First, THANKS for everyone who show up to see my presentation and I hope that I have pass some valuable information about Powershell.  Here's a *ZIP file with my presentation (including my demo psscripts).  Please, keep in mind, the final demo on backup/restore of the database, you need to have some SQL Features for both SQL 2k5 and 2k8 in place.  If you need some additional information don't hesitate to email me.

<download me: SoFlaDotNet_PowerShellv2Remoting.zip >

Please keep supporting our Florida .Net Community by attending our events.

Thanks again,

Max

:)

Powershell Remoting is an excellent feature which can be exploit by everyone. But it has its limitation. At work, I need of building a solution that would automate a manual process for our IT staff. In this case, I had to create a Powershell script (psscript) that will allow me to copy a file in the user desktop for later retrieval without interrupting his work. So, I decided to use Powershell Remoting features using the CMDLET “Invoke-Expression” ran some with/without the “-runspace” switch.

Here’s what I found out :

1. If you have the need to passing strings parameters, no spaces are allowed. Exception – when using the “-runspace” parameter with “dir” commands. You might have a folder name with spaces “’My Documents”. In this case you need to add the single quote in the string, sample $dirName = “’My Documents’”.

2. You can’t use the “-credential” parameter past invoking the psscript on another computer. I mean, if within the script you is trying to copy a file to a network folder, the credential only work for executing the script.

3. When using the “-runspace” parameter make sure to use the “Remove-Runspace” CMDLET or the connection to the computer stays active.

See below:

Sample code for executing a PSscript remotely " HelloPS.ps1 "

######################################## ## HelloPS.ps1 ## To test a string value with spaces ######################################## param($arg); if ($arg -eq "Max Trinidad") { Write-host -foreground green "*HelloPS* - Hello World!! My name is $arg, Its working!!" } else { write-host -foreground yellow "*HelloPS* - I'm missing my name again?? ** $arg **"} ## End of Script ##

Sample code for executing a PSscript remotely " HelloPS2.ps1 "

######################################## ## HelloPS2.ps1 ## To test a string value with no spaces ######################################## param($arg); if ($arg -eq "Max") { Write-host -foreground green "*HelloPS2* - Hello World!! My name is $arg, Its working!!" } else { write-host -foreground yellow "*HelloPS2* - I'm missing my name again?? ** $arg **"} ## End of Script ##

String Sample #1 - Using the -runspace parameter showing losing of some string value when passing to a remote script.

String Sample #2 - showing how the filesystem CMDLET "Dir" handles a string value with spaces to a remote script.

String Sample #1 - Without the -runspace parameter showing losing of some string value when passing to a remote script.

Copy2Net Samples - Shows some limitation when trying to a "Copy" CMDLET.

So, as you can see, there some limitations in using this feature.  But, it doesn't leave dead in the water.  You still can run script remotely as long as it contains no spaces, it must run local on the remote computer, and you can use the *-PSjob CMDLET to run in the background of the remote computer.  This coming Tuesday March 11th I will be speaking about "Powershell 2.0 CTP Remoting features". I will have my presentation and samples available later.

(extracted from ReadmeSQL2008.htm)

SQL Server 2008 Setup installs PowerShell 1.0, which is used by the following SQL Server 2008 PowerShell features: the sqlps.exe utility; SQL Server Management Studio Object Explorer right-click menus that launch SQL Server PowerShell scripts; and creating or running scheduled SQL Server Agent PowerShell job steps. If PowerShell is uninstalled after Setup completes, these features will not function. PowerShell can be uninstalled by Windows users, and uninstalling PowerShell may be required by some Windows operating system upgrades. If PowerShell has been uninstalled and you wish to use the SQL Server PowerShell features, you must either:

• Manually download and reinstall PowerShell 1.0 from the Microsoft Download Center. Download instructions are on the Windows Server 2003 Web site.
• If you are running Windows Server 2008, PowerShell 1.0 exists in the operating system but is disabled by default. You can re-enable PowerShell from Windows Server 2008.

Note: You can’t use Powershell CTP V2 with SQL Server 2008. On Windows Servers 2008, you can install Powershell v1 after installing SQL Server 2008 CTP Feb2008.

Other Microsoft Applications using Powershell:

1. Microsoft Exchange

2. Microsoft System Virtual Machine Manager Center

Following script will accomplish the task of either Reboot or Shutdown a computer:

Make sure to roughly test all Powershell script you may download from the Internet (even the ones I'm putting in my blog).  I just found a couple of sample that will help display a list folder size (which Windows Explorer won't provide).  Unfortunately the results displayed wasn't perfect.  I had to use Windows Explorer to verify size information by doing the right-click on the folder to compare the results.  Is this a bug? or just a mistake when creating complex cmdlet.

The problem is that, in most cases, the folders listed are fine.  I only caught this issue when listings folders that contains lots of subfolders. 

Here are some Powershell samples:

Welcome to the FlaDotNet User Groups!

Don't miss this FREE Developer Event on Saturday - February 2, 2008 at Devry University in Miramar.
For more information visit:
http://codecamp08.fladotnet.com
REGISTER NOW BEFORE IT FILLS UP!
http://www.clicktoattend.com/?id=122048

I will be one of the speakers presenting in this event.  My topic: "Building a Windows Application in Powershell" and it will be given in both English and Spanish.  See you all there!

This is a simple solution that will generate a *.txt report with some SQL Server information. The “Scripting.FileSystem” COM Object is use to verify that the file is deleted before is created by the Powershell “Out-File” CMDlet. We’ll use the COM object methods *.FileExist() and *.DeleteFile().

