VMware VM Operations

xyOps VMware VM Operations Plugin

A comprehensive VMware vCenter management plugin for xyOps that provides VM inventory, monitoring, and snapshot lifecycle management. Built with PowerShell and VCF PowerCLI, this plugin enables automated operations across your VMware infrastructure for your virtual machines.

Disclaimer

USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. This software is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind, express or implied. The author and contributors are not responsible for any damages, data loss, system downtime, or other issues that may arise from the use of this software. Always test in non-production environments before running against production systems. By using this plugin, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and accepted this disclaimer.

Features

Virtual Machine Management

• List all virtual machines with detailed information (CPU, memory, storage, IP addresses, uptime)
• Power state monitoring with separate views for powered on/off VMs
• IP address tracking with multi-line display for VMs with multiple IPs
• Uptime calculation for powered-on VMs
• Create VM snapshots with unique identifiers for multi-VM project tracking
• Reboot VMs (planned)
• Stop VMs (planned)

Snapshot Management

• List all VM snapshots across the vCenter environment with size and creation date
• Remove snapshots before date - Delete snapshots older than a specific date
• Remove snapshots before number of weeks - Age-based snapshot cleanup (e.g., remove all snapshots older than 4 weeks)
• Remove all snapshots - Bulk snapshot removal with safety protections
• Remove snapshots containing specific text - Delete snapshots by name search (e.g., find and remove all snapshots with "ProjectX" in the name)
• Smart snapshot protection - Exception filters prevent accidental removal of backup snapshots (VEEAM, CommVault, etc.)
• Comprehensive reporting - Track removed, failed, and skipped snapshots with detailed reasons

Output & Export

• Multiple export formats: JSON, CSV, Markdown (MD), and HTML
• Professional HTML reports with styled tables and color-coded status
• Markdown display in xyOps GUI with separate tables for different VM/snapshot states
• File export option for archival and external processing
• Detailed captions showing operation results at a glance

Infrastructure

• Configurable PowerCLI settings (certificate validation, proxy, server mode)
• Auto-installs VCF.PowerCLI module if missing (with publisher verification skip)
• Optimized module loading - Imports only VMware.VimAutomation.Core at runtime for faster startup (uses VCF.PowerCLI only for install/update checks); skips redundant imports if already loaded (~5-10s savings)
• Secure credential management via xyOps secret vault
• Error handling with detailed error codes and messages
• Performance-focused - Update checks disabled by default for fast execution

Requirements

CLI Requirements

• PowerShell Core (pwsh) - Version 7.0 or later recommended
  • On macOS: brew install powershell
  • On Linux: Install instructions
  • On Windows: Comes pre-installed or download

Module Requirements

• VCF.PowerCLI - Automatically installed by the plugin if not present
  • The plugin will attempt to install PowerCLI using Install-Module -Name VCF.PowerCLI -Scope CurrentUser -SkipPublisherCheck
  • Requires internet connection for first-time installation
  • Manual installation: Install-Module -Name VCF.PowerCLI -Force -AllowClobber -Scope CurrentUser -SkipPublisherCheck
• Performance: At runtime only VMware.VimAutomation.Core is imported for speed; umbrella VCF.PowerCLI is used solely for installation and optional update checks. Import is skipped if already loaded (~5-10s savings)
  • Note: VCF.PowerCLI is the current module (VMware.PowerCLI is deprecated)

⚠️ VCF.PowerCLI Update Check Warning

IMPORTANT: The "Check for VCF.PowerCLI update" parameter is disabled by default for performance reasons.

Why it's disabled:

• Checking for updates queries PowerShell Gallery over the internet on every plugin execution
• This adds ~10-15 seconds to every run, even when no update is available
• The delay impacts all actions (List VMs, snapshots, etc.)

When to enable:

• ✅ Recommended: Create a separate scheduled job (e.g., monthly) that runs "List VMs" with update check enabled
• ✅ Enable manually once in a while to check for updates
• ❌ NOT recommended: Enable for production automation or frequent operations

Best Practice:

# Example: Monthly update check job
Job: "VCF PowerCLI Update Check"
Schedule: "0 0 1 * *"  # First day of month at midnight
Action: "List VMs"
Parameters:
  - Check for VCF.PowerCLI update: ✓ (enabled)
  - All other normal settings

This approach keeps your regular operations fast while ensuring the module stays updated periodically.

