Invoke-Command PowerShell Get-Help Output

This is the built-in help made by Microsoft for the command 'Invoke-Command', in PowerShell version 4 - as retrieved from Windows version 'Microsoft Windows 8.1 Enterprise' PowerShell help files on 2016-06-23.

For PowerShell version 3 and up, where you have Update-Help, this command was run just before creating the web pages from the help files.

SYNOPSIS

SYNTAX

Invoke-Command [-ScriptBlock] <ScriptBlock> [-ArgumentList <Object[]>] [-InputObject <PSObject>] [-NoNewScope] [<CommonParameters>]
Invoke-Command [[-ConnectionUri] <Uri[]>] [-ScriptBlock] <ScriptBlock> [-AllowRedirection] [-ArgumentList <Object[]>] [-AsJob] [-Authentication <AuthenticationMechani
sm>] [-CertificateThumbprint <String>] [-ConfigurationName <String>] [-Credential <PSCredential>] [-EnableNetworkAccess] [-HideComputerName] [-InDisconnectedSession]
[-InputObject <PSObject>] [-JobName <String>] [-SessionOption <PSSessionOption>] [-ThrottleLimit <Int32>] [<CommonParameters>]
Invoke-Command [[-ConnectionUri] <Uri[]>] [-FilePath] <String> [-AllowRedirection] [-ArgumentList <Object[]>] [-AsJob] [-Authentication <AuthenticationMechanism>] [-C
onfigurationName <String>] [-Credential <PSCredential>] [-EnableNetworkAccess] [-HideComputerName] [-InDisconnectedSession] [-InputObject <PSObject>] [-JobName <Strin
g>] [-SessionOption <PSSessionOption>] [-ThrottleLimit <Int32>] [<CommonParameters>]
Invoke-Command [[-ComputerName] <String[]>] [-FilePath] <String> [-ApplicationName <String>] [-ArgumentList <Object[]>] [-AsJob] [-Authentication <AuthenticationMecha
nism>] [-ConfigurationName <String>] [-Credential <PSCredential>] [-EnableNetworkAccess] [-HideComputerName] [-InDisconnectedSession] [-InputObject <PSObject>] [-JobN
ame <String>] [-Port <Int32>] [-SessionName <String[]>] [-SessionOption <PSSessionOption>] [-ThrottleLimit <Int32>] [-UseSSL] [<CommonParameters>]
Invoke-Command [[-ComputerName] <String[]>] [-ScriptBlock] <ScriptBlock> [-ApplicationName <String>] [-ArgumentList <Object[]>] [-AsJob] [-Authentication <Authenticat
ionMechanism>] [-CertificateThumbprint <String>] [-ConfigurationName <String>] [-Credential <PSCredential>] [-EnableNetworkAccess] [-HideComputerName] [-InDisconnecte
dSession] [-InputObject <PSObject>] [-JobName <String>] [-Port <Int32>] [-SessionName <String[]>] [-SessionOption <PSSessionOption>] [-ThrottleLimit <Int32>] [-UseSSL
] [<CommonParameters>]
Invoke-Command [[-Session] <PSSession[]>] [-FilePath] <String> [-ArgumentList <Object[]>] [-AsJob] [-HideComputerName] [-InputObject <PSObject>] [-JobName <String>] [
-ThrottleLimit <Int32>] [<CommonParameters>]
Invoke-Command [[-Session] <PSSession[]>] [-ScriptBlock] <ScriptBlock> [-ArgumentList <Object[]>] [-AsJob] [-HideComputerName] [-InputObject <PSObject>] [-JobName <St
ring>] [-ThrottleLimit <Int32>] [<CommonParameters>]

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DESCRIPTION

The Invoke-Command cmdlet runs commands on a local or remote computer and returns all output from the commands, including errors. With a single Invoke-Command command
, you can run commands on multiple computers.

To run a single command on a remote computer, use the ComputerName parameter. To run a series of related commands that share data, use the New-PSSession cmdlet to cre
ate a PSSession (a persistent connection) on the remote computer, and then use the Session parameter of Invoke-Command to run the command in the PSSession. To run a c
ommand in a disconnected session, use the InDisconnectedSession parameter. To run a command in a background job, use the AsJob parameter.