After loading the SMO assembly you gather the database information, then using the “foreach” CMDlet get the information for each servername from the string array $SQLLocalList.

Requirements:

1. You need to have installed both SQL Server 2005 SMO and SQL Server 2008 on your computer to be able to manage all SQL Servers (2000/2005/2008) on the network.

2. This script will work with both Powershell version 1.0 and CTP version 2.0.

3. Have the proper permission to access your SQL Servers and Powershell script.

################################################### ## SQLLocalInfo.ps1 ## Author: Max Trinidad, 01/21/2008 ################################################### #--Set execution policy to allow to run this script Set-executionpolicy -executionpolicy remotesigned   #--Load the SQL Server SMO assembly [System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("Microsoft.SqlServer.Smo")   #--Build the array with the SQL Server names $SQLLocallist = "SQLSvr2k","SQLSvr2k5”, “SQLSql2k8”;   #--Build the string holding the location of the output file $Filename = "C:\Developer\Max Events 2008\SQLServerInfo.txt"; #--Build the COM object holding the collection of methods we can use $FileSystem = new-object -com "Scripting.FileSystemObject";   #--If the file already exist then delete if ($FileSystem.FileExists($FileName)) {     $FileSystem.DeleteFile($FileName) ; }   #--Basically for each server name in the Array then get the information and append to the output file foreach ($srvr in $SQLLocallist) {   #--Build the variable with the SQL Server collection for each server and then create the outfile   $MySQL = new-object('Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.Server') $Srvr   Out-File -filepath $Filename -inputobject ($MySQL.Information | Select Parent, Product, Edition, VersionString) -append   Out-File -filepath $Filename -inputobject ($MySQL.Databases | Select Name, Parent) –append }   ##--Display the outfile in Notepad ii $FileName; ######## END OF SCRIPT CODE #########

Sample Report Ouput

Use the “Get-member” in order to get more properties values to use in the “Select”.  Have fun!

First, I found SQL Server 2008 SMO is downward compatible with SQL Server 2005 and limited with SQL 2000.  So, when you build your Powershell SMO scripts, you need to load 2 SMO GAC's in order for your script work.

Normally, after installing your "Feature Pack for SQL Server 2005" you will have access to SQL SMO Assemblies that will help you manage you SQL Server using Powershell.  The following samples will show you how to basically create a collection of data from the database:

1. Create a collection from an SQL Server 2005, you need to load one GAC and then create the variable that will hold the data:

PS> [System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("Microsoft.SqlServer.Smo")

PS> $MySQL = new-object('Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.Server') "SQLServer2k5"

PS> $MySQL.Information   #access the SQL Server information collection

PS> $MySQL.Databases  #access the SQL Server database collection

By the way, the SMO GAC's are part of the SQL Server 2008 installation so you will be able to use it with Powershell.  So. if you install SQL Server 2008 in the same Desktop where SQL Server 2005 was installed, then you will be able to manage with SMO all your 2005, 2008 and partially 2000 SQL engines.

When building a Powershell script with SMO to Backup/Restore databases I found an error when using folder names in the string.  The following foldername sample will show you what's correct (or not) when using the .AddDevice() method in either SQL Backup and Restore:

$Device1 = "C:\Temp\Sample.bak"

...AddDevice($Device1)   #procedure will run

$Device2 = "C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL\Backup\Nw.bak"

...AddDevice($Device2)  #procedure will fail

$Device3 = "C:\'Program Files'\'Microsoft SQL Server'\MSSQL\Backup\Nw.bak"

...AddDevice($Device3)   #procedure will run

If the folder name includes spaces then your SMO procedure will not work.  You need to use the single quote in both beginning and end of the foldername string.  Keep in mind, You don't need to use the single quote in the string if you're using the DOS Copy, CD, and MD commands.  Always test you scripts!

Download details: Windows PowerShell 2.0 CTP

Selected New Features in Windows PowerShell 2.0 CTP
(Please refer to Release Notes and Help topics for more details)

PowerShell Remoting

Graphical PowerShell

ScriptCmdlets

Restricted Runspaces

RunspacePools

Background Jobs

Data Language

Script Internationalization

Script Debugging

24 New Cmdlets

Parser Tokenizer API

New PowerShell Hosting APIs

Metadata APIs for Command and Parameters

For the last few months I've been learning how-to create Powershell scripts to help manage our servers and build
solutions for our users. First, I will show a sample C# code that will display a more complex messagebox in action.
You can build a windows form with a button control and then add the C# code to test that this code works.

Here's the C# code:

Here's the converted C# code to Powershell syntax:

Make sure to add this Powershell code to a *.ps1 file to run it. Or, just copy/paste code to the shell to run interactive.
Now, you might asked the question, Can I build and convert a simple Windows form(s) solution to a Powershell syntax?
The answer is YES.  Happy Powershell coding!

These two Powershell commands can help you capture and save what you have type during your Powershell session:

Start-Transcript and Stop-Transcript.

Start Powershell

PS>

At the prompt, type:

PS> Start-Transcript c:\temp\CaptureDemo.txt

{this command need a filename to store you sesion data}

Now, type any command:

PS> Get-Service

And:

PS> Get-Service | Get-member

Then, stop the transcript:

PS> Stop-Transcript

To view the result change directory to C:\Temp then use the Powershll command "ii":

PS> CD C:\Temp

PS> ii C:\Temp\capturedemo.txt

This command "ii" will open notepad and display the content of the file.