Secret Vault Configuration

IMPORTANT: This plugin requires vCenter credentials to be stored in an xyOps secret vault for secure authentication.

Setting Up the Secret Vault

1. Create a Secret Vault in xyOps (e.g., named VMWARE-PLUGIN)

2. Add the following keys to the vault:

   • VMWARE_USERNAME - Your vCenter username (e.g., administrator@vsphere.local)
   • VMWARE_PASSWORD - Your vCenter password

3. Attach the vault to the plugin when configuring it

The plugin will automatically read credentials from these environment variables at runtime.

Note: Username and password are NOT passed as plugin parameters. All authentication is handled securely through environment variables populated from the secret vault.

For detailed instructions on creating and managing secret vaults, see the xyOps Secrets Documentation.

vCenter Permissions

The vCenter user account must have sufficient permissions to perform the requested operations:

• List VMs: Read-only access to Virtual Machines
• List Snapshots: Read access to VM snapshots
• Remove Snapshots: Snapshot delete permissions on Virtual Machines
• Reboot/Stop VMs: Power operations on Virtual Machines (planned feature)
• Create Snapshots: Snapshot create permissions (planned feature)

Recommended: Use a vCenter user with at least the "Virtual Machine Power User" role.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
vCenter server	text	Yes	-	vCenter server hostname or IP address (e.g., vcenter.company.com)
Ignore certificates	checkbox	No	true	Ignore SSL certificate validation warnings (useful for self-signed certificates)
No proxy	checkbox	No	true	Do not use system proxy settings (if unchecked, uses system proxy)
Single VIserver mode	checkbox	No	true	Connect to single vCenter only (if unchecked, allows multiple simultaneous connections)
Selected action	dropdown	Yes	-	Choose the operation to perform (see Available Actions)
Date input	text	Conditional*	-	Required for "Remove snapshots before date" action. Accepts multiple formats: yyyy-MM-dd, yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss, MM/dd/yyyy, dd/MM/yyyy, yyyy/MM/dd
Number of weeks	number	Conditional**	-	Required for "Remove snapshots before number of weeks" action. Positive integer (e.g., 4 removes snapshots older than 4 weeks)
Snapshot removal exception	text	No	VEEAM	Comma-separated list of keywords to match in snapshot names/descriptions that should NOT be removed. Case-insensitive. Use VEEAM,BACKUP,PROD for multiple keywords. Leave empty to disable protection (⚠️ use with caution!)
VM name	text	Conditional***	-	Required for "Create VM snapshot" action. Comma-separated list of VM names (e.g., VM1,VM2,VM3). All VMs receive the same snapshot name with unique identifier
Snapshot name	text	Conditional****/No	Auto-generated	Required for "Remove snapshots containing specific text" action (search text for snapshot names). For "Create VM snapshot" action: Optional - if empty, auto-generates xyOps-VMware-VM-{timestamp}. Unique identifiers are appended if selected
Snapshot description	textarea	No	Auto-generated	Optional snapshot description. If empty, auto-generates based on unique identifier selection. Custom descriptions override auto-generation
Include VM memory in snapshot	checkbox	No	true	Include VM memory state in snapshot (allows reverting to exact running state). Set to false for quicker snapshots without memory
Use unique snapshot identifier	dropdown	No	No	Append unique identifier to snapshot name: No, Unique short UID (8-char GUID), or Timestamp (yyyyMMddHHmmss)
Check for VCF.PowerCLI update	checkbox	No	false	⚠️ WARNING: Checks PowerShell Gallery for VCF.PowerCLI updates on every run (~10-15s delay). Leave unchecked for normal operations. Enable occasionally (e.g., monthly) or use a separate scheduled job with "List VMs" action
Export format	dropdown	No	JSON	Output format: JSON, CSV, MD (Markdown), or HTML
Export to file	checkbox	No	false	Also export the output to a timestamped file in addition to job output
Enable debug mode	checkbox	No	false	Write the JSON parameters to the job output for troubleshooting

* Required only when "Remove snapshots before date" action is selected
** Required only when "Remove snapshots before number of weeks" action is selected
*** Required only when "Create VM snapshot" action is selected
**** Required only when "Remove snapshots containing specific text" action is selected

Authentication: Credentials (VMWARE_USERNAME and VMWARE_PASSWORD) must be configured in a secret vault attached to this plugin. See Secret Vault Configuration above.