You can also use Invoke-Command on a local computer to evaluate or run a string in a script block as a command. Windows PowerShell converts the script block to a comm
and and runs the command immediately in the current scope, instead of just echoing the string at the command line.

To start an interactive session with a remote computer, use the Enter-PSSession cmdlet. To establish a persistent connection to a remote computer, use the New-PSSessi
on cmdlet.

Before using Invoke-Command to run commands on a remote computer, read about_Remote (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=135182).

RELATED LINKS

REMARKS

Examples

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 1 --------------------------

PS C:\>Invoke-Command -FilePath c:\scripts\test.ps1 -ComputerName Server01

This command runs the Test.ps1 script on the Server01 computer.

The command uses the FilePath parameter to specify a script that is located on the local computer. The script runs on the remote computer and the results are returned
to the local computer.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 2 --------------------------

PS C:\>Invoke-Command -ComputerName server01 -Credential domain01\user01 -ScriptBlock {Get-Culture}

This command runs a Get-Culture command on the Server01 remote computer.

It uses the ComputerName parameter to specify the computer name and the Credential parameter to run the command in the security context of "Domain01\User01," a user w
ith permission to run commands. It uses the ScriptBlock parameter to specify the command to be run on the remote computer.

In response, Windows PowerShell displays a dialog box that requests the password and an authentication method for the User01 account. It then runs the command on the
Server01 computer and returns the result.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 3 --------------------------

PS C:\>$s = New-PSSession -ComputerName Server02 -Credential Domain01\User01
PS C:\>Invoke-Command -Session $s -ScriptBlock {Get-Culture}

This example runs the same "Get-Culture" command in a session (a persistent connection) on the Server02 remote computer. Typically, you create a session only when you
are running a series of commands on the remote computer.

The first command uses the New-PSSession cmdlet to create a session on the Server02 remote computer. Then, it saves the session in the $s variable.

The second command uses the Invoke-Command cmdlet to run the Get-Culture command on Server02. It uses the Session parameter to specify the session saved in the $s va
riable.

In response, Windows PowerShell runs the command in the session on the Server02 computer.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 4 --------------------------

PS C:\>Invoke-Command -ComputerName Server02 -ScriptBlock {$p = Get-Process PowerShell}
PS C:\>Invoke-Command -ComputerName Server02 -ScriptBlock {$p.VirtualMemorySize}
PS C:\>
PS C:\>$s = New-PSSession -ComputerName Server02
PS C:\>Invoke-Command -Session $s -ScriptBlock {$p = Get-Process PowerShell}
PS C:\>Invoke-Command -Session $s -ScriptBlock {$p.VirtualMemorySize}
17930240

This example compares the effects of using ComputerName and Session parameters of Invoke-Command. It shows how to use a session to run a series of commands that share
the same data.

The first two commands use the ComputerName parameter of Invoke-Command to run commands on the Server02 remote computer. The first command uses the Get-Process cmdlet
to get the PowerShell process on the remote computer and to save it in the $p variable. The second command gets the value of the VirtualMemorySize property of the Po
werShell process.

The first command succeeds. But the second command fails, because when you use the ComputerName parameter, Windows PowerShell creates a connection just to run the com
mand. Then, it closes the connection when the command is complete. The $p variable was created in one connection, but it does not exist in the connection created for
the second command.

The problem is solved by creating a session (a persistent connection) on the remote computer and by running both of the related commands in the same session.

The third command uses the New-PSSession cmdlet to create a session on the Server02 computer. Then it saves the session in the $s variable. The fourth and fifth comma
nds repeat the series of commands used in the first set, but in this case, the Invoke-Command command uses the Session parameter to run both of the commands in the sa
me session.

In this case, because both commands run in the same session, the commands succeed, and the $p value remains active in the $s session for later use.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 5 --------------------------

PS C:\>$command = { Get-EventLog -log "Windows PowerShell" | where {$_.Message -like "*certificate*"} }
PS C:\>Invoke-Command -ComputerName S1, S2 -ScriptBlock $command

This example shows how to enter a command that is saved in a local variable.

