How to Download and Install PowerCLI for vSphere Management？

PowerCLI is one of the most effective and consistent tools to manage VMware vSphere and vCloud, through which you can control all aspects of VMware vSphere, including VM provisioning,  storage, modifications, and more. Here in this blog, we'll learn what is it, how to download and install the tool, and some basic management PowerCLI commands.

What Is PowerCLI?

PowerCLI is a collection of PowerShell modules from VMware that manages its infrastructure from the command prompt. The PowerCLI installation comes with PowerShell commands that are particular to VMware allowing users to interact with VMware environments. You can use the tool to manage settings, create new objects, and automate tasks for ESXi, vSphere, vCenter, etc.

PowerCLI 5.1 and earlier versions are PSSnapin, which has cumbersome installation steps and limited access to the public, but since PowerCLI 6.0, a PowerShell module replaces Snapin. VMware is creating a PowerCLI version for PowerShell core (7.0+) solely for now, which could be used in Windows, Linux, and macOS.

How to Download PowerCLI?

Prerequisites:

The latest PowerCLI 13.0.0 is compatible with the following:

Download a PowerCLI via the web:

1. The PowerShell Galalry link using the package manager of PowerShell.

2. Zip the archive of the module from the VMware website.

How to Install PowerCLI Module on Windows?

Install the PowerCLI module from PowerShell Gallery online

Make sure you have the NuGet package manager in place.

1. Find the module. 

Find-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI

2.1 Install modules for all users (install the latest version by default).

Install-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI

2.2 Install for the current user without admin privileges.

Install-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI -Scope CurrentUser

2.3 Check the version after installation.

Get-PowerCLIVersion

3. Whether to participate in VMware Customer Experience Improvement Program.

No: Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -Scope User -ParticipateInCEIP $false

Yes: Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -Scope User -ParticipateInCEIP $true

3. List all cmdlets.

Get-Command -Module *VMWare*

Or Get-Module -ListAvailable VMware* | Select Name,version

4. Update the PowerCLI module.

Update-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI

5. Install a specific version.

5.1 Find available versions.

Find-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI -AllVersions|select version

5.2 Input the needed version number.

Install-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI -RequiredVersion 12.7.0.20091289

Copy files to install the PowerCLI module offline

1. Find the module in PowerShell Gallery.

Find-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI

2. Download and keep the module files to a directory.

Save-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI -Path <path>

3. Copy the downloaded files to a machine disconnected to the internet from C:TempModules directory. Put the files to C:WindowsSystem32WindowsPowerShellv13.0Modules.

4. Unblock the downloaded files.

cd "C:Program FilesWindowsPowerShellv13.0Modules"

Get-ChildItem * -Recurse | Unblock-File

Use a ZIP archive to install the PowerCLI module offline

1. Copy the downloaded ZIP archive to a device not using the internet.

2. Extract the files to the Windows directory that contains the modules.

C:WindowsSystem32WindowsPowerShellv13.0Modules

How to Install VMware PowerCLI on Linux?

1. Run sudo -i command to get privileges.

2. Update the package repository and packages installed on the Linux system.

apt-get update

3. Install curl (client URL) to move data to and from a server.

apt-get install curl

4. Add the Microsoft repository with PowerShell included.

curl https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | sudo apt-key add -

curl -o /etc/apt/sources.list.d/microsoft.list

https://packages.microsoft.com/config/ubuntu/20.04/prod.list

5. Update the repository.

apt-get update

6. Install PowerShell in Linux.

apt-get install powershell

7. Open a PowerShell session in Linux with pwsh command.

8. Install PoweCLI and then press y or a to continue.

Install-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI

9. Check the PowerCLI version installed.

Get-Module VMware.PowerCLI -ListAvailable

10. Run the exit command to exit from PowerShell.

PowerCLI Commands to Manage vSphere

1. Check the connection to the server and verify if a certificate error exists.

Connect-VIServer

2. Solve a certificate error problem.

Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore

3. Connect to vCenter or ESXi server.

Connect-VIServer hostname/IPaddress

4. Ignore the self-signed SSL certificate block.

Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -Scope AllUsers -InvalidCertificateAction Warn

5. List VMs of the connected server.

Get-VM

6. Create, start, and turn off a VM.

New-VM –Name MunVMname -VMHost mun-VM1 –ResourcePool Production –DiskGB 20 –DiskStorageFormat Thin –Datastore MUN_MSA2000_Prod1

Start-VM -VM MUNVMname

Shutdown-VMGuest -VM MunVMname -Confirm:$False

7. Move a running VM to another host with VMotion.

Get-VMHost VM1|Get-Vm| Move-VM –Destination (Get-VMHost VM2)

8. Copy a file to all VMs.

Get-VM | Copy-VMGusetFile -Source path -Destination C:PS - LocalToGuest -GuestUser administrator -GuestPassword password

Protection in advance

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Conclusion

Various online or offline methods are used to install PowerCLI as PowerShell modules on both Windows and Linux. The PowerCLI could manage WMware environments via cmdlets. Either way, back up your critical data beforehand to prevent data corruption or loss. Use Vinchin Backup & Recovery for full protection of VMware VMs.