Available Actions

List VMs

Retrieves a complete list of all virtual machines in the vCenter environment with detailed information.

Output Information:

• VM Name
• Power State (PoweredOn, PoweredOff, Suspended)
• IP Addresses (multi-line display for VMs with multiple IPs)
• Uptime (calculated for powered-on VMs)
• Number of CPUs
• Memory (GB)
• Used Space (GB)
• Provisioned Space (GB)
• Guest Operating System
• ESXi Host
• Folder
• Resource Pool
• Notes/Description

Display: Separate tables for Powered On and Powered Off VMs with color-coded backgrounds (light red for powered-off VMs in HTML export).

List snapshots

Retrieves a complete list of all VM snapshots across the vCenter environment.

Output Information:

• VM Name
• Snapshot Name
• Created Date/Time
• Size (GB)
• Power State at snapshot time
• Description

Use Cases:

• Identify orphaned or forgotten snapshots
• Monitor snapshot storage consumption
• Compliance reporting for snapshot retention policies
• Pre-cleanup auditing before removal operations

Remove snapshots before date

Removes all snapshots created before a specified date, with protection for critical snapshots.

Required Parameter: dateinput - Date in one of these formats:

• 2024-01-15 (yyyy-MM-dd)
• 2024-01-15 14:30:00 (yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss)
• 01/15/2024 (MM/dd/yyyy)
• 15/01/2024 (dd/MM/yyyy)
• 2024/01/15 (yyyy/MM/dd)

Protected Snapshots: Snapshots matching exception criteria (default: "VEEAM") will be automatically skipped and reported separately.

Output Sections:

• Successfully Removed Snapshots: List of deleted snapshots with size information
• Skipped Snapshots: Protected snapshots that were not removed (yellow background in HTML)
• Failed Removals: Snapshots that encountered errors during deletion (red background in HTML)

Use Cases:

• Clean up snapshots before a specific maintenance window
• Remove snapshots older than a compliance date
• Targeted cleanup after project completion

Remove snapshots before number of weeks

Removes all snapshots older than the specified number of weeks, automatically calculating the target date.

Required Parameter: numberofweeks - Positive integer (e.g., 4 for snapshots older than 4 weeks)

Protected Snapshots: Snapshots matching exception criteria (default: "VEEAM") will be automatically skipped.

Age Calculation: The plugin calculates the target date as current_date - (weeks × 7) and removes all snapshots created before that date.

Output Sections:

• Target date (calculated automatically)
• Successfully Removed Snapshots (with age in days)
• Skipped Snapshots
• Failed Removals

Use Cases:

• Implement automated snapshot retention policies (e.g., "keep snapshots for 4 weeks")
• Regular cleanup schedules via xyOps workflows
• Storage reclamation on aging snapshots

Remove all snapshots

Removes ALL snapshots from all VMs in the vCenter environment.

⚠️ WARNING: This is a destructive operation! Use with extreme caution.

Protected Snapshots: Snapshots matching exception criteria (default: "VEEAM") will be automatically skipped and reported.

Output Sections:

• Successfully Removed Snapshots (with age in days)
• Skipped Snapshots (protected by exception filter)
• Failed Removals

Use Cases:

• Complete snapshot cleanup during infrastructure migrations
• Post-maintenance cleanup after testing
• Decommissioning environments while protecting production backups

Best Practice: Always run "List snapshots" first to audit what will be removed, then review the exception filter before executing.

Remove snapshots containing specific text

Removes all snapshots whose names contain the specified search text, with protection for critical snapshots.

