PowerShell copy and delete question

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:41:25 Z

I have a script that I downloaded on the net and needed to modify a couple of items. I have bolded the three lines in question and comented them below.
Here is the script:

##
##    Create a backup of all the vm's
##

$dest = "D:\VMbackup"
$dest2 = "D:\TapeBackup"
$Date = (Get-Date).toString('ddMMyyyy')
$Now = (Get-Date -Format ddMMyyy).AddDays(-21) <- powershell does not like this, but I not know how else to do it.
$VM_Service = get-wmiobject -namespace root\virtualization Msvm_VirtualSystemManagementService
$ListofVMs = get-wmiobject -namespace root\virtualization Msvm_ComputerSystem -filter "ElementName <> Name"

foreach ($VM in [array] $ListOfVMs)
{
    $VMReturnState = $VM.EnabledState
    $VMName = $VM.ElementName

    if (($VM.EnabledState -eq 2) -or ($VM.EnabledState -eq 32768) -or ($VM.EnabledState -eq 32770))
    {
        $VM.RequestStateChange(32769)
        echo "Saving the state of $VMName"
    }

    while (!($VM.EnabledState -eq 32769) -and !($VM.EnabledState -eq 3))
    {
        Start-Sleep(1)
        $VM = get-wmiobject -namespace root\virtualization -Query "Select * From Msvm_ComputerSystem Where ElementName='$VMName'"
    }

    if ([IO.Directory]::Exists("$dest\TmpDir\$VMName"))
    {
        [IO.Directory]::Delete("$dest\TmpDir\$VMName", $True)
    }

    echo "Exporting the VM"
    $status = $VM_Service.ExportVirtualSystem($VM.__PATH, $True, "$dest\TmpDir")

    if ($status.ReturnValue -eq 4096)
    {
        $job = [Wmi]$status.Job

        while (!($job.PercentComplete -eq 100) -and ($job.ErrorCode -eq 0))
        {
            Start-Sleep(5)
            $job = [Wmi]$status.Job
            echo $job.PercentComplete
        }
    }

    ##    Store the files on in a temp directory before moving them to their location and then remove the old files.

    if ([IO.Directory]::Exists("$dest\$VMName"))
    {
        [IO.Directory]::Move("$dest\$VMName", "$dest\$VMName-OldTmpDir")
        [IO.Directory]::Copy("$dest\TmpDir\$VMName", "$dest2\$VMName") <- make a copy of this folder before move and put in another folder
        [IO.Directory]::Move("$dest\TmpDir\$VMName", "$dest\$VMName-$Date")
        [IO.Directory]::Delete("$dest\$VMName-$Now", $True) <- Delete the folder it the folder+date is equal to 21 days
        [IO.Directory]::Delete("$dest\$VMName-OldTmpDir", $True)
    }
    else
    {
        [IO.Directory]::Move("$dest\TmpDir\$VMName", "$dest\$VMName-$DateD")
    }

    echo "Done with $VMName"
    $VM.RequestStateChange($VMReturnState)
}

PowerShell copy and delete question

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:13:01 Z

Hi,

Regarding your first bolded line : $Now = (Get-Date -Format ddMMyyy).AddDays(-21)
Here (Get-Date -Format ddMMyyy) returns a string not a DateTime object. So there is no method called AddDays on this object. You have to modify date using AddDays before formating it.

By Example : (Get-Date).AddDays(-21).ToString('ddMMyyyy')

Then, prefer to use built-in Copy-Item , Remove-Item or Move-Item Cmdlets for copying, removing or moving items.

Hope it helps.

Grégory Schiro - PowerShell MVP - PowerShell & MOF

PowerShell copy and delete question

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:20:48 Z

Hello

first one is easy to fix :)

$Now = (Get-Date -Format ddMMyyy).AddDays(-21)
should be
$Now = (Get-Date).AddDays(-21)
Cause the format function , causes the cmdlet to output a system.string instead of system.datetime, therefore you cannot run the adddays method (since it only exists on system.datetime).

i am looking into the others.

[IO.Directory]::Copy("$dest\TmpDir\$VMName", "$dest2\$VMName")

I am not sure why u are using these methods directly?
i would prefer to use the cmdlets provided by powershell.
you can use this command instead of the abiove line

Copy-Item -Recurse "$dest\TmpDir\$VMName" "$dest2\$VMName"

[IO.Directory]::Delete("$dest\$VMName-$Now", $True)

I am not sure what errors you get, but this command will not delete the folder if it is not empty.
i would again use the cmdlet instead like this:

Remove-Item -Recurse "$dest\$VMName-$Now"

Good luck

Best Regards
Jakob Gottlieb svendsen

Trainer/Consultant - Coretech A/S - Blog - MCT - MCTS - VB.NET - C#.NET - Powershell - VBScript

PowerShell copy and delete question

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:23:52 Z

I have made the requested changes and for the most part it is working except for the rename-item part I have bolded below. I get this error
Rename-Item : Cannot rename because the target specified is not a path.

$dest1 = "D:\VMbackup"
$dest2 = "D:\TapeBackup"
$Date = (Get-Date).toString('ddMMyyyy')
$Now = (Get-Date).AddDays(-21)
$VM_Service = get-wmiobject -namespace root\virtualization Msvm_VirtualSystemManagementService
$ListofVMs = get-wmiobject -namespace root\virtualization Msvm_ComputerSystem -filter "ElementName <> Name"

foreach ($VM in [array] $ListOfVMs)
{
$VMReturnState = $VM.EnabledState
$VMName = $VM.ElementName

if (($VM.EnabledState -eq 2) -or ($VM.EnabledState -eq 32768) -or ($VM.EnabledState -eq 32770))
{
$VM.RequestStateChange(32769)
echo "Saving the state of $VMName"
}

while (!($VM.EnabledState -eq 32769) -and !($VM.EnabledState -eq 3))
{
Start-Sleep(1)
$VM = get-wmiobject -namespace root\virtualization -Query "Select * From Msvm_ComputerSystem Where ElementName='$VMName'"
}

if ([IO.Directory]::Exists("$dest1\TmpDir\$VMName"))
{
[IO.Directory]::Delete("$dest1\TmpDir\$VMName", $True)
}

echo "Exporting the VM"
$status = $VM_Service.ExportVirtualSystem($VM.__PATH, $True, "$dest1\TmpDir")

if ($status.ReturnValue -eq 4096)
{
  $job = [Wmi]$status.Job

  while (!($job.PercentComplete -eq 100) -and ($job.ErrorCode -eq 0))
  {
   Start-Sleep(5)
   $job = [Wmi]$status.Job
   echo $job.PercentComplete
  }
}

## Store the files on in a temp directory before moving them to their location and then remove the old files.

if ([IO.Directory]::Exists("$dest1\$VMName"))
{
  Move-Item "$dest1\$VMName", "$dest1\$VMName-OldTmpDir"
  Copy-Item -recurse -force "$dest1\TmpDir\$VMName", "$dest2\$VMName"
  Move-Item "$dest1\TmpDir\$VMName", "$dest1\$VMName-$Date"
  Remove-Item -recurse "$dest1\$VMName-$Now"
  Remove-Item -recurse "$dest1\$VMName-OldTmpDir"
}
else
{
  Move-Item $dest1\TmpDir\$VMName $dest1\$VMName
  Rename-Item -path "$dest1\$VMName" -newname "$dest1\$VMName-$Now"
}

echo "Done with $VMName"
$VM.RequestStateChange($VMReturnState)
}

Thanks for the help...I am very close now!