For many administrators managing VMware products, PowerCLI is their best buddy on a day to day basis. There is so much more that can be done via CLI and much quicker compared to using the GUI. Every new release of PowerCLI is very exciting for admins because it opens new doors for automation and scripting.
On October 11th, VMware released the latest version 11.0.0 which packs a lot of new features and improvements.
New modules and cmdlets
New cmdlets have been added to the VMware.VimAutomation.Cloud module:
- Get-EdgeGateway
- New-OrgVdcNetwork
- Remove-OrgVdcNetwork
- Set-OrgVdcNetwork
New module VMware.VimAutomation.Security to manage security including virtual Trusted Platform Module (vTPM):
- Get-SecurityInfo
- Get-VTpm
- Get-VTpmCertificate
- Get-VTpmCSR
- New-VTpm
- Remove-VTpm
- Set-VTpm
- Unlock-VM
New cmdlets in the VMware.VimAutomation.Core module to manage Host Profiles:
- Get-VMHostProfileUserConfiguration
- Get-VMHostProfileStorageDeviceConfiguration
- Get-VMHostProfileImageCacheConfiguration
- Get-VMHostProfileVmPortGroupConfiguration
- Set-VMHostProfileUserConfiguration
- Set-VMHostProfileStorageDeviceConfiguration
- Set-VMHostProfileImageCacheConfiguration
- Set-VMHostProfileVmPortGroupConfiguration
Two new cmdlets to gather more information on VSAN in the VMware.VimAutomation.Storage module:
- Get-VsanObject
- Get-VsanComponent
Module updates
Some module updates have been done to support the latest version of their respective products.
| Module | Now supports |
|---|---|
| VMware.VimAutomation.Nsxt | VMware NSX-T 2.3 |
| VMware.Vim | vSphere 6.7 Update 1 |
| VMware.VimAutomation.HorizonView | VMware NSX-T 2.3 |
| VMware.VimAutomation.Nsxt | Horizon 7 version 7.6 |
| VMware.VimAutomation.Cloud | vCloud Director 9.5 / Powershell Core |
New features
The cmdlets to manage the creation and the modification of VMs and virtual disks get new parameters to manage security.
| New-VM | Set-VM | Set-Harddisk | New-Harddisk | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KmsCluster | X | X | X | X |
| StoragePolicy | X | X | X | X |
| DisableEncryption | X | X | X | |
| SkipHardDisks | X | X | ||
| StoragePolicyTarget | X |
Deprecated modules
The following modules have been removed.
- VMware.VimAutomation.HA
- VMware.VimAutomation.PCloud
Others
The release comes with additional modifications and bug fixes for several cmdlets. You can find the complete list of changes in the change log.
How to update
Your workstation has access to internet
You can update PowerCLI simply by typing the following command in Powershell.
Update-Module VMware.PowerCLI
If you have PowerCLI 6.5 R1 or earlier version installed you need to uninstall it first. To install it, use the following command. The -AllowClobber switch allows the VMware cmdlets that are similar to the Hyper-V module to co-exist (e.g. Get-VMHost).
Install-Module VMware.PowerCLI -AllowClobber
If you have limited rights on the system, you can complete your command with -Scope CurrentUser which will make the module available only to your user by placing the files in your documents.
Your workstation does not have access to internet
It used to be that we had to use the Save-Module cmdlet to download the module on a workstation that has access to internet. Since PowerCLI 10.1.1 it is now possible to download the modules as a ZIP file which is a great thing, especially for those who work in tightly controlled environment with restricted access or rights to the PowerShell Gallery.
- Open a web browser on the PowerCLI 11.0.0 page
- Click the Download button next to the Zip file
- Copy the files on the workstation or server that has no access to internet and replace the existing PowerCLI modules
If PowerCLI is not installed, copy it in one of the following location:
| Location | Available to |
|---|---|
| $env:userprofile\Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Modules | The user only |
| C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules | Everyone on the system |
Related links
Requirements
User guide
cmdlet references
VMware blog post
Release notes
Change log
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