PowerCLI Community Repository

Principles of Operations

Table of Contents

• Abstract
• Table of Contents
• Content Restrictions
  • Type of Content
• Getting Started
  • Accessing the Repository
  • Adding Resources
• Meta Information
  • Required Information
  • Suggested Information
• Suggested Quality Management
  • General Best Practices
  • Alias Usage
  • Scripts
  • Modules
  • Help Information
  • Security
• Resource Maintenance
  • Maintenance Ownership
  • Filing Issues
  • Resolving Issues
• Additional Resources
  • Discussions
  • VMware Sample Exchange
• VMWARE TECHNOLOGY PREVIEW LICENSE AGREEMENT

Abstract

This document will serve for collaboration to identify the operating principles of a centralized PowerCLI Community Repository on GitHub.

The central PowerCLI repo will be located at: https://github.com/vmware/PowerCLI-Example-Scripts

Content Restrictions

Type of Content

The repository has been provided to allow the community to share resources that leverage VMware’s PowerCLI. This can include:

• Sample Scripts
• Modules
• DSC Resources
• PowerActions scripts
• Pester Tests
• Tools built with PowerShell

Getting Started

Accessing the Repository

Downloading the Repository for Local Access

1. Load the GitHub repository page: https://github.com/vmware/PowerCLI-Example-Scripts
2. Click on the green “Clone or Download” button and then click “Download ZIP”
3. Once downloaded, extract the zip file to the location of your choosing
4. At this point, you now have a local copy of the repository

Creating Your Own GitHub Based Access Point

1. Login (or signup) to GitHub
2. Load the GitHub repository page: https://github.com/vmware/PowerCLI-Example-Scripts
3. Click on the Fork button, which will create a copy of the repository and place it in the GitHub based location of your choosing. 

Adding Resources

GitHub - Copy/Paste Option

1. Browse to the appropriate section (example: Scripts)
2. Select the “Create new file” button
3. On the new page, enter a file name, enter the resource’s information
4. Within the “Commit new file” area, enter the title and description, then select “Create a new branch for this commit…” and enter a sensible branch name
5. Click “Propose new file”
6. On the “Open a pull request” page, click “Create pull request”

GitHub - Upload files Option

1. Browse to the appropriate section (example: Modules)
2. Select the “Upload files” button
3. On the new page, drag or choose the files to add
4. Within the “Commit changes” area, enter the title and description, then select “Create a new branch for this commit…” and enter a sensible branch name
5. Click “Propose new file”
6. On the “Open a pull request” page, click “Create pull request”

Meta Information

This section will provide guidance on information which should be included with each submitted PowerCLI resource. Information listed in the Suggested Information will not be required for commit of a pull request to the repo, but will certainly increase ease of use for users of the resource.

Pull Request Requirements

To comply with VMware's Client License Agreement (CLA), each commit in a Pull Request requires a sign-off acknowledging the Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO) https://cla.vmware.com/dco before your changes are merged. Your commit should be in the following format:

The body of your commit message
Signed-off-by: John Doe <[email protected]>

The text can either be manually added to your commit body, or you can add either -s or --signoff to your usual git commit commands. The e-mail address used to sign must match the public e-mail address of the Git author.

git commit --signoff --message 'This is my commit message'

DCO-Required error

If you have authored a commit that is missing the signed-off-by line, you can amend your commits and push them to GitHub with the following:

git commit --amend --signoff

If you've pushed your changes to GitHub already, you'll need to force push your branch after this with:

git push -f

Required Information

The following information must be included with each submitted scripting resource. Please include the information in the appropriate location based upon the submitted scripting resource.

• Author Name
  • This can include full name, Twitter profile, or other identifiable piece of information that would allow interested parties to contact author with questions.
• Date
  • Date the resource was written
• Minimal/High Level Description
  • What does the resource do
• Any KNOWN limitations or dependencies
  • vSphere version, required modules, etc.

