vRO 8.x Powershell Scripting Task

[WJPConway]

I have seen on some blogs online that vRO 8.x allows for scripting tasks to be written in powershell, see example of blog below

vRA/vRO 8.1 Powershell - Peaking Under The Hood - Jesse Boyce (jpboyce.org)

vRO 8.1 - Assigning values to Variables with Powershell and Scriptable tasks | rudimartinsen.com

I have an vRO 8.3 but when I create a scriptable task I only see the option of javascript - I am assuming I am missing some basic important bit of information like that this is only available in embedded vro of vra or something like that, but cant find information anywhere.

In our current setup we have a windows server added as a remote powercli server which we call out to for certain tasks that require it. I was looking into seeing if this could be removed from the equation and just run the powershell stuff locally on the vRO.

We are not using vRA we use our vRO in conjunction with Cloud Director through the Service Library - anyone got any more information on this?

[xian_]

As far as I remember additional languages are available with vRA embedded vRO only.

[WJPConway]

I was suspecting as much, that's a real shame I know lots of people who use external standalone vROs with vRA for tenanting reasons and we ourselves use in it conjunction with Cloud Director, we can still do what we need to - just it means we have to have an additional vm that acts as the remote PS server. Having it in all vROs seems like a no brainer, I wonder why it isn't implemented across the board.

[bdamian]

In order to have multi-language and git integration features you should use the vRA License. Doesn't matter if it's embedded or stand alone.

If you have a stand alone vRO, just go to Control Center and set the Authorization to use vRA. Restart services and you will have the multi-language feature enabled.

[WJPConway]

We use vSphere Auth as we mainly use the vRO to drive vCD (Service Library) , NSX-T and vCenter, in this particular env which is similar to a Service Provider env we dont use vRA and its not available as an auth source, its handy to know that thats the reason it doesn't show but doubt it makes sense to install vRA just to have the functionality. Is there a technical reason why it has to be vRA Auth or is it just that the intention was it be used in conjunction with vRA and that would allow auth pass-through between powershell/vro and vra or something like that. I think Service Providers would see this as a desirable feature if it could be used in conjunction with Cloud Director without the need to vRA Auth

[bdamian · Accepted solution]

Those features are available with vRA License, not authentication. If you don't have vRA installed but you have the license you can enable the features.

Can't remember how to put the license without using the authorization but is possible.

[WJPConway]

Thanks very much Damián,

So this worked once I inputted a vRA License through the vRO Control Center, note I also tried the vracli license add command from vro which didn't seem to work, so it has to be done through the Control Center ( i am assuming for it to persist) - this is a handy thing to know as there seems to be little info on it publicly. Thanks again for the help.

[imtrinity94]

No. You can use polyglotism in standalone vRO without vRA

However, you can only use the new runtimes if your vRO deployment uses a vRA license.