Required Parameter: snapshotname - Search text to match in snapshot names (case-insensitive, partial match)

Search Behavior: The action uses a case-insensitive "contains" search on snapshot names. For example:

• Search text ProjectX matches snapshots: ProjectX-PreDeployment-a3f9b2c8, ProjectX-Test, my-ProjectX-snapshot
• Search text test matches: Test-Snapshot, My-Test-VM, TESTING-123

Protected Snapshots: Snapshots matching exception criteria (default: "VEEAM") will be automatically skipped and reported.

Output Sections:

• Search text used
• Successfully Removed Snapshots (with age in days)
• Skipped Snapshots (protected by exception filter)
• Failed Removals

Use Cases:

• Project Cleanup: Remove all snapshots from a completed project (e.g., search for "ProjectX" to remove all ProjectX-related snapshots)
• Unique Identifier Tracking: Find and remove all snapshots with the same unique identifier created during multi-VM snapshot operations
• Testing Cleanup: Remove all test snapshots (e.g., search for "test" or "staging")
• Department Cleanup: Remove snapshots by department tag or naming convention
• Coordinated Rollback: Remove synchronized snapshots across multiple VMs created with the same identifier

Example Workflow:

1. Create multi-VM snapshot with unique ID: VMs get ProjectX-PreDeployment-a3f9b2c8
2. Test changes across all VMs
3. To clean up: Use "Remove snapshots containing specific text" with search a3f9b2c8
4. All related snapshots across all VMs are removed in one operation

Best Practice: Use "List snapshots" first to preview what will be matched before removal.

Create VM snapshot

Creates snapshots for one or more virtual machines with optional unique identifiers for project tracking.

Required Parameter: vmname - Comma-separated list of VM names (e.g., VM1,VM2,VM3)

Optional Parameters:

• snapshotname - Custom snapshot name (default: auto-generated xyOps-VMware-VM-{timestamp})
• snapshotdescription - Custom description (default: auto-generated based on unique identifier setting)
• snapshotmemory - Include VM memory state (default: true)
• snapshotunique - Append unique identifier: No, Unique short UID (8-char GUID), or Timestamp

Snapshot Naming Logic:

1. Base Name: If snapshotname is empty, generates xyOps-VMware-VM-{timestamp}. Otherwise uses provided name.
2. Unique Identifier: If snapshotunique is set:
   • Unique short UID: Appends -{8-char-GUID} (e.g., MySnapshot-a3f9b2c8)
   • Timestamp: Appends -{yyyyMMddHHmmss} (e.g., MySnapshot-20260202173045)
   • No: No identifier appended
3. Final Name: All specified VMs receive the same snapshot name (including the same unique identifier)

Multi-VM Project Tracking: When creating snapshots for multiple VMs with the same unique identifier, you can easily track and manage related snapshots across a project. For example:

• Project Snapshot: VMs APP01,APP02,DB01 all get snapshot ProjectX-a3f9b2c8
• Easy Cleanup: Search for snapshots containing ProjectX-a3f9b2c8 to remove all related snapshots
• Rollback Together: Revert all VMs to the same checkpoint by identifying the shared unique ID

Description Logic:

• If snapshotdescription is provided: Uses custom description
• If snapshotdescription is empty AND unique identifier is used: "xyOps-VMware-VM added a custom snapshot with a unique identifier"
• If snapshotdescription is empty AND no unique identifier: "xyOps-VMware-VM snapshot"

Output Sections:

• Successfully Created Snapshots: List with VM name, snapshot name, description, created time, size, and memory indicator (✓/✗)
• Failed Snapshot Creations: VMs where snapshot creation failed with error messages (red background in HTML)

Use Cases:

• Project Checkpoints: Create synchronized snapshots across multi-VM applications before changes
• Pre-Maintenance Snapshots: Snapshot all VMs in a cluster with same unique ID for easy tracking
• Testing Scenarios: Create baseline snapshots for test environments with consistent naming
• Rollback Points: Establish coordinated rollback points across distributed systems

Best Practices:

1. Use unique identifiers for multi-VM projects to track related snapshots
2. Include memory for VMs that need exact state recovery (increases snapshot size)
3. Exclude memory for quick snapshots or when memory state is not critical
4. Use descriptive snapshot names for manual tracking
5. Document unique identifiers in change management tickets

Reboot VM

Coming soon - Gracefully reboot a virtual machine (requires VMware Tools).

