Windows Server 8 – Manage Hyper-V 3.0 with PowerShell - TechNet Articles - United States (English) - TechNet Wiki

One of the major features of Windows Server 8 is Hyper-V 3.0 This new version of Microsoft virtualization platform brings great improvements and features.

In this article we’ll cover a couple of Windows Server 8 Hyper-V PowerShell command lets. Using PowerShell cmdlet will reduce most of day-to-day administrative tasks.

Open Windows PowerShell ISE and begin with the first command:

Windows Server 8 – Manage Hyper-V 3.0 with PowerShell

One of the major features of Windows Server 8 is Hyper-V 3.0 This new version of Microsoft virtualization platform brings great improvements and features.

In this article we’ll cover a couple of Windows Server 8 Hyper-V PowerShell command lets. Using PowerShell cmdlet will reduce most ofunityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-79-57-metablogapi/4111.get_2D00_vm_5F00_777A1B96.png">get-vm

Get-VM cmdlet outputs all virtual machines that hosted on local Hyper-V server. As you see above, it warns us about missing columns. To get more user friendly output, use Format List

get-vm_fl

Get-VM will give you a general idea about virtual machine’s state. That means you can use filters to get specific virtual machine states.

get-vm_2

I used Get-VM cmdlet again but with pipeline and $_. special character. It filters the output to show me only virtual machines that status fields equal “Operating Normally”

Another helpful command is Checkpoint-VM. This cmdlet starts snapshot process for specified virtual machine.

Try get-help to learn which syntax and parameters available for CheckPoint-VM

checkpoint_gethelp

I can use –name parameter to specify virtual machine.

Now firstly I used Get-VM to specify virtual machine and then pipe that information to Checkpoint-VM cmdlet.

checkpoint

As you notice, snapshot process began and finished.

checkpoint_status

Well, what about reverting Virtual Machines to the previous checkpoints? You can check all snapshots for a specific virtual machine with Get-VMSnapshot cmdlet. Required parameter is –VMName.

get-vmsnapshot

Now you have all checkpoint information for a specific VM. That means you can pipe this data to the Restore-VMSnapshot cmdlet.

In below example I used another method to pipe required data. As you see I use Get-VMSnapshot cmdlet’s name property as a Restore-VMSnapshot Name parameter.

But it gives me a confirm popup.

restore-vmsnapshot

If you want to automate administrative tasks through PowerShell, you need to suppress some of confirm dialogs. It is possible with –confirm parameter.

restore-vmsnapshot2

Restoring snapshot..

restore-vmsnapshot3restore-vmsnapshot2

Restoring snapshot..

Let’s look at other cmdlets. Networking is a major component of Hyper-V. Get-VMNetworkAdaptor gives you network interface details of virtual machines.

get-vmnetworkadapter

Also you can use Get-VMSwitch to get Hyper-V network switch details.

get-vmswitch

Let’s try to add another switch to Hyper-V. You need to specify physical network adapter name with –NetAdapterName parameter.

new-vmswitch_hata

As you see above, it couldn't find any related network adapter on local host. To learn your physical network adapter names just run Get-Netadapter.

get-networkadaptor

get-networkadaptor2

I assigned net adapter name which have a “UP” status value to a variable called $AdapterName.

Now execute New-VmSwitch cmdlet again. But I gives me another error:

new-vmswitch_hata2

It says my physical network adapter is already in use. Let me check.

get-vmswitch2

Yeap. There is already a Hyper-V switch that uses my current physical adaptor and has a “External” switch type. I can convert that Hyper-V switch type from External to Private. That will let free my physical interface.(Wi-Fi)

set-vmswitch

Now creating again.

new-vmswitch_ekledi

You can check from Virtual Switch Manager. As you see a new switch added and bind to physical network card.

hyper-v swicth ekranı
Also
, the management of PVLAN and ACLs on Windows Server 8 Beta only through Powershell.

PowerShell can also be used to modify other virtual machine hardware components. Add-VMHardDisk attaches virtual hard disk files (VHD/VHDX) to a VM as additional disks.

add-vmharddisk_hata

But of course firstly you have to create vhdx file separately. Use New-VHD cmdlet.

new-vmdisk

Now you can assign previously created virtual hard disk to a specific VM.

add-vmharddisk_tamamnew-vmdisk

Now you can assign previously created virtual hard disk to a specific VM.

Here is our newly added disk on Hyper-V manager.

hyper-v disk ekranı

There are bunch of commands that helps you to manage Hyper-V 3.0 on Windows Server 8. In my next blog I’ll cover them.

Thanks.

Anıl Erduran