Note Placement Examples:

Script: Top few lines
Module: Module manifest

Required Script Note Example:

<#
Script name: script_name.ps1
Created on: 07/07/2016
Author: Author Name, @TwitterHandle
Description: The purpose of the script is to …
Dependencies: None known
#>

Suggested Information

The following information should be included when possible. Inclusion of information provides valuable information to consumers of the resource.

• vSphere version against which the script was developed/tested
• PowerCLI build against which the script was developed/tested
• PowerShell version against which the script was developed/tested
• OS platform version against which the script was tested/developed
• Keywords that make it easier to find a script, for example: VDS, health check

Suggested Script Note Example:

<#
Script name: script_name.ps1
Created on: 07/07/2016
Author: Author Name, @TwitterHandle
Description: The purpose of the script is to …
Dependencies: None known

===Tested Against Environment====
vSphere Version: 6.0
PowerCLI Version: PowerCLI 6.3 R1
PowerShell Version: 5.0
OS Version: Windows 10
Keyword: VM
#>

Suggested Quality Management

This section describes guidelines put in place to maintain a standard of quality while also promoting broader contribution.

General Best Practices

Resource Naming

• Give the resource a name that is indicative of the actions and/or results of its running

Fault Handling

• Read and apply the following basic fault handling where applicable: Microsoft’s Hey, Scripting Guy! Blog: https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/heyscriptingguy/2014/07/09/handling-errors-the-powershell-way/

Alias Usage

• Avoid any alias usage within all submitted resources.

Global Variable Usage

• Avoid changing any global variables

Help Information

• All resources should have inline documentation.

Scripts

• The script should be easy to read and understand
• Place user-defined variables towards the top of the script

Modules

• The module file, PSM1, should contain only functions. A module manifest file, PSD1, should also be created and included. A module formatting file (format.ps1xml) is desirable but not a requirement.
• Use only standard verbs

Security

• Usage of PowerShell’s strict mode is preferred, but not required.
• Remove any information related to one’s own environment (examples: Passwords, DNS/IP Addresses, custom user credentials, etc)

Resource Maintenance

Maintenance Ownership

Ownership of any and all submitted resources are maintained by the submitter. This ownership also includes maintenance of any and all submitted resources.

Filing Issues

Any bugs or other issues should be filed within GitHub by way of the repository’s Issue Tracker.

Resolving Issues

Any community member can resolve issues within the repository, however only the owner or a board member can approve the update. Once approved, assuming the resolution involves a pull request, only a board member will be able to merge and close the request.

Additional Resources

Discussions

Join in on the discussion within the VMware Code Slack team's PowerCLI channel: https://code.vmware.com/slack/

VMware Sample Exchange

It is highly recommended to add any and all submitted resources to the VMware Sample Exchange: https://developercenter.vmware.com/samples

Sample Exchange can be allowed to access your GitHub resources, by way of a linking process, where they can be indexed and searched by the community. There are VMware social media accounts which will advertise resources posted to the site and there's no additional accounts needed, as the VMware Sample Exchange uses MyVMware credentials.

VMWARE TECHNOLOGY PREVIEW LICENSE AGREEMENT

The VMware Technology Preview License Agreement: https://github.com/vmware/PowerCLI-Example-Scripts/blob/master/LICENSE.md

Repository Administrator Resources

Table of Contents

• Board Members
• Approval of Additions

Board Members

Board members are volunteers from the PowerCLI community and VMware staff members, board members are not held responsible for any issues which may occur from running of scripts inside this repository.

Members:

• Josh Atwell (Community Member)
• Luc Dekens (Community Member)
• Jonathan Medd (Community Member)
• Alan Renouf (VMware)
• Kyle Ruddy (VMware)
• Rynardt Spies (Community Member)

Approval of Additions

Items added to the repository, including items from the Board members, require a review and approval from at least one board member before being added to the repository. The approving member/s will have verified for a lack of malicious code. Once an “Approved for Merge” comment has been added from a board member, the pull can then be committed to the repository.