PowerCLI 5.0.1 Connect-VIServer repaired

PowerCLI up to version 5.0.1 showed the connected servers in the title bar of the window. I found this very handy. Unfortunately though VMware has removed this feature in version 5.0.1. In this blogpost I present you a script that returns this feature.

PowerShell proxy functions

In PowerShell it is possible to make a wrapper function around a cmdlet, that extends the functionality of the cmdlet. This is called a proxy function. There is a very good example on the “Hey, Scripting Guy! Blog”:
Proxy Functions: Spice Up Your PowerShell Core Cmdlets.

I used this example to create proxy functions for the PowerCLI Connect-VIServer and Disconnect-VIServer cmdlets, that return the pre version 5.0.1 behaviour.

The PowerCLI script in listing 1 gives you Connect-VIserver and Disconnect-VIServer proxy functions to repair the pre version 5.0.1 windows title. You can add these functions to your PowerShell profile. Or you can put them in a .ps1 file and dot-source this file to add the functions to your PowerCLI session.

For more information on editing your PowerShell profile or dot-sourcing a script see listing 11 and 8 from my previous blog post: Speed up your PowerCLI cmdlet typing with aliases.

function Connect-VIServer {
[CmdletBinding(DefaultParameterSetName='Default')]
param(
    [Parameter(ParameterSetName='Default', Mandatory=$true, Position=0)]
    [ValidateNotNullOrEmpty()]
    [System.String[]]
    ${Server},

    [Parameter(ParameterSetName='Default')]
    [ValidateRange(0, 65535)]
    [ValidateNotNull()]
    [System.Int32]
    ${Port},

    [Parameter(ParameterSetName='Default')]
    [ValidateSet('http','https')]
    [System.String]
    ${Protocol},

    [Parameter(ParameterSetName='Default', ValueFromPipeline=$true)]
    [ValidateNotNullOrEmpty()]
    [System.Management.Automation.PSCredential]
    ${Credential},

    [Parameter(ParameterSetName='Default', ValueFromPipeline=$true)]
    [Alias('Username')]
    [System.String]
    ${User},

    [Parameter(ParameterSetName='Default')]
    [System.String]
    ${Password},

    [Parameter(ParameterSetName='Default')]
    [System.String]
    ${Session},

    [Parameter(ParameterSetName='Default')]
    [Switch]
    ${NotDefault},

    [Parameter(ParameterSetName='Default')]
    [Switch]
    ${SaveCredentials},

    [Parameter(ParameterSetName='Default')]
    [Switch]
    ${AllLinked},

    [Parameter(ParameterSetName='Menu', Mandatory=$true)]
    [Switch]
    ${Menu})

begin
{
    try {
        $outBuffer = $null
        if ($PSBoundParameters.TryGetValue('OutBuffer', [ref]$outBuffer))
        {
            $PSBoundParameters['OutBuffer'] = 1
        }
        $wrappedCmd = $ExecutionContext.InvokeCommand.GetCommand('Connect-VIServer', [System.Management.Automation.CommandTypes]::Cmdlet)
        $scriptCmd = {& $wrappedCmd @PSBoundParameters }
        $steppablePipeline = $scriptCmd.GetSteppablePipeline($myInvocation.CommandOrigin)
        $steppablePipeline.Begin($PSCmdlet)
    } catch {
        throw
    }
}

process
{
    try {
        $steppablePipeline.Process($_)
    } catch {
        throw
    }
}

end
{
    try {
        $steppablePipeline.End()
		$PowerCLIVersion = Get-PowerCLIVersion
		$PowerCLIVersionString = "VMware vSphere PowerCLI $($PowerCLIVersion.Major).$($PowerCLIVersion.Minor).$($PowerCLIVersion.Revision)"
		if (-not (Get-Variable DefaultVIServers -ErrorAction:SilentlyContinue) -or $DefaultVIServers.Length -eq 0) {
		  $WindowTitle = "$PowerCLIVersionString - Not Connected"
		}
		elseif ($DefaultVIServers.Length -eq 1) {
		  $WindowTitle = "$PowerCLIVersionString - Connected to $($DefaultVIServers[0].Name) as $($DefaultVIServers[0].User)"
		}
		else {
		  $WindowTitle = "$PowerCLIVersionString - Connected to $($DefaultVIServers.Length) servers: "+[string]::Join(',',$DefaultVIServers)
		}
		(Get-Host).UI.RawUI.WindowTitle = $WindowTitle
    } catch {
        throw
    }
}
<#

.ForwardHelpTargetName Connect-VIServer
.ForwardHelpCategory Cmdlet

#>
}

function Disconnect-VIServer {
[CmdletBinding(SupportsShouldProcess=$true, ConfirmImpact='High')]
param(
    [Parameter(Position=0, ValueFromPipeline=$true)]
    [ValidateNotNullOrEmpty()]
    [PSObject[]]
    ${Server},

    [Switch]
    ${Force})

begin
{
    try {
        $outBuffer = $null
        if ($PSBoundParameters.TryGetValue('OutBuffer', [ref]$outBuffer))
        {
            $PSBoundParameters['OutBuffer'] = 1
        }
        $wrappedCmd = $ExecutionContext.InvokeCommand.GetCommand('Disconnect-VIServer', [System.Management.Automation.CommandTypes]::Cmdlet)
        $scriptCmd = {& $wrappedCmd @PSBoundParameters }
        $steppablePipeline = $scriptCmd.GetSteppablePipeline($myInvocation.CommandOrigin)
        $steppablePipeline.Begin($PSCmdlet)
    } catch {
        throw
    }
}

process
{
    try {
        $steppablePipeline.Process($_)
    } catch {
        throw
    }
}

end
{
    try {
        $steppablePipeline.End()
		$PowerCLIVersion = Get-PowerCLIVersion
		$PowerCLIVersionString = "VMware vSphere PowerCLI $($PowerCLIVersion.Major).$($PowerCLIVersion.Minor).$($PowerCLIVersion.Revision)"
		if (-not (Get-Variable DefaultVIServers -ErrorAction:SilentlyContinue) -or $DefaultVIServers.Length -eq 0) {
		  $WindowTitle = "$PowerCLIVersionString - Not Connected"
		}
		elseif ($DefaultVIServers.Length -eq 1) {
		  $WindowTitle = "$PowerCLIVersionString - Connected to $($DefaultVIServers[0].Name) as $($DefaultVIServers[0].User)"
		}
		else {
		  $WindowTitle = "$PowerCLIVersionString - Connected to $($DefaultVIServers.Length) servers: "+[string]::Join(',',$DefaultVIServers)
		}
		(Get-Host).UI.RawUI.WindowTitle = $WindowTitle
    } catch {
        throw
    }
}
<#

.ForwardHelpTargetName Disconnect-VIServer
.ForwardHelpCategory Cmdlet

#>
}

Listing 1. PowerCLI Connect-VIserver and DisconnectVIServer proxy functions to repair the pre version 5.0.1 windows title.

Annotations

Lines 084 – 095 and lines 149 – 160: are the lines I added to the functions that were generated by the code from the Hey, Scripting Guy! Blog post. I tried to stay as close as possible to the pre version 5.0.1 behaviour. But I added the v5.0.1 version number that I like.
Line 113: I modified this line to keep it possible to use strings as a parameter for the Disconnect-VIserver function.