get service tag of ESX Server

[vcpguy]

Hi,

I was wondering, how can I get the service tag of remote ESX Server via powershell? Has anybody tried this?

Thanks

[LucD]

Could this be what you are looking for ?

(Get-VMHost <ESX-name> | Get-View).Summary.Hardware.OtherIdentifyingInfo[0].IdentifierValue

[vcpguy]

I tried, it gives me error message. I guess something to do with the syntax. Can you please have a look at it ?

PS C:\> (Get-VMHost 10.0.0.1 | Get-View).Summary.Hardware.OtherIdentifyingInfo[0].IdentifierValue

Get-VMHost : 1/24/2009 12:43:23 PM Get-VMHost You are not currently connected to any servers. Please connect first usi

ng Connect-VIServer or one of its aliases.

At line:1 char:12

+ (Get-VMHost <<<< 10.0.0.1 | Get-View).Summary.Hardware.OtherIdentifyingInfo[0].IdentifierValue

+ CategoryInfo : ResourceUnavailable: (:smileyhappy: , ViServerConnectionException

+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : Core_BaseCmdlet_NotConnectedError,VMware.VimAutomation.Commands.GetVMHost

[LucD]

You should connect first.

Connect-VIServer -Server  <VC-server> -User <user> -Password <passsword>

If your current account has sufficient rights on the VC you can leave out the -User and -Password parameter.

Or you can connect directly to an ESX server in a similar way.

[vcpguy]

I am sorry, can you please type the whole command. I am still learning this. I tried this command and it just connected to my virtual center server Connect-VIServer -Server 10.0.0.2.

[LucD]

Ok, here you go

Connect-VIServer -Server  <VC-server> -User <user> -Password <passsword>
(Get-VMHost <ESX-name> | Get-View).Summary.Hardware.OtherIdentifyingInfo[0].IdentifierValue

You can execute these 2 lines, after each other, at the "VMware VI Toolkit (for Windows)" prompt.

Or you can save them in a .ps1 file and then execute the script by doing

.\<filename>.ps1

from the "VMware VI Toolkit (for Windows)" prompt provided you are positioned in the directory where you saved the .ps1 file.

[timteller]

When I use your command, I get an error that the array is null. I can however, see the service tag in VC under Configuration | System - Service Tag.

Any other cmdlets I can use?

Thanks,

Tim

[LucD]

All this info is vendor and hardware specific.

Does the HostSystemInfo object contain a property with the Service Tag in there ?

Try this

(Get-VMHost <ESX-host> | Get-View).Hardware.SystemInfo

[timteller]

This is what I get:

Vendor : Dell Inc.

Model : PowerEdge 2950

Uuid : 49954c4c-3810-1036-824e-b8c04d334b31

OtherIdentifyingInfo :

DynamicType :

DynamicProperty :

I don't see the Service Tag.

[LucD]

Could be that the VC uses CIM to get the Service Tag.

Unfortunately I don't have a PowerEdge to look further.

[Krishna_K]

@LucD: i need this Dell server's service tag info seriuosely. i need your help getting this done on mix of 200 ESXi & ESX 4.0 servers. can you do the needful?

Br,

Kris

[LucD]

Does the method described in Finding server tag on a Dell that is running VMWare ESX as host OS work for you ?

If that doesn't work can you try the dmidecode command from an ESX console (see Find the service tag of a Dell server from the ESX console).

In that case you can always use plink.exe to execute the dmidecode command and capture the output from a script.

[Krishna_K]

Hi LucD,

i'm very greatful to see your quicker response.

ESXi versions are higher than the classic version. however the command "(Get-VMHost "fqdn" | Get-View).Summary.Hardware.OtherIdentifyingInfo[1].IdentifierValue" (used without quotes) from PowerCLI gives the blank output. i have tried with/without fqdn of the server after connecting to VC.

i'm in vain?

Br,

Kris

[LucD]

I don't have any Dell HW handy to test, but could this be related to the problem Jonathan had.

See his The Case of the Missing UserVars.CIMOEMProvidersEnabled Value in ESXi 4.1http://www.jonathanmedd.net/2011/02/the-case-of-the-missing-uservars-cimoemprovidersenabled-value.html post.

[rhinojosa]

On a Dell PowerEdge, you can get the service tag with...

Get-VMHost | Get-View | foreach {$_.Summary.Hardware.OtherIdentifyingInfo}

...or more specifically...

(Get-VMHost | Get-View).Summary.Hardware.OtherIdentifyingInfo[1].IdentifierValue

(These are after connecting with Connect-VIServer)

[timteller]

Brilliant!!! That was it. There are 7 hosts that it can't get the Service Tag from. Any ideas why? Whose particular hosts don't show a Service Tag in the VI Client either.

Again, Thank you.

Tim T

[rhinojosa]

Do you get anything with...

Get-VMHost | Get-View | foreach {$_.Summary.Hardware.OtherIdentifyingInfo}

...other than one element with "unknown" ?

What model are the 7 that don't show up? I used this to retrieve service tags from two PowerEdge 2950's running ESXi 3.5. If there's nothing else accessible though (such as on a SuperMicro I'm running ESXi 4.0 on), it will just show a single element with IndentifierValue = unknown.

[vAdmin]

yes, I am using HP DL servers and the Bl server with ESX 4.0 but somehow I also couldn't get the result from that powershell command ?

Get-VMHost : 30/03/2011 10:32:22 AM    Get-VMHost        VMHost with name 'SIESXP10' was not found, using the specified filter(s).   

At C:\Temp\2e513be3-0124-40aa-a072-5e508ebd8ce9.ps1:1 char:12

+ (Get-VMHost <<<<  "SIESXP10" | Get-View).Summary.Hardware.OtherIdentifyingInfo[1].IdentifierValue

    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (:) [Get-VMHost], VimException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Core_OutputHelper_WriteNotFoundError,VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Cmdlets.Commands.GetVMHost

Cannot index into a null array.

At C:\Temp\2e513be3-0124-40aa-a072-5e508ebd8ce9.ps1:1 char:74

+ (Get-VMHost "SIESXP10" | Get-View).Summary.Hardware.OtherIdentifyingInfo[ <<<< 1].IdentifierValue

    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (1:Int32) [], RuntimeException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : NullArray

the server SIESXP10 can be ping from cmd prompt.

[RvdNieuwendijk]

You probably have to specify the FQDN. Something like:

(Get-VMHost "SIESXP10.yourdomain.com" | Get-View).Summary.Hardware.OtherIdentifyingInfo[1].IdentifierValue

Regards, Robert