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I have written a script which works fine on the local server. However I would like to run the script block on a remote server. Here's the script block that's that runs fine locally. Can I use Invoke-Command to embed the below script block and run it on a remote server?

$Folder = Read-Host "Enter the folder name" $FilePath = "E:\$Folder\capture.bat" $Session = New-PSSession -ComputerName "qtestwest01" Invoke-Command -Session $Session -ScriptBlock {$pt = New-Object System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo;} Invoke-Command -Session $Session -ScriptBlock {$pt.FileName = $using:FilePath;} Invoke-Command -Session $Session -ScriptBlock {$pt.UseShellExecute = $false;} Invoke-Command -Session $Session -ScriptBlock {$pt.RedurectStandardInput = $true;} Invoke-Command -Session $Session -ScriptBlock {$e = [System.Diagnostics.Process]::Start($pt);} Invoke-Command -Session $Session -ScriptBlock {$e.StandardInput.WriteLie("`n")}
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  • Yes............ Commented Aug 20, 2020 at 13:41
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    please, Read The Friendly Manual by taking a look at Get-Help Invoke-Command for some ideas ... [grin] Commented Aug 20, 2020 at 13:45
  • Thanks for your response. sorry I don't know how to embed this in a invoke-command. Would you be kind enough to provide me a snippet of the invoke-command. Commented Aug 20, 2020 at 13:47
  • @signalhouse, for powershell Invoke-Command, Google returns "About 1,000,000 results". Just searching stackoverflow.com returns "9,137 results". Surely there is something in ther for you. Commented Aug 20, 2020 at 14:29

2 Answers 2

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Yes, it's pretty straight forward:

$Session = New-PSSession -ComputerName "qtestwest01" $SB = { $pt = New-Object System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo; $pt.FileName = "E:\testscripts\capture.bat"; $pt.UseShellExecute = $false; $pt.RedirectStandardInput = $true; $e = [System.Diagnostics.Process]::Start($pt); $e.StandardInput.WriteLine("`n") } Invoke-Command -Session $Session -ScriptBlock $SB

An aside: You may want to look at Start-Process -PassThru. Though I'm not sure you can set UseShellExecute using that pattern. There are some details about that here , but I didn't give it a thorough reading.

Update

Responding to your implementation and the parameter question, repeatedly calling Invoke-Command is unnecessary. You're calling into the same session so it's functionally the same thing, but everything you need is available so you can run a single command. The $Using: modifier can be used in a prefabricated ScriptBlock so long as the script block is used with certain cmdlets, including and maybe primarily Invoke-Command.

A new example:

$FilePath = "C:\windows\System32\notepad.exe" $Session = New-PSSession -ComputerName "Server1" $SB = { $pt = New-Object System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo; $pt.FileName = $Using:FilePath; $pt.UseShellExecute = $false; $pt.RedirectStandardInput = $true; $e = [System.Diagnostics.Process]::Start($pt); $e.StandardInput.WriteLine("`n") } Invoke-Command -Session $Session -ScriptBlock $SB

A second method of passing parameters into a script block is to use the Invoke-Command -ArgumentList parameter:

Example:

$FilePath = "C:\windows\System32\notepad.exe" $Session = New-PSSession -ComputerName "Server1" $SB = { $pt = New-Object System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo; $pt.FileName = $args[0] ; $pt.UseShellExecute = $false; $pt.RedirectStandardInput = $true; $e = [System.Diagnostics.Process]::Start($pt); $e.StandardInput.WriteLine("`n") } Invoke-Command -Session $Session -ScriptBlock $SB -ArgumentList $FilePath

And, Either approach, $Using or $args[0] will work even if cite the script block inline with the command:

Example:

$FilePath = "C:\windows\System32\notepad.exe" $Session = New-PSSession -ComputerName "Server1" Invoke-Command -Session $Session -ArgumentList $FilePath -ScriptBlock { $pt = New-Object System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo; $pt.FileName = $args[0] ; $pt.UseShellExecute = $false; $pt.RedirectStandardInput = $true; $e = [System.Diagnostics.Process]::Start($pt); $e.StandardInput.WriteLine("`n") }

Notes:

-ComputerName argument name and $FilePath value were changed in these examples just so I could test in my environment.

The use of $FilePath instead of $Folder. So far as I can tell $pt.FileName property needs a the full path. This was either mis-typed or in error in your last sample. $FilePath because of the -FilePath parameter on Start-Process.

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4 Comments

Thank you Steve. I tried your approach and it works. Is there a way I can parameterize the following statement. $pt.FileName = "E:\$folder\capture.bat";
You can use a parameter like -Arguments <FileName> in the New-Object command. Let me know how it goes. Mark the question as answered if you're ok...
Thank you Steve. I followed a slightly different approach. Used a separate invoke-command statement for each line of code that I want to execute remotely.
Thank you Steve. I tried your 2nd solution and it worked like a charm. Yes the value defined inside $FilePath variable is a typo on my script.
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$folder = 'testscripts' $Session = New-PSSession -ComputerName "qtestwest01" Invoke-Command -Session $Session -ScriptBlock {$pt = New-Object System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo;} Invoke-Command -Session $Session -ScriptBlock {$pt.FileName = $using:folder;} Invoke-Command -Session $Session -ScriptBlock {$pt.UseShellExecute = $false;} Invoke-Command -Session $Session -ScriptBlock {$pt.RedurectStandardInput = $true;} Invoke-Command -Session $Session -ScriptBlock {$e = [System.Diagnostics.Process]::Start($pt);} Invoke-Command -Session $Session -ScriptBlock {$e.StandardInput.WriteLie("`n")}
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3 Comments

I'm glad this is working but it's unnecessary to repeatedly call Invoke-Command. Moreover, the way it is written the filename won't be an executable file it's just a flat string. Perhaps I didn't understand your parameterize question... The using scope modifier is available in a prefabricated script block so long as the scriptblock is used with certain cmdlets Invoke-cCommand chief among them. I'll update the answer with an additional sample.
Yes, I do feel that it's not a great solution (using multiple invoke-command statements). However I felt this is the most easiest way I could come up with being a rookie.
Check the answer I updated it, hopefully to give you a better understanding of the options for passing data into the script block. I hope that also gives you some degree of comfort running Invoke-Command only once. Please don't forget to mark the question answered. Thanks.

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