PowerCLI: Using plink to modify ESXi host configuration files via SSH

Using plink to modify ESXi host configuration files via SSH from a PowerCLI script

author: Sean Duffy

Description

Sean came up with the following method to be able to use SSH from within his PowerCLI script:

• Configure host as normal using PowerCLI
• Use PowerCLI to start SSH service on host
• execute plink script to connect to host, run command via SSH, then disconnect
• Use PowerCLI to stop SSH service on host
• Continue with rest of PowerCLI script

Usage

# At start of our script we ask for the host's IP or name (this could be automated if you like)
$hostIP = Read-Host "Enter ESX host IP/dns name: "
$vmhost = Get-VMHost $hostIP

# Start the SSH service
$sshService = Get-VmHostService -VMHost $vmhost | Where { $_.Key -eq “TSM-SSH”} 
Start-VMHostService -HostService $sshService -Confirm:$false

# Use SSH / plink to configure host with some additional script
cmd /c "plink.exe -ssh -pw HOSTROOTPASSWORD -noagent -m commands.txt root@$hostIP"

# Stop SSH service
Stop-VMHostService -HostService $sshService -Confirm:$false

Location

http://www.shogan.co.uk/vmware/using-plink-to-modify-esxi-host-configuration-files-via-ssh-from-a-powercli-script/