Join VM to a Domain Using PowerCLI

[beelzhere]

Hey Guys,

I am fairly new to PowerCLI and all. I am currently developing a script that allows me to join hundreds of VMs to a specified domain, the VMs have Windows 2012 and 2016. However, the problem I am encountering is that nothing is happening because I am not sure if the code is correct. I have also no idea how to put in the credentials that it would ask me in the VM. The code works within the VM after I provide the credentials, but it does not work when I run the script outside the VM environment. Any idea ?

The Code:

        $addDomain = "{

    $secpasswd1 = ConvertTo-SecureString 'password' -AsPlainText -Force

    $mycreds1 = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PSCredential ('username', $secpasswd1)

    Add-Computer -DomainName domainName  -Credential $mycreds1 -Restart -Force

    }"

    Invoke-VMScript -VM $VMName -ScriptText $addDomain -GuestCredential $mycreds

Thanks in advance for your help!

[LucD]

That is most probably caused by UAC.
You need an elevated prompt for that domain join command.

But how are you deploying those VMs?

From a template?

Then you could use the OSCustomizationSpec, which allows doing a domain join.

[beelzhere]

Sorry for the late reply. I am deploying the VMs using a template and OSCustomizationSpec.

[LucD]

Why don't you use the domain join from the OSCustomizationSpec?

[beelzhere]

What do you mean ?

[LucD]

The Domain parameter on the Set-OSCustomizationSpec cmdlet.

[beelzhere]

I did not even know about this because I was creating a VM using

New-VM -Name $VMName -Template $Template -ResourcePool $Cluster -Datastore $Datastore -OSCustomizationSpec $Custom

So, I would use Set-OScustomizationSpec after New-VM, correct ?

[LucD · Accepted solution]

You would need an updated OSCustomizationSpec, which you can do with Set-OSCustomiztionSpec.

Ideally, you would use an existing spec, then clone it into a temporary one with New-OSCustomizationSpec.
And make some changes to that temporary spec with Set-OSCustomizationSpec.

Then you use the New-VM with the temporary spec.

[beelzhere]

Okay, let me try them and will update on the progress. Btw thank you for helping me, I really appreciate it.

[beelzhere]

This helped me. I used Set-OSCustomizationSpec before New-VM. However, I am unable to install an msi file using 

$installSoft = 'Start-Process -FilePath "C:\fileName.msi" -ArgumentList "/install" -Wait'

    Invoke-VMScript -VM $VMName -ScriptText $installSoft -GuestCredential $mycreds

Any help with this ? or should I open a new question ?

[LucD]

You will probably need to use the 'silent' switch for msi installation.

[beelzhere]

You are right, it needed an argument of /quiet. Thank you for your help, LucD.