When the entire command is saved in a local variable, you can specify the variable as the value of the ScriptBlock parameter. You do not have to use the "param" keywo
rd or the ArgumentList variable to submit the value of the local variable.

The first command saves a Get-EventLog command in the $command variable. The command is formatted as a script block.

The second command uses the Invoke-Command cmdlet to run the command in $command on the S1 and S2 remote computers.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 6 --------------------------

PS C:\>Invoke-Command -ComputerName Server01, Server02, TST-0143, localhost -ConfigurationName MySession.PowerShell -ScriptBlock {Get-EventLog "Windows PowerShell"}

This example demonstrates how to use the Invoke-Command cmdlet to run a single command on multiple computers.

The command uses the ComputerName parameter to specify the computers. The computer names are presented in a comma-separated list. The list of computers includes the "
localhost" value, which represents the local computer.

The command uses the ConfigurationName parameter to specify an alternate session configuration for Windows PowerShell and the ScriptBlock parameter to specify the com
mand.

In this example, the command in the script block gets the events in the Windows PowerShell event log on each remote computer.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 7 --------------------------

PS C:\>$version = Invoke-Command -ComputerName (Get-Content Machines.txt) -ScriptBlock {(Get-Host).Version}

This command gets the version of the Windows PowerShell host program running on 200 remote computers.

Because only one command is run, it is not necessary to create persistent connections (sessions) to each of the computers. Instead, the command uses the ComputerName
parameter to indicate the computers.

The command uses the Invoke-Command cmdlet to run a Get-Host command. It uses dot notation to get the Version property of the Windows PowerShell host.

To specify the computers, it uses the Get-Content cmdlet to get the contents of the Machine.txt file, a file of computer names.

These commands run synchronously (one at a time). When the commands complete, the output of the commands from all of the computers is saved in the $version variable.
The output includes the name of the computer from which the data originated.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 8 --------------------------

PS C:\>$s = New-PSSession -ComputerName Server01, Server02
PS C:\>Invoke-Command -Session $s -ScriptBlock {Get-EventLog system} -AsJob

Id Name State HasMoreData Location Command
--- ---- ----- ----- ----------- ---------------
1 Job1 Running True Server01,Server02 Get-EventLog system

PS C:\>$j = Get-Job

PS C:\>$j | Format-List -Property *

HasMoreData : True
StatusMessage :
Location : Server01,Server02
Command : Get-EventLog system
JobStateInfo : Running
Finished : System.Threading.ManualResetEvent
InstanceId : e124bb59-8cb2-498b-a0d2-2e07d4e030ca
Id : 1
Name : Job1
ChildJobs : {Job2, Job3}
Output : {}
Error : {}
Progress : {}
Verbose : {}
Debug : {}
Warning : {}
StateChanged :

PS C:\>$results = $j | Receive-Job

These commands run a background job on two remote computers. Because the Invoke-Command command uses the AsJob parameter, the commands run on the remote computers, bu
t the job actually resides on the local computer and the results are transmitted to the local computer.

The first command uses the New-PSSession cmdlet to create sessions on the Server01 and Server02 remote computers.

The second command uses the Invoke-Command cmdlet to run a background job in each of the sessions. The command uses the AsJob parameter to run the command as a backgr
ound job. This command returns a job object that contains two child job objects, one for each of the jobs run on the two remote computers.

The third command uses a Get-Job command to save the job object in the $j variable.

The fourth command uses a pipeline operator (|) to send the value of the $j variable to the Format-List cmdlet, which displays all properties of the job object in a l
ist.

The fifth command gets the results of the jobs. It pipes the job object in $j to the Receive-Job cmdlet and stores the results in the $results variable.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 9 --------------------------

PS C:\>$MWFO_Log = "Microsoft-Windows-Forwarding/Operational"
PS C:\>Invoke-Command -ComputerName Server01 -ScriptBlock {Get-EventLog -LogName $Using:MWFO_Log -Newest 10}

This example shows how to include the values of local variables in a command run on a remote computer. The command uses the Using scope modifier to identify a local v
ariable in a remote command. By default, all variables are assumed to be defined in the remote session. The Using scope modifier was introduced in Windows PowerShell
3.0. For more information about the Using scope modifier, see about_Remote_Variables http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=252653.

