how to invoke the powershell command with "format-list" and "out-file" pipeline from c#?

Question

Hi I'm working on a C# program to call exchange 2010 powershell cmdlets in remote runspace. The ps command is:

"Get-MailboxDatabase -Server EX2010SVR1 -Status | Format-List Identity,Guid,mounted,CircularLoggingEnabled,Recovery | Out-File 'C:\db.txt' -Encoding UTF8 -Width 8192".

My code is similar to:


static int Main(string[] args)
{

    const string SHELL_URI = "http://schemas.microsoft.com/powershell/Microsoft.Exchange";
    const string COMMAND = "Get-MailboxDatabase -Server EX2010SVR1 -Status | Format-List Identity,Guid,mounted,CircularLoggingEnabled,Recovery | Out-File 'C:\db.txt' -Encoding UTF8 -Width 8192";

    System.Uri serverUri = new Uri("http://EX2010SVR1/powershell?serializationLevel=Full");
    PSCredential creds = (PSCredential)null; // Use Windows Authentication
    WSManConnectionInfo connectionInfo = new WSManConnectionInfo(serverUri, SHELL_URI, creds);

    try
    {
        using (Runspace rs = RunspaceFactory.CreateRunspace(connectionInfo))
        {
            rs.Open();
            PowerShell psh = PowerShell.Create();
            psh.Runspace = rs;
            psh.AddCommand(COMMAND);
            Collection results = psh.Invoke();
            rs.Close();
        }
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        System.Console.WriteLine("exception: {0}", ex.ToString());
    }
    return 0;
}

When I run the c# program on Win2008 R2 which is hosting exchange 2010 server, I always get exception:


    System.Management.Automation.RemoteException: The term 'Format-List' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.
    at System.Management.Automation.PowerShell.CoreInvoke[TOutput](IEnumerable input, PSDataCollection`1 output, PSInvocationSettings settings)
    at System.Management.Automation.PowerShell.Invoke(IEnumerable input, PSInvocationSettings settings)
    at System.Management.Automation.PowerShell.Invoke()
    at RemotePS.Program.Main(String[] args)

The program is working fine without "Format-List" and "Out-File" pipelines. The entire command is also working fine in exchange 2010 management shell. I also confirmed it's powershell 2.0 on the system.

Could any one help to figure out what's going on? Any help is much appreciated.

Tom

What happens if you ececute command without Format-List cmdlet, at the end this is "formatting" cmdlet and you can try to ammit it for test reasons. ? — Tigran
– Tigran, Commented Jul 11, 2011 at 20:07
Another thing yet: looking on online documentation you can find Format-List Applies To: Windows PowerShell 2.0. May be on "server side" command shell is not 2.0 — Tigran
– Tigran, Commented Jul 11, 2011 at 20:15
The program is working fine without "Format-List" and "Out-File" pipelines. The entire command is also working fine in exchange 2010 management shell. — TomF
– TomF, Commented Jul 11, 2011 at 21:04

JPBlanc · Accepted Answer · 2011-07-12 08:03:38Z

I've got the same problem with the first embeded PowerShell I wrote. I look for a trace, but I can't find it anymore.

Here is something working for me that I adapt to your code :

static void Main(string[] args)
{
  const string SHELL_URI = "http://schemas.microsoft.com/powershell/Microsoft.PowerShell";
  const string COMMAND = @"get-process | format-List | Out-File -file c:\temp\jpb.txt";
  System.Uri serverUri = new Uri("http://WM2008R2ENT/powershell?serializationLevel=Full");
  PSCredential creds = (PSCredential)null; // Use Windows Authentication
  WSManConnectionInfo connectionInfo = new WSManConnectionInfo(false,
                                                               "WM2008R2ENT",
                                                               5985,
                                                               "/wsman",
                                                               SHELL_URI,
                                                               creds);
  try
  {
    using (Runspace rs = RunspaceFactory.CreateRunspace(connectionInfo))
    {
      rs.Open();

      Pipeline pipeline = rs.CreatePipeline();

      string cmdLine;
      cmdLine = string.Format("&{{{0}}}", COMMAND);

      pipeline.Commands.AddScript(cmdLine);

      Collection<PSObject> results = pipeline.Invoke();

      rs.Close();
    }
  }
  catch (Exception ex)
  {
    System.Console.WriteLine("exception: {0}", ex.ToString());
  }
  return; 
}

Be carefull, I'am not using Exchange PowerShell

In the example I use pipeline, perhaps your problem comes from the way you pass the command.

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 12:29:40Z

You can try to work with the 'Command'-Object.

Runspace rs = RunspaceFactory.CreateRunspace();
PowerShell ps = PowerShell.Create();

Pipeline pipeline = rs.CreatePipeline();

Command cmd1 = new Command("Get-MailboxDatabase");
cmd1.Parameters.Add("Server", "EX2010SVR1");
cmd1.Parameters.Add("Status");
pipeline.Commands.Add(cmd1);

Command cmd2 = new Command("Format-List");
cmd2.Parameters.Add("Property", "Identity, Guid, mounted, CircularLoggingEnabled, Recovery");
pipeline.Commands.Add(cmd2);

Command cmd3 = new Command("Format-List");
cmd3.Parameters.Add("FilePath", "C:\db.txt");
cmd3.Parameters.Add("Encoding", "UTF8");
cmd3.Parameters.Add("Width", "8192");
pipeline.Commands.Add(cmd3);

Collection<PSObject> output = pipeline.Invoke();

See also here: Invoking powershell cmdlets from C#

Andrej Mohar · Accepted Answer · 2015-09-02 14:42:50Z

I realize this is an old thread, but I wanted to present my findings, however short they are.

I ran into this same problem just recently with a colleague of mine. We managed to track the problem down to the missing runspaces. We also had to connect to the Microsoft.Exchange runspace and when we do it, the Format-List commandlet becomes unavailable. If we don't use the runspace, the commandlet works just fine.

We didn't get to solving it yet, but I intend to explore the possibility of using the RunspacePool instead of just Runspace, thus allowing the execution of both commandlets in the pipeline.

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