Today we launched the GA release of the SolidFire PowerShell Tools. This is an exciting release with nearly 80 cmdlets and a ton of capability for automating SolidFire systems. I wanted to share a few features or capabilities of this module that I think PowerShell users will find very helpful.
Specifying Targets
Each cmdlet in the module has the ability to specify a target using the -Target parameter. This pulls from the $SFConnections global variable for all connections you’ve established with Connect-SFCluster. This allows quick access to connect to multiple nodes or clusters. If you don’t specify the -Target parameter you’ll use the connection stored in $SFConnection. Sound familiar? This is just like what PowerCLI users have had with DefaultVIServers and the -Server parameter.
Downgrading API Versions
Ever write a script only to have something on the target change after an upgrade? Change in the call, methods, or capabilities? Yup. It really sucks and can slow down the adoption cycle of components that could provide valuable features or improvements. The SolidFire module allows you to specify the API version with Connect-SFCluster to maintain consistency. On Nitrogen (Element OS 7) and looking at your Oxygen (Element OS 8) upgrade. Have no fear. Use Connect-SFCluster -Target
It’s a Module!
Sure, we provided an installer, but the underlying module can be imported independent of the installer on a system without the fuller install. This makes our PowerShell capabilities transferable and flexible. No need to “install” the SolidFire PowerShell Tools on every system. You can simply copy over the module and import it when needed.
Finding SolidFire Cmdlets
Want to find all of the SolidFire cmdlets? Juse use Get-SFCommand. This is available when you load the installer and the customized PowerShell console. Also you’ll note that the naming convention for each SolidFire cmdlet includes SF before the noun. This helps identify the cmdlets as well as prevent naming overlap.
API Collapse
If you’ve used the SolidFire API you may have noticed that the API calls are designed to solve specific tasks. When using PowerShell these tasks may be similar enough and should be included into a single cmdlet. The development team worked diligently to collapse as many SolidFire API calls into cmdlets in order to keep the cmdlet count reasonable and simplify usability. Feedback in the beta has been great and we hope you agree. You’ll note that many of the parameter sets have been provided to meet a variety of needs.
These are just a few of the capabilities that we think will make using the SolidFire PowerShell tools one of your favorite PowerShell integrations.
It is with a great deal of pleasure and excitement that we announce the general availability of the SolidFire PowerShell Tools. See key features.