Introduction
If you’re already using PowerCLI, you know it’s a powerhouse for automating routine tasks. But you might not know it can unlock advanced operations. These operations are nearly impossible to achieve through the sphere UI alone.
PowerCLI: More Than Meets the Eye
At VMware, we occasionally develop custom PowerCLI scripts to solve complex challenges for our customers and partners. These solutions have often stayed behind the scenes… until now.
We’re excited to share that many of these PowerCLI samples are now publicly available!
Yes — you can now browse, learn from, and use scripts authored and verified by our own PowerCLI development team.
Let’s dive into one such advanced use case using one of PowerCLI’s most underrated cmdlets: Get-View.
Spotlight: Advanced User Auditing with Get-View
The Get-View cmdlet is a bit of a secret weapon in the PowerCLI arsenal. It provides direct access to the vCenter Server APIs, enabling precise control and visibility that goes far beyond traditional cmdlets.
Recently, we were asked to create a script. This script identifies users who haven’t been active on a specific vCenter for a given number of days. This task is critical for tightening access controls and improving security posture.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the solution using PowerCLI:
| # Get a snapshot of the current time $now = Get-Date # Maximum inactivity in days $maxDays = 5 # Obtain a reference to the session manager $sessionManager = Get-View (Get-View “ServiceInstance”).Content.sessionManager # Empty collection to store user names $userNames = @() # Go over all the sessions and filter foreach ($session in $sessionManager.SessionList) { $timespan = New-TimeSpan -Start $session.LastActiveTime -End $now # Session was last active more than $maxDays ago if ($timespan.Minutes -ge $maxDays) { # Save the user name for the session # There’s more info on the session object, print that if necessary $userNames += $session.UserName } } # Print unique user sessions $userNames | Select -Unique |
Why is this useful?
This script helps you detect stale accounts. It reduces the attack surface and enforces a more secure vSphere environment with just a few lines of code.
Explore More Real-World PowerCLI Samples
The script above is just one of many practical examples we’ve made available. Whether you’re automating inventory reports, configuring networking, or diving deep into vCenter internals, our PowerCLI Samples GitHub repository has something for you.
Pro Tip: Bookmark the PowerCLI Samples GitHub repository. Check back often as we’re constantly adding new content. This is based on real-world use cases and customer feedback.
PowerCLI is more than a command-line tool — it’s your gateway to smarter, faster, and more secure vSphere management. Our curated samples are now available to the community. There’s never been a better time to level up your automation game.
Happy scripting!
Got ideas or use cases you’d like us to cover? Drop us a note or open an issue on GitHub!
