How to use PowerOnVM() and PowerOnVM_Task()

[yanivamrami]

Hello everyone,

I have created a VM the following way:

$newVM = New-VM -Name $vmName -Template $templateObject -ResourcePool $r -OSCustomizationSpec $osSpec -Datastore $d -Location $folderObject -DiskStorageFormat $dsFormat

I than run the following to get the .Net object:

$nVM = $newVM | Get-View

Now, I want to power on the VM, using the following:

$nVM.PowerOnVM()

$nVM.PowerOnVM_Task()

Both return an error message:

Cannot find an overload for "PowerOnVM" and the argument count: "0".

At line:1 char:15

+ $nVM.PowerOnVM <<<< ()

    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : MethodCountCouldNotFindBest

1. What am I doing wrong?!

2. How can I get more data on these kind of cmdlets?

Thank you,

Yaniv

[RvdNieuwendijk · Accepted solution]

Hi Yaniv,

according to the SDK the PowerOnVM method requires one parameter. You can specify the ManagedObjectReference of a host. Or you can specify $null. In that case the VM is started on the currently associated host.

$nVM.PoweronVM($null)

But why don't you use the Start-VM cmdlet to start the VM?

$newVM | Start-VM

If you use the PowerShell Get-Member cmdlet you can see which methods and properties an object has. E.g.:

$nVM | Get-Member

Regards, Robert

Message was edited by: RvdNieuwendijk Modified the part about the required parameter.

[yanivamrami]

Thank you. The '$nVM.PowerOnVM_Task($null)' worked.

BTW, what is the difference between the two?

Thanks

[LucD]

Most of the API methods that are made available through PowerCLI come in 2 flavours, the ones ending in _task and the ones that don't.

The ones ending in _task will return immediatly to your script and place a Task object in the pipeline.

The method will execute in the background (asynchronous).

The methods without _task will wait till the actual task is finished.

[yanivamrami]

Thanks, I got this one...

I meant, what is the difference between $nVM.PowerOnVM() and '$nVM | Start-VM'

Thanks

[LucD]

Start-VM is a PowerCLI cmdlet, and PowerOnVm_Task is a vSphere API method.

You can't use the same object to call these.

The PowerCLI cmdlet works like this

$newVM = New-VM ....

Start-VM -VM $newVM

and the method like this

$nVM = Get-View $newVM

$nVM.PowerOnVm_Task($null)

or like this

$newVM.ExtensionData.PowerOnVm_Task($null)