PowerRvB Documentation

PowerRvB

PowerRvB is a set of PowerShell commands that provision new environments on vSphere. Its included commands are:

• Invoke-PodClone
• New-DevPod
• New-PodPortGroups
• New-PodRouter
• Invoke-RvByeBye

Getting Started

💡 For best results in the SDC, the following should be done on scar.sdc.cpp or simba.sdc.cpp

Step 1: Dependencies

PowerRvB requires two PowerShell modules to be installed before you can start working. These are

• VMware.PowerCLI
• PowerRvB

PS> Install-Module VMware.PowerCLI, PowerRvB

If you want to make Pod Users, the ActiveDirectory module will also be needed. You will also need to run the commands on a computer with domain management tools (scar.sdc.cpp or simba.sdc.cpp).

PS> Install-Module ActiveDirectory

Step 2: Connect to vSphere

Use your vSphere credentials to connect to elsa.sdc.cpp in PowerShell. If you are using PowerRvB on a VM joined to the sdc.cpp domain, you will not need to specify credentials.

PS> Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore

PS> Connect-VIServer elsa.sdc.cpp -User <Username> -Password <Password>

# Note: Passwords with symbols may not work without being enclosed with ''
PS> Connect-VIServer elsa.sdc.cpp -User tswift -Password 'Thanus$Password'

💡 The first line of this script block is required to connect to elsa.sdc.cpp, as it does not have a valid certificate.

Step 3: Create a Development Pod

Use New-DevPod to create a vApp for environment development.

PS> New-DevPod -Name <vAppName> -Target <ResourcePoolName> -CreateRouter <$true|$false> -WanPortGroup <PortGroupName>

PS> New-DevPod -Name EvansDevPod3 -Target 02-07_Evan -CreateRouter $true -WanPortGroup 0010_DefaultNetwork

New-DevPod has a box selection menu.

0 - Windows 10 Blank

1 - Windows Server 2022 Blank

2 - Ubuntu 20.04 Blank

Enter the boxes to be created in this Developer Pod (Ex: 0, 2, 1). Press enter to continue: 0, 0, 1

💡 This input would create 2 Windows 10 boxes and 1 Server 2022 box in the development pod.

Step 4: Prepare a Resource Pool for Cloning

Create a new Resource Pool. Clone the VMs from the development pod into a new Resource Pool. Do not clone the pod router into the new resource pool.

Step 5: Clone the Pods

Using the template from Step 4 and Invoke-PodClone, you can create a specified number of Pods and supporting infrastructure. It will also tag all created resources for easy teardown using Invoke-RvByeBye

PS> Invoke-PodClone -SourceResourcePool <ResourcePool> -Target <ResourcePool> -Pods <number> -Tag <Tag> -FirstPodNumber <number> -AssignPortGroups <$true|$false> -CreateUsers <$true|$false> -Role <vSphereRole> -CreateRouters <$true|$false> -WanPortGroup <PortGroup>

PS> Invoke-PodClone -SourceResourcePool DevPod -Target 02-07_Evan -Pods 20 -Tag 'RvB Tag' -AssignPortGroups $True -FirstPodNumber 1230 -AssignPortGroups $true -CreateUsers $true -Role 01_RvBDirector -CreateRouters $true

💡 If CreateUsers is set as $true, a CSV will be created on the user’s desktop that lists usernames and passwords.

Step 6: Tearing Down Resources

Invoke-RvByeBye is used to remove all resources that were created by Invoke-PodClone. This deletes:

• vApps
• Port Groups
• Pod Users

PS> Invoke-RvByeBye -Tag <Tag>
PS> Invoke-RvByeBye -Tag RvB

Detailed Command Documentation

Invoke-PodClone

Syntax

Invoke-PodClone
	-SourceResourcePool <String>
	-Target <String>
	-Pods <int>
	-Tag <String>
	-AssignPortGroups <boolean>
	-FirstPodNumber <int>
	[-CreateUsers <boolean>]
	[-Role <String>]
	[-CreateRouters <Boolean>]
	[-WanPortGroup <String>]

Description

The Invoke-PodClone cmdlet clones the given vSphere Resource Pool a specified number of times. It also creates the required networking resources and users for each pod.

If users are created, a CSV of usernames and passwords to be used on vSphere will be generated on the command runner’s desktop.

