VMware PowerCLI Masterclass: Automate ESXi, vCenter vSphere

Learn to locate Windows PowerShell and install PowerShell 7 across platforms, download stable or preview builds from GitHub, and complete a simple installation.

Learn how PowerShell uses the verb-noun command structure with parameters, and explore its Windows command line and scripting environment for automation in virtualization tasks.

Explore how PowerShell commands are built with verbs and nouns, retrieve modules with get-module, view module details (name, exported commands, version, manifest), and use tab completion and camel keys syntax.

Discover how PowerShell commands accept parameters and arguments, use the help system to discover parameters, and understand syntax with dash parameters, optional brackets, and common parameters like -WhatIf and -Confirm.

Identify optional and mandatory parameters in PowerCLI commands by reading syntax with square brackets, and learn how the vCenter server connect command requires a server name while credentials remain optional.

Learn to use PowerShell wildcards, star and question mark, to filter modules and commands, understand square brackets for multiple values, and see which parameters accept wildcards in VMware PowerCLI.

Explore the PowerShell pipeline by connecting commands with the pipeline operator to pass output from one command to the next, enabling chained actions like stopping processes and managing virtual machines.

Install VMware PowerCLI offline by downloading the module from VMware, choosing the right version or using the offline zip, then unzip and place the module in your PowerShell module path.

Run PowerShell as administrator and install VMware PowerCLI module from the gallery. Confirm the PowerShell version is 3 and accept the gallery prompt to download and install the VMware modules.

Import the VMware power supply module in PowerShell, review available modules, and configure the consumer experience program while learning auto-import behavior and basic vCenter connection commands.

Explore VMware PowerCLI help and community resources. Install modules, access the PowerShell help system, and use get-command to automate tasks in the vSphere environment, including vCenter server and ESXi hosts.

Set up a home lab with a vCenter server and three ESXi hosts to run commands and manage virtualization tasks.

Learn to connect to ESXi hosts and vCenter with PowerCLI by supplying server, user, and password, handle certificate prompts with -Force, and disconnect when finished.

Learn to configure PowerCLI certificate handling for server connections, compare PowerShell seven core with Windows PowerShell, and set the invalid certificate action (ignore, prompt, file) for automation.

Get-VM retrieves all virtual machines on a host, showing name, power state, CPU, and memory. Filter by name or wildcard and explore parameters that accept multiple values to tailor results.

Explore how to find and filter PowerCLI commands with Get-Command, focusing on VMware module commands for managing virtual machines, power operations, snapshots, guests, and hosts.

Create and customize a new virtual machine with VMware PowerCLI using the new-vm command, configuring name, CPU, memory, disk, and host, with optional data store and vCenter Server settings.

Master PowerCLI by starting, stopping, and removing virtual machines using Get-VM and Remove-VM with pipeline workflows, name handling in quotes, and confirmation prompts.

Learn how to connect to a single ESXi host with PowerCLI, then manage connections to multiple hosts by specifying the target server and using connect and disconnect commands.

Connect to a vCenter server via IP or DNS, authenticate with a username and password, then view and manage datacenters, including creating, moving, and removing them.

Learn to create, locate, move, and remove datacenters in vCenter using PowerCLI, including mandatory name and location parameters and organizing datacenters within folders.

Learn to manage VMware data centers with PowerCLI by creating, moving, renaming, and removing data centers, and mastering positional parameters in PowerShell for efficient automation.

Master VMware PowerCLI by learning to create and manage clusters, specify name and location, quote names with spaces, and filter by data center.

Learn to manage VMware PowerCLI clusters by moving clusters between folders, configuring DRS and HA settings, and modifying automation levels and boolean options through set-cluster commands.

Demonstrate removing a cluster with PowerCLI, confirming deletion, and verifying the remaining cluster count, then explore adding existing hosts to a data center and managing VM hosts.

Add an ESXi host to a vCenter server with PowerCLI, provide required parameters and data center, supply credentials, and run tasks asynchronously to stay productive.

Remove a specific VM host from the vCenter Server inventory by name and confirm the action, or delete all hosts with a wildcard and monitor progress with run async.

Move a VM host from one data center to another using VMware PowerCLI, specifying the host name and destination, then verify the transfer completes.

Learn to start and stop a VMware host with PowerCLI, power on and off hosts, handle confirmations and forced actions, and manage disconnections from vCenter server.

Explore how to configure and manage ESXi hosts with PowerCLI, discover and run VM host commands, manage host profiles, network adapters, and other VM host tasks.

Learn to use VMware PowerCLI to get virtual machines by host through a vCenter Server, listing VMs on each ESXi host and showing how vCenter offers more VM management options.

Create a virtual machine with PowerCLI by selecting the resource pool and datastore, considering shared storage and configuring disk format, CPU, memory, and network.

Learn how to move a VM host to a destination cluster with PowerCLI, and confirm hosts are available; cross-data-center moves require first moving the host to the destination data center.

Create a new virtual machine in a specified cluster, using quoted names for spaces, switch to thin provisioning to prevent datastore space issues, and verify with cluster and VM checks.

Learn to automate virtualization tasks with VMware PowerCLI by managing the vm operating system, using get vm and get vm guest, and safely shutting down or restarting guests.

Explore a PowerCLI command to open a VM's console from your desktop, once powered on, enabling vCenter Server UI management or OS installation from a local ISO.

Learn to manage VM resources with PowerCLI by using Get-VMResource and Set-VMResource to view, edit shares and affinity, and generate detailed reports with formatted output.

Create new vm templates with PowerCLI by selecting a vm, naming the template, and specifying the data center, location, and data store.

Convert a template to a virtual machine using the command, rename the VM, set memory and CPU, verify it powers on, and manage templates by deleting or moving them.

Mastering VMware PowerCLI demonstrates creating new VMs from a template, using the New-VM command, specifying the template name, resource pool, and IP address for automated virtualization tasks.

Use PowerCLI to create and manage virtual machine snapshots and templates, capturing a specific VM state, naming snapshots, and reverting when edits go wrong.

this lecture shows how to create and rename vm snapshots, set descriptions, and use the pipeline to pass snapshot objects between get-snapshot and set-snapshot on a virtual machine.

Create and manage snapshots on a powered-on virtual machine with PowerCLI, including naming, describing, and removing snapshots, using objects, pipelines, and confirmation prompts.

Learn to create, view, and manage resource pools in PowerCLI by naming them, locating them on a host, adjusting limits, and removing pools as needed.

Create a vapp in PowerCLI by naming it and choosing a host location, then start or stop the vapp. A vapp contains virtual machines and cannot power on without them.