Offline PowerCLI Configuration
Updated: Jan 11
- Confirm that your PowerShell version is at least 5.x
o Launch PowerShell as admin and run this cmdlet: $PSVersionTable
- Download the VMware PowerCLI modules:
o From an online machine: run this command: Save-Module –Name VMware.PowerCLI –Path C:\windows\users\YOURUSERNAME\downloads\
o Select [Y] when prompted to install the NuGet provider
o The modules will now be downloaded to the local machine
Copy the modules to an external media device for later use
o From an offline machine: Copy these modules from a disc, NAS, or an online machine and copy them to C:\windows\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\Modules
o In the Windows GUI, verify that the modules are located in C:\windows\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\Modules.
- Confirm that the PowerCLI module has been configured/installed and is available in PowerShell:
o Get-Module –ListAvailable –Name VMwware*
- Set some prerequisites before trying to connect to the vCenter server:
o Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy unrestricted
Select [Y] when asked to confirm the execution policy change.
o Import-Module VMware.VimAutomation.core
o Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore
Select [Y] when asked to perform operation.
- Connect to the vCenter server :
o connect-viserver IPADDRESS
o Yellow verbose text will be displayed as the connection to vCenter is established:
- You will be prompted to log into vCenter with a Windows security pop up window.
o Login using: domain\username syntax
- You are successfully connected to vCenter once PowerShell displays the vCenter IP address, the user connected, and the port used (443).
- If desired, create a shortcut to automatically connect to your vCenter server so you don’t have to manually connect every time:
o On your Desktop, Right Click and Select new Shortcut:
o In the “Type the location of the item:” section enter the below command
o %SystemRoot%\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -noexit -command “connect-viserver IPADDRESS”
- Name the shortcut “PowerCLI vCenter” or any name that you choose. Run this shortcut “as admin” when you use it.
- Below are some common PowerCLI cmdlets that you can use to view the ESXI hosts and VMs:
o get-vicommand:
This will list all commands available within PowerCLI modules
o get-vmhost:
Displays all ESXi servers
o get-vm
Displays all virtual machines
o get-vmhost –name IPADDRESS
Displays all vms currently on ESXI host IPADDRESS