Learning PowerCLI

A practical guide to get you started with automating VMware vSphere via PowerCLI

Overview

• Automate your VMware vSphere environment including hosts, clusters, storage, and vCenter Server virtual machines and networks
• Create good-looking, clean reports in no time, increasing your efficiency
• Get to grips with PowerCLI to automate routine tasks using practical examples

In Detail

VMware vSphere PowerCLI is a powerful command-line tool to automate all aspects of a VMware vSphere environment. PowerCLI is built on top of the popular Windows PowerShell, with which you can automate server tasks and reduce manual input, allowing you to focus on more important tasks.

“Learning PowerCLI” is a practical, hands-on guide that provides you with a thorough knowledge of VMware vSphere PowerCLI. This knowledge will help you to automate your routine tasks so you can save valuable time.

“Learning PowerCLI” introduces you to VMware vSphere PowerCLI, from downloading and installing the software to creating good-looking reports of your VMware vSphere environment.

You will learn about working with host profiles, configuring virtual switches, removing snapshots, configuring Storage DRS, working with affinity rules, configuring an alarm, and managing roles and permissions. You will learn everything you need to know to get started with automating your VMware vSphere infrastructure. All the examples in Learning PowerCLI can be used directly in your environment.

What you will learn from this book

• Download and install PowerCLI
• Add hosts to VMware vCenter Server
• Configure vSphere Auto Deploy
• Use the esxcli command from PowerCLI
• Create OS Customization Specs
• Monitor virtual machine performance
• Configure distributed virtual switches and storage I/O Control
• Enable VM and Application Monitoring
• Manage licenses for multiple hosts to migrate them easily
• Configure an alarm to monitor your networks virtual machines
• Generate a good-looking HTML report in no time

Approach

“Learning PowerCLI” is written in a friendly and practical style with a focus on getting you started and automating daily tasks quickly and efficiently. If you manage or administrate a vSphere environment, and want to make that easier and more efficient, then this book is for you!

Who this book is written for

This book is ideal for you if you want to learn how to automate your VMware vSphere infrastructure, by getting the most out of PowerCLI. It’s assumed that you have some experience in administrating a VMware vSphere environment. Knowledge of Microsoft’s Windows PowerShell is not a prerequisite.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction to PowerCLI
Chapter 2: Learning Basic PowerCLI Concepts
Chapter 3: Working with Objects in PowerShell
Chapter 4: Managing vSphere Hosts with PowerCLI
Chapter 5: Managing Virtual Machines with PowerCLI
Chapter 6: Managing Virtual Networks with PowerCLI
Chapter 7: Managing Storage with PowerCLI
Chapter 8: Managing High Availability and Clustering with PowerCLI
Chapter 9: Managing vCenter with PowerCLI
Chapter 10: Reporting with PowerCLI