Stop VM

Coming soon - Power off a virtual machine.

Snapshot Removal Exception Filter

IMPORTANT: The Snapshot removal exception parameter protects critical snapshots from accidental deletion during removal operations.

How It Works

1. Dual Checking: The plugin checks both snapshot name and description fields
2. Case-Insensitive: Matching ignores case (e.g., "veeam" matches "VEEAM BACKUP TEMPORARY SNAPSHOT")
3. Partial Matching: Any occurrence of the keyword triggers protection (e.g., "BACKUP" matches "Pre-BACKUP-Snapshot")
4. Multiple Keywords: Comma-separated values create multiple protection rules (OR logic)
5. Reporting: All skipped snapshots are reported separately in all output formats

Default Protection

Default Value: VEEAM

This protects all Veeam backup snapshots by default, preventing removal during active backup operations:

• VEEAM BACKUP TEMPORARY SNAPSHOT (standard Veeam backup snapshot)
• VEEAM REPLICATION SNAPSHOT
• Any custom snapshot containing "VEEAM"

Configuration Examples

Use Case	Exception Value	Description
Veeam Backups Only	VEEAM	Skip all Veeam backup snapshots (default)
Multiple Backup Solutions	VEEAM,COMMVAULT,NBU,VERITAS	Skip Veeam, CommVault, NetBackup, and Veritas snapshots
Production Protection	PROD,PRODUCTION,CRITICAL	Skip any snapshot marked as production or critical
Custom Marker	DO_NOT_DELETE,KEEP,PERMANENT	Skip snapshots with custom retention markers
Backup + Production	VEEAM,BACKUP,PROD	Comprehensive protection for backups and production
No Protection	(empty/space)	⚠️ DANGER: Remove ALL snapshots without exceptions

Output Reporting

Skipped snapshots are reported in all export formats with full transparency:

Markdown Display (xyOps GUI):

## Skipped Snapshots (5)

| VM Name | Snapshot Name | Created | Size (GB) | Reason |
|---------|---------------|---------|-----------|--------|
| **VGRADIUS01** | VEEAM BACKUP TEMPORARY SNAPSHOT | 2026-02-02 17:18:00 | 2.5 | Matches exception criteria |

CSV Export:

VMName,SnapshotName,Created,SizeGB,Status,Message
"VGRADIUS01","VEEAM BACKUP TEMPORARY SNAPSHOT","2026-02-02 17:18:00",2.5,"Skipped","Matches exception criteria"

JSON Export:

{
  "skippedCount": 5,
  "skippedSnapshots": [
    {
      "VMName": "VGRADIUS01",
      "SnapshotName": "VEEAM BACKUP TEMPORARY SNAPSHOT",
      "Created": "2026-02-02 17:18:00",
      "SizeGB": 2.5,
      "Reason": "Matches exception criteria"
    }
  ]
}

HTML Export:

• Yellow-highlighted table (#ffffcc background) for easy visual identification
• Separate section for skipped snapshots
• Full details including VM name, snapshot name, and reason

Best Practices

1. Always Test First: Run "List snapshots" to see what exists before removing
2. Review Exceptions: Verify the exception filter matches your backup solution
3. Start Conservative: Use broad protection initially (e.g., BACKUP,VEEAM,PROD)
4. Monitor Skipped: Review skipped snapshot reports to ensure protection is working
5. Audit Regularly: Check if backup snapshots are being properly protected
6. Never Empty: Avoid leaving the exception field empty unless absolutely certain

PowerCLI Configuration

The plugin automatically configures PowerCLI with the following settings at runtime:

Setting	Value	Description
ParticipateInCEIP	false	Disable Customer Experience Improvement Program participation
InvalidCertificateAction	Ignore or Warn	Based on "Ignore certificates" checkbox
ProxyPolicy	NoProxy or UseSystemProxy	Based on "No proxy" checkbox
DefaultVIServerMode	Single or Multiple	Based on "Single VIserver mode" checkbox
Scope	User	Settings persist for the user account

These settings are applied automatically before connecting to vCenter and persist for future PowerCLI sessions.

