VMware vSphere: Controlling via Raspberry Pi

Login via SSH with User pi into Raspberry Pi.

Install PowerShell Core and additional required tools:

$ apt-get install libunwind8

$ cd /tmp

Note: The following placeholders <x> stand for the latest release number of the current development which can be checked here.

$ wget https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/releases/download/v<x>.<x>.<x>/powershell-<x>.<x>.<x>-linux-arm32.tar.gz

$ mkdir /<myPath>/powerShellCore

$ tar -xvf ./powershell-<x>.<x>.<x>-linux-arm32.tar.gz -C /<myPath>/powerShellCore

Start PowerShell Core …

$ /<myPath>/powerShellCore/pwsh

…and check currently installed PowerShell Core version:

$PSVersionTable.PSVersion

Now install PowerCLI:

Install-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI -Scope CurrentUser

Check currently installed PowerCLI version:

Get-PowerCLIVersion

Optional: Disable warning messages:

Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -Scope User -ParticipateInCEIP $false

Optional: Disable certificate checks:

Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore

Quit PowerShell Core:

exit

Optional: Make PowerShell Core available globally:

$ /<myPath>/pwsh -c New-Item -ItemType SymbolicLink -Path "/usr/bin/pwsh" -Target "\$PSHOME/pwsh" -Force

$ apt-get upgrade powershell

Connect to desired host (ESXi-Host or vCenter-Appliance) via PowerCLI:

Connect-VIserver -Server <myTargetHostIPaddress> -User <myUser> -Password <myUserPassword>

Via PowerCLI:

Get-VMHostFirmware -VMHost <myTargetIPaddress> -BackupConfiguration -DestinationPath /<myPath>/

For automation purposes scripts can be used.
The following example shows script creation for automated power-on of VMs on a vSphere host.

Create a script folder via Bash command line:

$ mkdir /<myPath>/<myScriptFolder>

Then:

$ touch /<myPath>/<myScriptFolder>/<myBashScriptFile>.sh

$ touch /<myPath>/<myScriptFolder>/<myPowerCLIscriptFile>.ps

$ vi /<myPath>/<myScriptFolder>/<myBashScriptFile>.sh

Add the following content:

/<myPowerShellCorePath>/pwsh /<myPath>/<myScriptFolder>/<myPowerCLIscriptFile>.ps

Save the file and quit the editor.

$ vi /<myPath>/<myScriptFolder>/<myPowerCLIscriptFile>.sh

Add the following content (In the following script choose VM names exactly the same way the VMs are named on ESXi host) (Note: The start-sleep command can be used optionally for delayed power-on, for example when there is a domain controller which generally always should get available at first inside a network environment):

Connect-VIServer -Server <myTargetHostIPaddress> -User <myUser> -Password <myUserPassword>
Start-VM <myFirstVM>
start-sleep -s 30
Start-VM <mySecondVM>
Start-VM <myThirdVM>
Start-VM <myFourthVM>
Exit

Save the file and quit the editor.

$ chmod +x /<myPath>/<myScriptFolder>/<myBashScriptFile>.sh

$ chmod +x /<myPath>/<myScriptFolder>/<myPowerCLIscriptFile>.ps

Beware: Due to certificate verification and therefore for successful scripting it is required to connect manually once when connecting for the very first time between client und server via remote SSH. (Alternatively: Do a certificate import.)!

Start PowerShell Core…

$ /<myPath>/powerShellCore/pwsh

…then update PowerCLI:

Update-Module VMware.PowerCLI

Quit PowerShell Core:

exit

Clear history:

Remove-Item (Get-PSReadlineOption).HistorySavePath

For PowerShell cache clearing it is necessary to quit PowerShell Core now:

exit