Example 1

PS> Invoke-PodClone -SourceResourcePool DevPod -Target 02-07_Evan -Pods 20 -Tag 'RvB Tag' -AssignPortGroups $True -FirstPodNumber 1230 -AssignPortGroups $true -CreateUsers $true -Role 01_RvBDirector -CreateRouters $true

This command clones the template, DevPod, 20 times under the resource pool 02-07_Evan. It creates 20 port groups starting at port group 1230. A domain user account is created for each pod and assigned the role 01_RvBDirector on vSphere to their respective pod. It then creates a pod router for each pod. All created resources are tagged with RvB Tag.

Example 2

PS> Invoke-PodClone -SourceResourcePool WindowsWorkshop -Target 03-01_PodLabs -Pods 5 -Tag 'Windows Workshop' -AssignPortGroups $True -FirstPodNumber 1230 -AssignPortGroups $false

This command clones the Resource Pool, WindowsWorkshop, 5 times under the resource pool 03-01_PodLabs. It creates 5 port groups starting at port group 1230. Pod Users and Routers will not be created. All created resources are tagged with Windows Workshop.

Parameters

-SourceResourcePool

Specifies the vApp template to be cloned.

Type:	String
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Mandatory:	True

-Target

Specifies the resource pool the pods will be cloned to.

Type:	String
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Mandatory:	True

-Pods

Specifies the number of pods to be cloned.

Type:	int
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Mandatory:	True

-Tag

Specifies the tag applied to the vApps, Port Groups, and Users.

Type:	String
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Mandatory:	True

-FirstPodNumber

Specifies the first port group Invoke-PodClone will check for port groups.

Type:	int
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Mandatory:	True

-AssignPortGroups

Specifies if port groups will be assigned to the pods.

Type:	Boolean
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Mandatory:	True

-CreateUsers

Specify if users will also be created for their respective pods.

Type:	Boolean
Default value:	$false
Accept pipeline input:	False
Mandatory:	False

-Role

Specify the vSphere role new users will be given.

Type:	String
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Mandatory:	Required if CreateUsers = True

-CreateRouters

Specify if pod routers will be created.

Type:	Boolean
Default value:	$false
Accept pipeline input:	False
Mandatory:	False

-WanPortGroup

Specify the WAN port group applied to the pod router.

Type:	String
Default value:	0010_DefaultNetwork
Accept pipeline input:	False
Mandatory:	False

New-DevPod

Syntax

New-DevPod
	-Name <String>
	-Target <String>
	[-CreateRouter <Boolean>]
	[-WanPortGroup <String>]

Description

The New-DevPod cmdlet creates a development vApp with the desired virtual machines and functional networking. A prompt occurs after running the command that allows the user to choose what operating systems they want in the environment.

Example 1

PS> New-DevPod -Name EvansPod -Target 02-07_Evan

This command creates a development vApp named EvansPod under the resource pool 02-07_Evan. It will not have a router created.

Example 2

PS> New-DevPod -Name EvansPod -Target 02-07_Evan -CreateRouter $true -WanPortGroup 0010_DefaultNetwork

This command creates a development vApp named EvansPod under the resource pool 02-07_Evan. It will have a router created, with the WAN port group of 0010_DefaultNetwork.

Parameters

-Name

Specifies the name of the vApp to be created.

Type:	String
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Mandatory:	True

-Target

Specifies the resource pool the vApp will be created in.

Type:	String
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Mandatory:	True

-CreateRouter

Specifies if pod router will be created.

Type:	Boolean
Default value:	$false
Accept pipeline input:	False
Mandatory:	False

-WanPortGroup

Specifies the WAN port used on the router.

Type:	String
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Mandatory:	Required if CreateRouter = True

Invoke-RvByeBye

Syntax

Invoke-RvByeBye
	-Tag <String>

Description

The Invoke-RvByeBye cmdlet removes all vApps, Port Groups, and Users with the tag specified.

Example 1

PS> Invoke-RvByeBye -Tag 'Spring RvB 2022'

This command removes all resources tagged with Spring RvB 2022. Typically, this would be all resources created by calling the Invoke-PodClone command with the Tag parameter set to Spring RvB 2022.

Parameters

-Tag

Specifies the tag to be torn down.

Type:	String
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Mandatory:	True