How to Use a PowerShell Script to Create Snapshots of VMs in VMware vSphere
Snapshots are a useful feature in VMware vSphere that allows you to capture the state of a virtual machine (VM) at a specific point in time. This can be helpful when testing software updates or configuration changes, as you can easily revert back to the previous state if anything goes wrong. However, creating snapshots manually can be time-consuming, especially if you have multiple VMs to manage. In this blog post, we’ll show you how to use a PowerShell script to automate the snapshot creation process in VMware vSphere.
Step 1: Open PowerShell
To get started, open PowerShell on the system where the script will be executed.
Step 2: Copy and Paste the Script
Copy the entire script and paste it into PowerShell.
Step 3: Modify the Path for the Server List and Snapshot Folder
The script requires you to specify the path for two files: the server list file and the snapshot folder. You’ll need to modify the path for these files to the correct location where the files are located on your system. The current paths are set to “C:\Temp\Patching\Man_A\Man_A.txt” and “C:\Temp\Patching\Man_A”, respectively.
Step 4: Run the Script
Run the script by pressing the Enter key.
Step 5: Review the Script Output
The script will set the PowerCLI configuration to ignore invalid certificates and opt out of the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP). This is required to ensure that the script can connect to the vSphere environment.
The script will then read the list of servers from the “Man_A.txt” file and loop through each server to create a snapshot. If a VM with the specified name is found, a snapshot is created with the current date and time as part of the snapshot name. The script will display a message in the console for each snapshot that is created.
The script will pause for 3 seconds to ensure the snapshots have been created.
The script will then retrieve information about all snapshots for all VMs and display the information in the console. This allows you to review the snapshot information and ensure that the snapshots were created successfully.
Finally, the script will export the snapshot information for all VMs to a CSV file named “TakenSnapShots_<timestamp>.csv” where the timestamp is the current date and time in the format “yyyyMMdd-HHmmss”. This allows you to save the snapshot information for future reference or analysis.
Step 6: Review the CSV File
After the script completes, you can review the CSV file to see the snapshot information. The file will be located in the snapshot folder that you specified earlier.
Step 7: Clean Up
Once you’re finished reviewing the snapshot information, you can delete the CSV file and the snapshots from the vSphere environment if you no longer need them.
In summary, using a PowerShell script can save time and effort when creating snapshots of VMs in VMware vSphere. By automating the process, you can ensure that all VMs are properly backed up and that the snapshot information is easily accessible for future reference.
# Define an array of computer names
$computers = "Server1", "Server2", "Server3"
# Loop through each computer name in the array
foreach ($computer in $computers) {
# Invoke a command on the remote computer using PowerShell remoting
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $computer -ScriptBlock {
# On the remote computer, set the description of the local user account "S.LVSAdminLoc"
Set-LocalUser -Name "S.LVSAdminLoc" -Description "Local LVS Administrator Account"
}
}