Removing Empty directories From Datastore

[RichardWood]

We are currently using esxpress for backing up our VMs. The only issue I have had is that using the VI Client to delete a VM leaves behind the directory and a phd subdirectory due to esxpress.

I would like a script to remove all directories on a datastore that do not contain any files (just the phd subdirectory)

I am new to powershell and the VI Toolkit so any help would be appreciated

[LucD]

Well that looked like a nice challenge but it is was more tricky than I first imagined.

In broad lines the script works as follows:

- run for 1 specific ESX server. This could be generalised by adding an external loop over all the ESX servers (Get-VMHost)

- find all occurrences of "phd"

- for each occurrence count the number of entries in the parent folder

- if that is 1 then there is only the "phd" directory

- delete the parent directory

Since the DeleteDatastoreFile_Task method requires a Managed Object Reference to a Datacenter when a datastore path is used,

I have written a seperate function that returns the datacenter for a specific ESX server and a specific datastore.

function Get-Datacenter-from-datastore-and-host($dsname,$hostname){
  $dcs = Get-Datacenter
  foreach($dc in $dcs){
    $hs = $dc | Get-VMHost
	foreach($h in $hs){
      if($h.Name -eq $hostname){
	    $dss = $h | Get-Datastore
	    foreach($ds in $dss){
          if($ds.Name -eq $dsname){
		    return $dc
		  }
	    }
	  }
	}
  }
  return $null
}

$hostname = <ESX-hostname>

$searchspecDir = New-Object VMware.Vim.HostDatastoreBrowserSearchSpec
$searchSpecDir.matchpattern = "phd"

$searchspecAll = New-Object VMware.Vim.HostDatastoreBrowserSearchSpec
$searchSpecAll.matchpattern = "*"

$esxImpl = Get-VMHost -Name $hostname
$esx = Get-View $esxImpl.ID 
$dsBrowser = Get-View $esx.DatastoreBrowser
$fileMgr = Get-View FileManager

foreach($dsImpl in $dsBrowser.Datastore){
  $ds = Get-View $dsImpl
  if($ds.Summary.Type -eq "VMFS"){
    $datastorepath = "[http://" + $ds.Summary.Name + "|http://" + $ds.Summary.Name + "]"
 
    $t1MoRef = $dsBrowser.SearchDatastoreSubFolders_Task($datastorePath, $searchSpecDir) 
    $t1 = Get-View $t1MoRef 
    while ($t1.Info.State -eq "running" -or
	       $t1.Info.State -eq "queued"){$t1 = Get-View $t1MoRef}
 
    foreach ($result in $t1.info.Result){
      if($result.FolderPath -ne $datastorepath){
		Write-Host $result.FolderPath
        $t2MoRef = $dsBrowser.SearchDatastore_Task($result.FolderPath,$searchSpecAll)
        $t2 = Get-View $t2MoRef 
        while ($t2.Info.State -eq "running" -or
		       $t2.Info.State -eq "queued"){$t2 = Get-View $t1MoRef}
		
		if($t2.Info.Result.File.Count -eq 1){
          Write-Host "`t will be deleted"
		  $tgtdsname = (Get-View -Id $t2.Info.Result.Datastore).Info.Name
		  $tgthostname = $hostname
          $tgtdcImpl = Get-Datacenter-from-datastore-and-host $tgtdsname $tgthostname
		  if($tgtdcImpl -ne $null){
		    $tgtdc = Get-View -Id $tgtdcImpl.Id
#		    $taskMoRef = $fileMgr.DeleteDatastoreFile_Task($result.FolderPath,$tgtdc.MoRef)
         
            $task = Get-View $taskMoRef
            while($task.Info.State -eq "running" -or
			      $task.Info.State -eq "queued"){$task = Get-View $taskMoRef}
          }
		}
	  }
	}
  }
}

Note1: the script only looks for such folders in VMFS datastores.

If other datastore types should be included the "if($ds.Summary.Type -eq "VMFS")" test can be updated or removed.

Note2: the script currently only lists all folders it finds and indicates if it will delete that folder.

If you actually want to delete the folders remove the un-comment the line with the DeleteDatastoreFile_Task statement !

[petedr]

Richard,

Within esXpress there is an option to delete these empty phd folders when you delete a VM.

In the esXpress phd menu -> Maintenance Menu -> Search and Delete Empty PHD folders.

Pete@esXpress

[LucD]

You could have mentioned this a bit earlier.

No, just kidding.

It still was a nice exercise :smileywink:

[petedr]

Definitely looked like a good exercise to go through, it looks like a good script youn did

[RichardWood]

Many Thanks

I will try the script later, we have been offline (ISP Troubles).

The reason I did not use the phd option, was that I would like to automate and schedule this task - I have enough to do already :smileyhappy:

And of course being new to the toolkit and powershell, anything I can learn is great.

Thanks again