The first command saves the name of the Microsoft-Windows-Forwarding/Operational event log in the $MWFO_Log variable.

The second command uses the Invoke-Command cmdlet to run a Get-EventLog command on the Server01 remote computer that gets the 10 newest events from the Microsoft-Wind
ows-Forwarding/Operational event log on Server01. The value of the LogName parameter is the $MWFO_Log variable, which is prefixed by the Using scope modifier to indic
ate that it was created in the local session, not in the remote session.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 10 --------------------------

PS C:\>Invoke-Command -ComputerName S1, S2 -ScriptBlock {Get-Process PowerShell}

PSComputerName Handles NPM(K) PM(K) WS(K) VM(M) CPU(s) Id ProcessName
-------------- ------- ------ ----- ----- ----- ------ -- -----------
S1 575 15 45100 40988 200 4.68 1392 PowerShell
S2 777 14 35100 30988 150 3.68 67 PowerShell

PS C:\>Invoke-Command -ComputerName S1, S2 -ScriptBlock {Get-Process PowerShell} -HideComputerName

Handles NPM(K) PM(K) WS(K) VM(M) CPU(s) Id ProcessName
------- ------ ----- ----- ----- ------ -- -----------
575 15 45100 40988 200 4.68 1392 PowerShell
777 14 35100 30988 150 3.68 67 PowerShell

This example shows the effect of using the HideComputerName parameter of Invoke-Command.

The first two commands use the Invoke-Command cmdlet to run a Get-Process command for the PowerShell process. The output of the first command includes the PsComputerN
ame property, which contains the name of the computer on which the command ran. The output of the second command, which uses the HideComputerName parameter, does not
include the PsComputerName column.

Using the HideComputerName parameter does not change the object; it just changes the display. You can still use the Format cmdlets to display the PsComputerName prope
rty of any of the affected objects.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 11 --------------------------

PS C:\>Invoke-Command -ComputerName (Get-Content Servers.txt) -FilePath C:\Scripts\Sample.ps1 -ArgumentList Process, Service

This example uses the Invoke-Command cmdlet to run the Sample.ps1 script on all of the computers listed in the Servers.txt file. The command uses the FilePath paramet
er to specify the script file. This command allows you to run the script on the remote computers, even if the script file is not accessible to the remote computers.

When you submit the command, the content of the Sample.ps1 file is copied into a script block and the script block is run on each of the remote computers. This proced
ure is equivalent to using the ScriptBlock parameter to submit the contents of the script.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 12 --------------------------

PS C:\>$LiveCred = Get-Credential

PS C:\>Invoke-Command -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange -ConnectionUri https://ps.exchangelabs.com/PowerShell -Credential $LiveCred -Authentication Basic -ScriptB
lock {Set-Mailbox Dan -DisplayName "Dan Park"}

This example shows how to run a command on a remote computer that is identified by a URI (Internet address). This particular example runs a Set-Mailbox command on a r
emote Exchange server. The backtick (`) in the command is the Windows PowerShell continuation character.

The first command uses the Get-Credential cmdlet to store Windows Live ID credentials in the $LiveCred variable. A credentials dialog box prompts the user to enter Wi
ndows Live ID credentials.

The second command uses the Invoke-Command cmdlet to run a Set-Mailbox command. The command uses the ConfigurationName parameter to specify that the command should ru
n in a session that uses the Microsoft.Exchange session configuration. The ConnectionURI parameter specifies the URL of the Exchange server endpoint.

The Credential parameter specifies the Windows Live credentials stored in the $LiveCred variable. The AuthenticationMechanism parameter specifies the use of basic aut
hentication. The ScriptBlock parameter specifies a script block that contains the command.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 13 --------------------------

PS C:\>$max = New-PSSessionOption -MaximumRedirection 1

PS C:\>Invoke-Command -ConnectionUri https://ps.exchangelabs.com/PowerShell -ScriptBlock {Get-Mailbox dan} -AllowRedirection -SessionOption $max

This command shows how to use the AllowRedirection and SessionOption parameters to manage URI redirection in a remote command.

