mirror of
https://github.com/jbowdre/virtuallypotato.git
synced 2024-11-22 23:12:19 +00:00
59 lines
3.1 KiB
Markdown
59 lines
3.1 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
series: Scripts
|
|
date: "2020-09-16T08:34:30Z"
|
|
thumbnail: LJOcy2oqc.png
|
|
usePageBundles: true
|
|
tags:
|
|
- vmware
|
|
- powercli
|
|
title: Logging in to Multiple vCenter Servers at Once with PowerCLI
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
I manage a large VMware environment spanning several individual vCenters, and I often need to run [PowerCLI](https://code.vmware.com/web/tool/12.0.0/vmware-powercli) queries across the entire environment. I waste valuable seconds running `Connect-ViServer` and logging in for each and every vCenter I need to talk to. Wouldn't it be great if I could just log into all of them at once?
|
|
|
|
I can, and here's how I do it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
### The Script
|
|
The following Powershell script will let you define a list of vCenters to be accessed, securely store your credentials for each vCenter, log in to every vCenter with a single command, and also close the connections when they're no longer needed. It's also a great starting point for any other custom functions you'd like to incorporate into your PowerCLI sessions.
|
|
```powershell
|
|
# PowerCLI_Custom_Functions.ps1
|
|
# Usage:
|
|
# 0) Edit $vCenterList to reference the vCenters in your environment.
|
|
# 1) Call 'Update-Credentials' to create/update a ViCredentialStoreItem to securely store your username and password.
|
|
# 2) Call 'Connect-vCenters' to open simultaneously connections to all the vCenters in your environment.
|
|
# 3) Do PowerCLI things.
|
|
# 4) Call 'Disconnect-vCenters' to cleanly close all ViServer connections because housekeeping.
|
|
Import-Module VMware.PowerCLI
|
|
|
|
$vCenterList = @("vcenter1", "vcenter2", "vcenter3", "vcenter4", "vcenter5")
|
|
|
|
function Update-Credentials {
|
|
$newCredential = Get-Credential
|
|
ForEach ($vCenter in $vCenterList) {
|
|
New-ViCredentialStoreItem -Host $vCenter -User $newCredential.UserName -Password $newCredential.GetNetworkCredential().password
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
function Connect-vCenters {
|
|
ForEach ($vCenter in $vCenterList) {
|
|
Connect-ViServer -Server $vCenter
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
function Disconnect-vCenters {
|
|
Disconnect-ViServer -Server * -Force -Confirm:$false
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
### The Setup
|
|
Edit whatever shortcut you use for launching PowerCLI (I use a tab in [Windows Terminal](https://github.com/microsoft/terminal) - I'll do another post on that setup later) to reference the custom init script. Here's the commandline I use:
|
|
```powershell
|
|
powershell.exe -NoExit -Command ". C:\Scripts\PowerCLI_Custom_Functions.ps1"
|
|
```
|
|
### The Usage
|
|
Now just use that shortcut to open up PowerCLI when you wish to do things. The custom functions will be loaded and waiting for you.
|
|
1. Start by running `Update-Credentials`. It will prompt you for the username+password needed to log into each vCenter listed in `$vCenterList`. These can be the same or different accounts, but you will need to enter the credentials for each vCenter since they get stored in a separate `ViCredentialStoreItem`. You'll also run this function again if you need to change the password(s) in the future.
|
|
2. Log in to all the things by running `Connect-vCenters`.
|
|
3. Do your work.
|
|
4. When you're finished, be sure to call `Disconnect-vCenters` so you don't leave sessions open in the background.
|