Anyone who works in IT regularly has been using Microsoft PowerShell for years. You know that using the GUI interface is usually a slow and cumbersome process, but understanding what to do via Microsoft PowerShell commands and scripts removes a lot of guesswork and saves you loads of time. The goal of this article is to provide you with 11 different tips on how to manage Windows Hyper-V environments with Microsoft Powershell
How to Enable PowerShell in Hyper-V
If you want to manage Hyper-V using PowerShell, the first thing you need to do is enable PowerShell in Hyper-V. To do this, open the Hyper-V Manager and select the Hyper-V server that you want to manage. Then click on the “Enable PowerShell” option in the right pane.
Once PowerShell is enabled in Hyper-V, you can use it to manage all aspects of your Hyper-V server. For example, you can use PowerShell to create and configure virtual machines, manage storage, and even control networking.
PowerShell is a powerful tool that can help you get the most out of your Hyper-V server. With PowerShell, you can automate many tasks and make your life easier. If you’re not already using PowerShell to manage your Hyper-V server, now is the time to start.
Virtual Machine Creation with PowerShell
One way to manage Hyper-V using PowerShell is to create virtual machines with PowerShell. This can be done using the New-VM cmdlet. This cmdlet allows you to specify the name of the virtual machine, the path of the virtual machine, the memory size, and more. Creating virtual machines with PowerShell is a great way to automate the process and make it easier to manage multiple virtual machines.
Another way to manage Hyper-V using PowerShell is to use the Get-VM cmdlet. This cmdlet allows you to get information about a virtual machine, such as the status, memory usage, disk usage, and more. This information can be very helpful when troubleshooting problems with a virtual machine.
The Set-VM cmdlet is another great way to manage Hyper-V using PowerShell. This cmdlet allows you to modify settings for a virtual machine, such as the memory size, network settings, and more. This cmdlet can be very helpful when you need to change settings for a virtual machine without having to access the Hyper-V Manager interface.
Overall, managing Hyper-V using PowerShell is a great way to automate tasks and make it easier to manage multiple virtual machines.
Below is one example on how to create a Hyper-V using PowerShell.
Here the Name of the VM is Test, with memory of 2GB. The Hard disk size is around 50GB and the Hyper-V will boot using the VHD itself.
$VMName = "Test"
$VM = @{
Name = $VMName
MemoryStartupBytes = 2147483648
Generation = 2
NewVHDPath = "C:\Virtual Machines\$VMName\$VMName.vhdx"
NewVHDSizeBytes = 53687091200
BootDevice = "VHD"
Path = "C:\Virtual Machines\$VMName"
SwitchName = (Get-VMSwitch).Name
}
New-VM @VM
Managing Virtual Machines using PowerShell
To manage virtual machines using PowerShell, first open PowerShell as an administrator. Then, type in the following command: Get-VM. This will list all of the virtual machines on the server.
To start a virtual machine, type in the following below command. This will start the virtual machine with the specified name. In the place of VM name we need to provide the VM name we need to start.
Start-VM -Name [VM name]
To stop a virtual machine, type in the following below command. This will stop the virtual machine with the specified name.
Stop-VM -Name [VM name]
To restart a virtual machine, type in the following below command. This will restart the virtual machine with the specified name
Restart-VM -Name [VM name]
These are just some basic commands for managing virtual machines using PowerShell. For more information, consult the documentation for your hypervisor or contact your IT department.
Creating Hyper-V checkpoint using PowerShell
To create a checkpoint with PowerShell, use the Get-VM command to select the virtual machine and pipe it to the Checkpoint-VM command. Finally, use -SnapshotName to give the checkpoint a name. The complete command looks like the below.
Get-VM -Name <VM Name> | Checkpoint-VM -SnapshotName <name for snapshot>
Scaling Virtual Machines using PowerShell
f you’re looking to scale your virtual machines using PowerShell, there are a few things you’ll need to keep in mind. First, you’ll need to identify the VM that you want to scale. Then, you’ll need to determine the desired level of resources for the VM. Finally, you’ll need to use PowerShell commands to make the changes.
To get started, open PowerShell and type the following command: Get-VM. This will list all of the virtual machines on your system. Next, type the following command to find the VM that you want to scale: Get-VM -Name .
Once you’ve found the VM you want to scale, type the following command to see its current resource utilization: Get-VM -Name | Get-VMProcessor. This will give you an idea of how much CPU and memory the VM is currently using.
From here, you can use the following PowerShell commands to scale the VM up or down as needed:
Set-VMProcessor -VM -Name -Count -Reservation -Maximum
Set-VMMemory -VM -Name -StartupBytes -MinimumBytes -MaximumBytes
Conclusion
That’s it for our list of tips to manage Hyper-V using PowerShell. We hope you found this information helpful and that you’re able to put it into practice in your own environment. You can find more blogs with PowerShellGuru. As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to us in the comments below. Also if you would like me to create a dedicate video on managing Hyper-V using PowerShell then do comment as well.