Pssession- computername vs vmname for Enter-pssession
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Since Exit doesn't kill the session, we have to remember to end it when we are done. Otherwise, we end up with these open sessions running on the remote machine.
To end the PSSession type
exit
and hit enter, to return to a local prompt, then type
Remove-PSSession -Name WinRM1
and hit enter.If you now type Get-PSSession, the list should be empty.
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Ok, all that happened. Now i'm getting fuzzy on why the exit-pssession didn't remove the session.
It's all temporary??? -
Sorry, I went to fast there at the end, got exited, lol. Do you still have a PSSession? Get-PSSession
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You didn't go too fast. I ran the get-pssession and there are none.
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Exit-PSSession just disconnects you from the remote session, it is still running on the remote machine.
This is the persistence, and allows you to reconnect when necessary.Try this hitting enter after each line
New-PSSession -VMName virt3datactr (enter creds when prompted) Get-PSsession (Note the name of the session) Enter-PSSession -Name xxx (replace xxx with the name of the session) Exit-PSSession (the session is still running on the remote machine) Get-PSSession (verify the session is still there)If you leave that session running, its consuming resources on the remote machine and could be a potential security risk. Its really easy to forget you exit the session and think its done. Temporary sessions are ended when you Exit-PSSession Because its persistent, Exit-PSSession doesn't end the session, just disconnects from the session. Therefore, you must first exit the session, and then remove the session.
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That's the big difference between temporary sessions and PSSessions.
Exit-PSsession terminates a temporary session
Exit-PSSession disconnects a PSSession
Remove-PSSession terminates a PSSession -
ok, got it
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Great!!
I hope this helps with your understanding of PSSessions.
If you have other questions, let me know 😎
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@Mike-Rodrick it does immensely. just one last one. what's different between using vmname and computername?
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-VMNameis used when you are logged on to the Hyper-V host and want to connect to a VM that is running on that host.-ComputerNameis used when you are not on the Hyper-V host and want to connect to the same VM. You treat the VM like any other computer on the network.The VMName (the name listed in the Hyper-V console) is only known to the Hyper-V host. To connect from anywhere else, you need to know the ComputerName.
If you right-click on virt3datactr in the Hyper-V console, you can rename the VM. But this does not change the hostname inside Windows on virt3datactr.
Try this:
Right-click on virt3datactr and rename it to something else, like demo3vm.
Now log on to that vm, open PowerShell and typehostnameIt will still be virt3datactr. Only Hyper-V knows the name demo3vm. The network still knows the VM as virt3datactr.You can right-click again and change it back
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Not following. If I am using a hyper-v host then only the vmname will work and if I'm connecting to another host then computername would be the cmdlet to use? the host name of my vm is the same as the hyper v name
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What is the name of your laptop?
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If you are logged on to the Hyper-V host (your laptop in this case), and want to connect to a VM (like virt3datactr), you need to use the -VMName parameter.
But if I wanted to connect to virt3datactr from my laptop, I would need to use the -ComputerName parameter.
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desktop-kcg0j0v
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The error I was getting using computername from my laptop was what prompted my question. virt3datactr is the computername I assigned it in system preferences
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The Hyper-V server here at ITProTV runs several VMs. I rarely log on to the Hyper-V server. I am usually working from my laptop. This is pretty normal for an enterprise environment.
When I create a PSSession to one of the VMs running on our Hyper-V server, I use the -ComputerName parameter. This is the name of the VM that the network sees.
If on that rare occasion I first remote into our Hyper-V server, and then from there want to create a PSSession to one of the VMs, I use the -VMName parameter, because I am on the Hyper-V host itself.
Make sure you are understanding that the VMName and the ComputerName are usually the same, but don' t have to be.
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Yep, the name you set in system preferences is not the same as the name that is listed in the Hyper-V console. They might be set to the same name, but if you change one, it doesn't change the other.
The name in system preferences is the computername.
The name in the Hyper-V console is the VMName.
You could right-click on the VM in the Hyper-V console and rename it Blue123
Now the VMName is Blue123, but the computername in system preferences is still virt3datactr -
@Mike-Rodrick I don't think I am understanding that.
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I guess I'm thonking if the hyper-v server is aware of the vm's why wouldn't either cmdlet work?
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When you first create a VM, there is no operating system. You still have to call the VM something. Lets say you call it demoVM. This is the VM name. Only the Hyper-V server that you created the VM on knows this name.
Now you install Windows in the VM. As part of the installation, Windows generates a random name, something like desktop-egjdsd. This is the computer name. This is what the network sees. This is the name that gets registered with DNS so other machines on the network can find it. Most people will change this name to something more meaningful. Like myLaptop, or client01. This is the name you set in system preferences.
But this doesn't change the VM name. It is still listed in the Hyper-V console as demoVM. You can change them to match, but they are independent, and changing one doesn't change the other.
Now when you want to create a PSSession, the name you use to identify the VM you want to connect to depends on where you are connecting from.
If you are connecting to the VM from the Hyper-V host that the VM is running on, you must use the -VMName parameter.
If you are connecting to the VM from anywhere else, you must use the -ComputerName parameter.
