hum..Still getting "Object of type 'InternalVimApi_50.ManagedObjectReference' cannot be converted to type 'System.String'."

[LucD]

Did you copy the updated script above?
I suspect you might not have this line correct

$esxcli.software.vib.list.Invoke() | where {$_.Name -eq "nimble-ncs"} |

[cybercoaster1]

Yes, did a direct copy paste of all of it.

I also tried to connect to one host at the command line

$esxcli = Get-EsxCli -V2 -VMHost myhost.com (real hostname not listed)

And then

PS C:\> $esxcli.software.vib.list.Invoke()

Object of type 'InternalVimApi_50.ManagedObjectReference' cannot be converted to type 'System.String'.

At line:1 char:1

+ $esxcli.software.vib.list.Invoke()

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

    + CategoryInfo          : OperationStopped: (:) [], ArgumentException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : System.ArgumentException

Just to see what happened.

and

PS C:\> $esxcli.software.vib.list.Invoke() | where {$_.Name -eq "nimble-ncs"} |

select @{N = 'VMHost'; E = {$esxcli.VMHost.Name}}, Name, Version, CreationDate, InstallDate, Vendor

Object of type 'InternalVimApi_50.ManagedObjectReference' cannot be converted to type 'System.String'.

At line:1 char:1

+ $esxcli.software.vib.list.Invoke() | where {$_.Name -eq "nimble-ncs"} ...

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

    + CategoryInfo          : OperationStopped: (:) [], ArgumentException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : System.ArgumentException

[LucD]

This works correctly for me.
With this code

Get-VMHost |

   ForEach-Object -Process {

   $esxcli = Get-EsxCli -V2 -VMHost $_

   $esxcli.software.vib.list.Invoke() | where {$_.Name -eq "nimble-ncs"} |

  select @{N = 'VMHost'; E = {$esxcli.VMHost.Name}}, Name, Version, CreationDate, InstallDate, Vendor

} | Export-Csv -Path .\ncm.csv -UseCulture -NoTypeInformation

Which PowerCLI version are you using?
Do

Get-Module -Name VMware* -ListAvailable

Are you running this line by line at the prompt?
Or as a .ps1 script?

Or from the ISE or VSC?

[cybercoaster1]

I did a direct copy and paste of your code and I do still get the error -

Object of type 'InternalVimApi_50.ManagedObjectReference' cannot be converted to type 'System.String'.

At line:4 char:4

+    $esxcli.software.vib.list.Invoke() | where {$_.Name -eq "nimble-nc ...

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

    + CategoryInfo          : OperationStopped: (:) [], ArgumentException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : System.ArgumentException

The version I am running

ModuleType Version    Name                                ExportedCommands                                                                   

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

Script     6.7.0.8... VMware.DeployAutomation             {Add-DeployRule, Add-ProxyServer, Add-ScriptBundle, Copy-DeployRule...}            

Script     6.7.0.8... VMware.ImageBuilder                 {Add-EsxSoftwareDepot, Add-EsxSoftwarePackage, Compare-EsxImageProfile, Export-Es...

Manifest   11.0.0.... VMware.PowerCLI                                                                                                        

Script     6.7.0.1... VMware.Vim                                                                                                             

Script     11.0.0.... VMware.VimAutomation.Cis.Core       {Connect-CisServer, Disconnect-CisServer, Get-CisService}                          

Script     11.0.0.... VMware.VimAutomation.Cloud          {Add-CIDatastore, Connect-CIServer, Disconnect-CIServer, Get-Catalog...}           

Script     11.0.0.... VMware.VimAutomation.Common                                                                                            

Script     11.0.0.... VMware.VimAutomation.Core           {Add-PassthroughDevice, Add-VirtualSwitchPhysicalNetworkAdapter, Add-VMHost, Add-...

Script     7.6.0.1... VMware.VimAutomation.HorizonView    {Connect-HVServer, Disconnect-HVServer}                                            

Script     10.0.0.... VMware.VimAutomation.License        Get-LicenseDataManager                                                             

Script     11.0.0.... VMware.VimAutomation.Nsxt           {Connect-NsxtServer, Disconnect-NsxtServer, Get-NsxtService}                       

Script     11.0.0.... VMware.VimAutomation.Sdk            {Get-ErrorReport, Get-PSVersion, Get-InstallPath}                                  

Script     11.0.0.... VMware.VimAutomation.Security       {Get-SecurityInfo, Get-VTpm, Get-VTpmCertificate, Get-VTpmCSR...}                  

Script     10.0.0.... VMware.VimAutomation.Srm            {Connect-SrmServer, Disconnect-SrmServer}                                          

Script     11.0.0.... VMware.VimAutomation.Storage        {Add-KeyManagementServer, Copy-VDisk, Export-SpbmStoragePolicy, Get-KeyManagement...

Script     1.3.0.0    VMware.VimAutomation.StorageUtility Update-VmfsDatastore                                                               

Script     11.0.0.... VMware.VimAutomation.Vds            {Add-VDSwitchPhysicalNetworkAdapter, Add-VDSwitchVMHost, Export-VDPortGroup, Expo...

Script     11.0.0.... VMware.VimAutomation.Vmc            {Connect-Vmc, Disconnect-Vmc, Get-VmcSddcNetworkService, Get-VmcService...}        

Script     10.0.0.... VMware.VimAutomation.vROps          {Connect-OMServer, Disconnect-OMServer, Get-OMAlert, Get-OMAlertDefinition...}     

Script     6.5.1.7... VMware.VumAutomation                {Add-EntityBaseline, Copy-Patch, Get-Baseline, Get-Compliance...}                  

Really appreciate your time and assistance!!

[LucD]

And which version are those ESXi nodes?
That Api_50 part in the error gets me worried.

PowerCLI 11.0.0 supports ESXi 6.0 and higher.

[cybercoaster1]

We have a mix of 6.0 and 6.5 and these hosts I am trying to run the script on are all a fresh install of Cisco custom ISO at VMware ESXi, 6.5.0, 8294253

[LucD]

Did you already try stop/start of your PS/PowerCLI session?
Sometimes the internals get mixed up, and a fresh start of the session fixes it.

[cybercoaster1]

Yes, this morning I restarted my laptop and did a copy/paste of your code in PS to try one last time.

[LucD]

Just a silly test, can you try with another vib in the Where-clause?

Get-VMHost |

   ForEach-Object -Process {

   $esxcli = Get-EsxCli -V2 -VMHost $_

   $esxcli.software.vib.list.Invoke() | where {$_.Name -eq "tools-light"} |

  select @{N = 'VMHost'; E = {$esxcli.VMHost.Name}}, Name, Version, CreationDate, InstallDate, Vendor

}

[cybercoaster1]

OK, I just got it working.  I logged in with administrator@vsphere.local and that worked. Looks like it was a permissions error this whole time! I really appreciate your time on this!!

[LucD]

No problem, glad it is solved.