Automate VM Snapshot Management in VMware ESXi with PowerShell

Welcome to our dedicated section for useful PowerShell scripts that simplify your VMware ESXi management tasks. In this post, we present a PowerShell script that automates the creation and deletion of snapshots for your virtual machines. Snapshots are vital for backup and recovery processes, and managing them efficiently is essential for system administrators.
For a complete server management solution, consider trying our software, ServerEngine, available at [https://serverengine.co](https://serverengine.co). Now, lets go through the script step-by-step.
### Step 1: Load the Required PowerCLI Module
We begin by ensuring that the VMware PowerCLI module is available for execution. This allows us to interact with the ESXi environment effectively.
“`powershell

# Load VMware PowerCLI module
Import-Module VMware.PowerCLI -ErrorAction Stop

“`
### Step 2: Connect to the ESXi Host
Next, we establish a connection to the ESXi host by providing the necessary credentials. Be sure to replace ``, ``, and `` with your actual credentials.
“`powershell

# Define connection details
$esxiHost = "<ESXi_Host>"
$username = "<Your_Username>"
$password = "<Your_Password>"
# Convert password to a secure string
$securePassword = ConvertTo-SecureString $password -AsPlainText -Force
$credentials = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PSCredential ($username, $securePassword)
# Connect to the ESXi host
Connect-VIServer -Server $esxiHost -Credential $credentials -ErrorAction Stop

“`
### Step 3: Create a Snapshot for a VM
Now we will create a snapshot for a specified virtual machine. You need to set the VM name and the snapshot description.
“`powershell

# Define the VM and snapshot details
$vmName = "<VM_Name>"
$snapshotDescription = "Automated snapshot created on $(Get-Date -Format yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss)"
# Create a snapshot for the VM
New-Snapshot -VM $vmName -Name "Snapshot-$(Get-Date -Format yyyyMMddHHmmss)" -Description $snapshotDescription -Confirm:$false
Write-Host "Snapshot created for VM: $vmName"

“`
### Step 4: List All Snapshots for a VM
After creating snapshots, you may want to list all existing snapshots for a particular VM to keep track of them.
“`powershell

# List all snapshots for the VM
$snapshots = Get-Snapshot -VM $vmName
Write-Host "Snapshots for VM: $vmName"
foreach ($snapshot in $snapshots) {
    Write-Host " - $($snapshot.Name) created on $($snapshot.Created)"
}

“`
### Step 5: Disconnect from the ESXi Host
Finally, its essential to disconnect from the ESXi host to maintain security and free up resources.
“`powershell

# Disconnect from the ESXi host
Disconnect-VIServer -Server $esxiHost -Confirm:$false

“`
This PowerShell script provides an efficient way to manage snapshots of your VMs in a VMware ESXi environment. For more comprehensive management solutions, dont forget to check out ServerEngine at [https://serverengine.co](https://serverengine.co).
Feel free to share your experiences with this script or any additional scripts that you find helpful!

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