GET-VM and $VM

[PeterRaschLager]

Hello.

I'd like to get a list which of the VMs in $VM is powered based on a listed of VMs with a particular attached security tag:

$VM = Get-NsxSecurityTag | where-object { $_.name -like "MCAFEE.MOVE.unprotected=yes" } | Get-NsxSecurityTagAssignment | Select-Object VirtualMachine | ft -hidetableheaders.

Each line in $VM is just the VMs name

but GET-VM $VM seems to expect more.

/Peter

[aleex42 · Accepted solution]

Get-VM expectes one VM as argument.

I think you have multiple VMs in $VM.

Just try a foreach loop over $VM:

foreach ($singlevm in $VM){
     Get-VM -Name $singlevm
}

[PeterRaschLager]

Hello aleex42

Thank you for your input.

1)

*****

If I set

$VM = Get-NsxSecurityTag | where-object { $_.name -like "MCAFEE.MOVE.unprotected=yes" } | Get-NsxSecurityTagAssignment | Select-Object VirtualMachine | ft -hidetableheaders

I get this error for each line in $VM:

"

Get-VM : 09-07-2018 15:39:03    Get-VM          VM with name 'Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Internal.Format.FormatEndData' was not found using the specified filter(s).

At line:3 char:6

+      Get-VM -Name $singlevm

+      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (:) [Get-VM], VimException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Core_OutputHelper_WriteNotFoundError,VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Cmdlets.Commands.GetVM

"

2

*****

If I set

$VM = Get-NsxSecurityTag | where-object { $_.name -like "MCAFEE.MOVE.unprotected=yes" } | Get-NsxSecurityTagAssignment | Select-Object VirtualMachine

I get:

"

Get-VM : 09-07-2018 15:41:01    Get-VM          VM with name '@{VirtualMachine=V00606}' was not found using the specified filter(s).

At line:3 char:6

+      Get-VM -Name $singlevm

+      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (:) [Get-VM], VimException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Core_OutputHelper_WriteNotFoundError,VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Cmdlets.Commands.GetVM

"

3

*****

If I set

$VM = Get-NsxSecurityTag | where-object { $_.name -like "MCAFEE.MOVE.unprotected=yes" } | Get-NsxSecurityTagAssignment

I get:

"

Get-VM : 09-07-2018 15:42:08    Get-VM          VM with name '@{SecurityTag=System.Xml.XmlElement; VirtualMachine=V00606}' was not found using the specified filter(s).

At line:3 char:6

+      Get-VM -Name $singlevm

+      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (:) [Get-VM], VimException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Core_OutputHelper_WriteNotFoundError,VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Cmdlets.Commands.GetVM

"

/Peter

[PeterRaschLager]

Ahhh!

Got it! Each VM in the list has trailing spaces galore.

I trimmed the text file and this works:

$VMFile = "C:\Users\blahblahblah\Documents\VM.txt"

$VM = Get-Content $VMFile

foreach ($singlevm in $VM){Get-VM -Name $singlevm | where-object {$_.PowerState -eq "poweredON" }}

/Peter