PowerCLI

  • 1.  Snapshot deletion scheduled task

    Posted 23 days ago

    Hello,

    I'm trying to make a script, which will create a scheduled task for automatic snapshot deletion for shapshots older than 14 days, simmilar to the task you can create in the vCenter :

    My script so far :
    (actually it's not mine, but plagiarized from different scripts by LucD :) )
    $si = Get-View ServiceInstance
    $scheduledTaskManager = Get-View $si.Content.ScheduledTaskManager
     
    # CSV layout
    # Name
    # vm1
    # vm2
    Import-Csv -Path .\Snapshots.csv -UseCulture |
    ForEach-Object -Process {
        $vm = Get-VM -Name $_.VMName
     
    $vCenterServer = $vm.Uid.Split(":")[0].Split("@")[1]
     
    # Create a new scheduled task
      $spec = New-Object VMware.Vim.ScheduledTaskSpec
      $spec.Name = "Scheduled snapshot removal of $vm"
      $spec.Description = 'Scheduled snapshot removal'
      $spec.Enabled = $true
      $spec.Scheduler = New-Object VMware.Vim.WeeklyTaskScheduler
      $spec.Scheduler.activeTime = [Datetime]"02/23/2025 03:00"
      $spec.Scheduler.Sunday = $true
      $spec.Scheduler.Hour = (Get-Date -Hour 3).ToUniversalTime().Hour
      $spec.Scheduler.Interval = "1"
      $spec.Action = New-Object VMware.Vim.MethodAction
      $spec.Action.Name = "RemoveAllSnapshots_Task"
    (Get-View -Id 'ScheduledTaskManager-ScheduledTaskManager'-server $vCenterServer).CreateScheduledTask($vm.ExtensionData.MoRef, $spec) 
    }

    Everything is working fine, except that i can't figure it out how to specify the variable for "Delete snapshots older than XX days" (as it's in the screenshot). 

    Any ideas ?

    Thanks in advance.



  • 2.  RE: Snapshot deletion scheduled task

    Posted 23 days ago

    The trick is to look at the method the Scheduled task is calling, in this case, RemoveAllSnapshots.

    That method accepts 2 arguments, the 2nd one containing the property RetentionDays.
    The MethodAction object allows us to pass those arguments.

    You could do something like this

    $si = Get-View ServiceInstance
$scheduledTaskManager = Get-View $si.Content.ScheduledTaskManager

# CSV layout
# Name
# vm1
# vm2

Import-Csv -Path .\Snapshots.csv -UseCulture |
ForEach-Object -Process {
  $vm = Get-VM -Name $_.VMName


  # Create a new scheduled task
  $spec = New-Object VMware.Vim.ScheduledTaskSpec
  $spec.Name = "Scheduled snapshot removal of $vm"
  $spec.Description = 'Scheduled snapshot removal'
  $spec.Enabled = $true
  $spec.Scheduler = New-Object VMware.Vim.WeeklyTaskScheduler
  $spec.Scheduler.activeTime = [Datetime]"02/23/2025 03:00"
  $spec.Scheduler.Sunday = $true
  $spec.Scheduler.Hour = (Get-Date -Hour 3).ToUniversalTime().Hour
  $spec.Scheduler.Interval = "1"
  $spec.Action = New-Object VMware.Vim.MethodAction
  $arg1 = New-Object VMware.Vim.MethodActionArgument
  $arg2 = New-Object VMware.Vim.MethodActionArgument
  $arg2.Value = New-Object VMware.Vim.SnapshotSelectionSpec
  $arg2.Value.RetentionDays = 14
  $spec.Action.Argument += $arg1
  $spec.Action.Argument += $arg2
  $spec.Action.Name = "RemoveAllSnapshots_Task"

  $scheduledTaskManager.CreateScheduledTask($vm.ExtensionData.MoRef, $spec)
}


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    Blog: lucd.info  Twitter: @LucD22  Co-author PowerCLI Reference


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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Snapshot deletion scheduled task

    Posted 23 days ago

    Hello LucD,

    works like a charm :)

    Thank you very much !


    Original Message