Output Formats

The plugin supports four professional output formats:

JSON Format

Structured data suitable for workflows, automation, and programmatic processing.

CSV Format

Comma-separated values suitable for Excel, database import, or spreadsheet analysis. Includes combined output with removed, skipped, and failed snapshots with status indicators.

Markdown (MD) Format

Human-readable tables with professional formatting for documentation and reports. Includes summary sections and separate tables for different snapshot states.

HTML Format

Professionally styled HTML reports with color-coded tables:

• Blue theme with professional styling
• Yellow background (#ffffcc): Skipped snapshots
• Red background (#ffcccc): Failed removals
• Light red (#ffebee): Powered-off VMs
• Hover effects and shadow effects for better readability

File Export

When Export to file is enabled, the plugin creates timestamped files:

Filename Format: vmware_vm_{action}_{timestamp}.{ext}

Examples:

• vmware_vm_list vms_20260202_160530.json
• vmware_vm_list snapshots_20260202_160530.csv
• vmware_vm_remove snapshots before number of weeks_20260202_160530.md
• vmware_vm_remove all snapshots_20260202_160530.html

Files are created in the current working directory and attached to the job output for download.

Performance Metrics (xyOps Pie Chart)

The plugin emits runtime performance metrics on every execution. These appear as a pie chart on the xyOps Job Details page and as a time-series in the performance history.

• Metrics emitted (seconds):
  • module_install – time to locate/install/update VCF.PowerCLI (if enabled)
  • module_import – time to import PowerCLI (VMware.VimAutomation.Core)
  • config – time spent applying PowerCLI configuration
  • connect – time to connect to vCenter
  • action – time spent executing the selected action
  • output – time to build and emit report/export output
  • t – total runtime (excluded from pie, used for history)

Example payload:

{ "xy": 1, "perf": { "module_install": 0.42, "module_import": 1.98, "config": 0.61, "connect": 3.44, "action": 2.21, "output": 0.34, "t": 9.00 } }

Notes:

• Metrics are always emitted (no debug required).
• If you enable the optional debug parameter, per-phase timing lines (e.g., PERF connect=3.44s) are printed to the console for additional visibility.

Error Codes

Code	Description	Resolution
1	Failed to parse input JSON	Check job parameters are properly formatted
2	Missing required parameters	Ensure vCenter server, action, and conditional parameters are provided. Verify secret vault is attached
3	Failed to install VCF.PowerCLI module	Manually install: Install-Module -Name VCF.PowerCLI -Force -SkipPublisherCheck
4	Failed to connect to vCenter server	Verify vCenter hostname/IP, network connectivity, and credentials in secret vault
5	Action not yet implemented	The selected action is planned but not available yet
6	Unknown action specified	Check action name is valid
7	Invalid date format	Use yyyy-MM-dd, yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss, MM/dd/yyyy, dd/MM/yyyy, or yyyy/MM/dd
8	Invalid number of weeks	Provide a positive integer (e.g., 1, 4, 12)
9	No valid VM names provided	Check vmname parameter contains at least one valid VM name

Usage Examples

Note: All examples require a secret vault with VMWARE_USERNAME and VMWARE_PASSWORD to be attached to the plugin.

Example 1: List All VMs with IP Addresses

Parameters:

• vCenter server: vcenter.company.com
• Selected action: List VMs
• Export format: MD

Result: Markdown tables showing powered-on VMs (with uptime and IPs) and powered-off VMs separately.

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Example 2: Remove Old Snapshots (4 Week Retention)

Parameters:

• vCenter server: vcenter.company.com
• Selected action: Remove snapshots before number of weeks
• Number of weeks: 4
• Snapshot removal exception: VEEAM (default)
• Export format: JSON
• Export to file: ✓

Result: Removes all snapshots older than 4 weeks, skips VEEAM snapshots, exports detailed JSON report.