The first command uses the New-PSSessionOption cmdlet to create a PSSessionOpption object that it saves in the $Max variable. The command uses the MaximumRedirection
parameter to set the MaximumConnectionRedirectionCount property of the PSSessionOption object to 1.

The second command uses the Invoke-Command cmdlet to run a Get-Mailbox command on a remote server running Microsoft Exchange Server. The command uses the AllowRedirec
tion parameter to provide explicit permission to redirect the connection to an alternate endpoint. It also uses the SessionOption parameter to specify the session obj
ect in the $max variable.

As a result, if the remote computer specified by the ConnectionURI parameter returns a redirection message, Windows PowerShell will redirect the connection, but if th
e new destination returns another redirection message, the redirection count value of 1 is exceeded, and Invoke-Command returns a non-terminating error.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 14 --------------------------

PS C:\>$so = New-PSSessionOption -SkipCACheck
PS C:\>Invoke-Command -Session $s -ScriptBlock { Get-Hotfix } -SessionOption $so -Credential server01\user01

This example shows how to create and use a SessionOption parameter.

The first command uses the New-PSSessionOption cmdlet to create a session option. It saves the resulting SessionOption object in the $so parameter.

The second command uses the Invoke-Command cmdlet to run a Get-HotFix command remotely. The value of the SessionOption parameter is the SessionOption object in the $s
o variable.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 15 --------------------------

PS C:\>Enable-WSManCredSSP -Delegate Server02
PS C:\>Connect-WSMan Server02
PS C:\>Set-Item WSMan:\Server02*\Service\Auth\CredSSP -Value $true
PS C:\>$s = New-PSSession Server02
PS C:\>Invoke-Command -Session $s -ScriptBlock {Get-Item \\Net03\Scripts\LogFiles.ps1} -Authentication CredSSP -Credential Domain01\Admin01

This example shows how to access a network share from within a remote session.

The command requires that CredSSP delegation be enabled in the client settings on the local computer and in the service settings on the remote computer. To run the co
mmands in this example, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer and the remote computer.

The first command uses the Enable-WSManCredSSP cmdlet to enable CredSSP delegation from the Server01 local computer to the Server02 remote computer. This configures t
he CredSSP client setting on the local computer.

The second command uses the Connect-WSMan cmdlet to connect to the Server02 computer. This action adds a node for the Server02 computer to the WSMan: drive on the loc
al computer, allowing you to view and change the WS-Management settings on the Server02 computer.

The third command uses the Set-Item cmdlet to change the value of the CredSSP item in the Service node of the Server02 computer to True. This action enables CredSSP i
n the service settings on the remote computer.

The fourth command uses the New-PSSession cmdlet to create a PSSession on the Server02 computer. It saves the PSSession in the $s variable.

The fifth command uses the Invoke-Command cmdlet to run a Get-Item command in the session in $s that gets a script from the Net03\Scripts network share. The command u
ses the Credential parameter and it uses the Authentication parameter with a value of CredSSP.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 16 --------------------------

PS C:\>Invoke-Command -ComputerName (Get-Content Servers.txt) -InDisconnectedSession -FilePath \\Scripts\Public\ConfigInventory.ps1 -SessionOption @{OutputBufferingMo
de="Drop";IdleTimeout=43200000}

This command runs a script on more than a hundred computers. To minimize the impact on the local computer, it connects to each computer, starts the script, and then d
isconnects from each computer. The script continues to run in the disconnected sessions.

The command uses the Invoke-Command cmdlet to run the script. The value of the ComputerName parameter is a Get-Content command that gets the names of the remote compu
ters from a text file. The InDisconnectedSession parameter disconnects the sessions as soon as it starts the command. The value of the FilePath parameter is the scrip
t that Invoke-Command runs on each computer that is named in the Servers.txt file.

The value of the SessionOption parameter is a hash table that sets the value of the OutputBufferingMode option to Drop and the value of the IdleTimeout option to 4320
0000 milliseconds (12 hours).

To get the results of commands and scripts that run in disconnected sessions, use the Receive-PSSession cmdlet.