Category: Automation

List VMs with Secure Boot enabled on Windows Server 2022

Since Microsoft released: KB5022842 a lot of customers has experienced Windows Server 2022 not being able to boot. On vSphere 7 this might be a problem if you have installed the patch at enabled secure boot for the server.

More information is available here: VMware KB90947

If you need to find VM that are running Windows Server 2022 and have enabled Secure Boot it is not that easy.

The problem is that your cannot always be sure that the OS selected for the VM is the OS actually installed in the VM. If for instance you installed Windows Server 2022 before is was officially supported in vSphere you might have chosen Windows Server 2019. So you will need to use the OS name that VMware tools are reporting.

But what is VMware tools is not running. That’s a problem.

The following script will find VMs with Secure Boot enabled that are running Windows Server 2022, but also VM’s where we are not certain because VMware Tools is not running.

How To Make vRO Execute Python Code Blocks

vRealize Orchestrator (vRO) is a powerful automation platform that enables you to automate and orchestrate various IT processes, including the execution of Python scripts. In this article, we will show you how to set up vRO to run Python scripts and provide some tips along the way.

Prerequisites

Before you can run Python scripts in vRO, you need to have the following:

A working installation of vRealize Orchestrator (8.10.2+).
A vCloud Suite Advanced or Enterprise license. You cannot run Python scripts with the standard vCenter license for vRO

Setting up vRO to run Python scripts

To set up vRO to run Python scripts, follow these steps:

Open the vRealize Orchestrator client and log in with your administrator credentials. (https://<servername>/orchestration-ui)
In the main menu, go to the “Assets” and select “Environments” from the submenu.
Click the “New Environment” button to create a python3.7 environment.
In the “General” tab, enter a name and a description for the environment.

Automating VMware Workstation LAB

I am often working with quite large test environments. Powering on ESXi hosts with nested VMs can be a pain when you need to get it running quickly.

Here are some of my tricks to automating VMware Workstation

PowerCLI: TPM Encryption Recovery Key Backup

From vSphere 7.0 Update 2 and onwards VMware encurage you to make a backup of your host encryptions keys, when you are using TPM. https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/81661

Here is a script that will make it easy for you if you cannot be bothered with logging in to each host using SSH.

The script will list all hosts and their keys for safe keeping.

Import-Module VMware.PowerCLI
Connect-VIServer <vCenter>

$VMHosts = get-vmhost | Sort-Object

foreach ($VMHost in $VMHosts) {
    $esxcli = Get-EsxCli -VMHost $VMHost
    try {
        $key = $esxcli.system.settings.encryption.recovery.list()
        Write-Host "$VMHost;$($key.RecoveryID);$($key.Key)"
    }

    catch {
        
    }
}

Python: Get Snapshot information

This is a cutout from some code I wrote. This is not tested in its current form, and only published as inspiration on how to get access to snapshot information using the vSphere API for python

PowerCLI: Migrate DRS VM Group Members

When ever you need to migrate to from one vCenter instance to another there are lots of things you need to migrate.

This PowerCLI script will help you migrate members from one DRS VM group to another. It can easily be modified to be part of a bigger context, or migrate all groups available.

Prerequisites

The prerequisites are that you have both the new and the old vCenter running, and that you have disconnected you hosts in the old vCenter and connected them to the new one. Do NOT remove them from you old vCenter. Leave them disconnected.

VMware HA Cluster: Set-Advanced HA Settings

Recently a adjustment was made to the vCenter Cluster HA Agent timeout Settings.

Ref: https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2017778

Performing a Reconfigure for VMware HA operation on a primary node causes an unexpected virtual machine failover

This calles for at script, because there is no way we are going to do this by hand! Feel free to use or alter the script, just remember. It is all done at your own risk.

PowerCli Script: Migrate host from missing dvSwitch to new dvSwitch with same Id’s

The purpose of this script is to migrate from one vCenter to another when using dvSwitches. The dvSwitch is bound to vCenter, so in order to migrate hosts from one vCenter to another you can map the networks using this script. All you need to do is disconnect the host from the original vCenter with the VMs still running, but not remove it. Then you connect it to the new vCenter.

Migrate Tags from one vCenter to another

When upgrading to vSphere 7 or any other version, you might choose to create a brand new vCenter instead of migrating the old one. But what about folder structure, tags, distributed switches and so on.

Here I will demonstrate how you can easily migrate your tags from one vCenter to another using VMware PowerCLI.

vRA 8.1 Custom Resources

Todays announcement of vRealize Automation 8.1 reveals the possibility to use Custom resources in vRA.

I am super exited about that ability. Those who know me, knows that I am a HUGE fan of vRO (vRealize Orchestrator) and the possibility to add anything as a resource in a vRA really opens the product to so many possibilities.

Anything you can imagine, and that you can make vRO do, you can put in a blueprint.
Spoiler alert. New vRA 8.1 feature