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Example 3: Cleanup Before Specific Date

Parameters:

• vCenter server: vcenter.company.com
• Selected action: Remove snapshots before date
• Date input: 2026-01-15
• Snapshot removal exception: VEEAM,PROD,CRITICAL
• Export format: CSV

Result: Removes all snapshots before January 15, 2026, protecting Veeam, production, and critical snapshots.

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Example 4: Create Multi-VM Project Snapshot

Parameters:

• vCenter server: vcenter.company.com
• Selected action: Create VM snapshot
• VM name: APP01,APP02,DB01
• Snapshot name: ProjectX-PreDeployment
• Snapshot description: Snapshot before Project X deployment on 2026-02-02
• Include VM memory in snapshot: ✓
• Use unique snapshot identifier: Unique short UID
• Export format: MD

Result: Creates snapshots on all three VMs with name ProjectX-PreDeployment-a3f9b2c8 (same 8-char UID) for easy tracking and coordinated rollback.

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Example 5: Remove Project Snapshots by Unique Identifier

Parameters:

• vCenter server: vcenter.company.com
• Selected action: Remove snapshots containing specific text
• Snapshot name: a3f9b2c8
• Snapshot removal exception: VEEAM (default)
• Export format: HTML

Result: Removes all snapshots across all VMs containing the unique identifier a3f9b2c8 in their names (e.g., ProjectX-PreDeployment-a3f9b2c8), protecting Veeam snapshots, with professional HTML report.

Use Cases

1. Automated Snapshot Retention Policies

Implement company-wide snapshot retention with scheduled xyOps jobs.

2. VM Inventory and Capacity Planning

Track VM resource usage for capacity planning and license compliance.

3. Pre-Maintenance Snapshot Audit

Audit all snapshots before major infrastructure changes with professional reports.

4. Backup Snapshot Protection

Ensure backup snapshots are never accidentally deleted during cleanup operations.

5. Storage Reclamation

Reclaim storage from orphaned and old snapshots with data-driven decision making.

Troubleshooting

PowerCLI Installation Fails

Manually install: Install-Module -Name VCF.PowerCLI -Force -AllowClobber -Scope CurrentUser -SkipPublisherCheck

Connection Fails with Certificate Error

Enable "Ignore certificates" checkbox or configure SSL certificates on vCenter.

Permission Denied

Verify vCenter user has Virtual Machine Power User role or higher.

Snapshots Not Being Removed

Check Snapshot removal exception parameter - may be too broad.

Missing Credential Error

Verify secret vault is attached with VMWARE_USERNAME and VMWARE_PASSWORD keys.

Plugin Execution is Slow (~20-30 seconds)

Disable "Check for VCF.PowerCLI update" parameter (should be unchecked by default). The update check queries PowerShell Gallery over the internet and adds 10-15 seconds to every run. Instead, create a separate monthly scheduled job with this option enabled.

Best Practices

Snapshot Management

1. Always audit first with "List snapshots"
2. Start with longer retention periods
3. Verify exception filter catches backup snapshots
4. Schedule removal jobs during maintenance windows
5. Enable export to file for audit trail

Security

1. Use secret vault for credentials
2. Grant minimum vCenter permissions
3. Audit plugin execution access
4. Rotate credentials periodically

Operations

1. Document exception keywords
2. Test in development first
3. Start with small VM sets
4. Automate via xyOps workflows
5. Store CSV exports for trend analysis

Performance

1. Keep "Check for VCF.PowerCLI update" disabled for regular operations (default)
2. Create a separate monthly scheduled job for module updates
3. Use "List VMs" action with update check enabled for the update job
4. Monitor execution time - update checks add ~10-15 seconds per run
5. Module auto-optimization: The plugin automatically skips module import if VCF.PowerCLI is already loaded in the PowerShell session (saves ~5-10s on subsequent runs in the same session)

Links

• VMware PowerCLI Documentation
• VCF PowerCLI Module
• PowerShell Installation
• vCenter Server Documentation
• xyOps Secrets Documentation

License

MIT License

Author

Tim Alderweireldt

Version

1.0.1

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Support: For issues, feature requests, or questions, please open an issue on the GitHub repository.