Deploying an High-Availability Domain-Based DFS Namespace with Powershell on Windows Server 2012 R2

As I'm often doing some tests in my lab environment, I try to automate as many things as possible.

So here's a little Powershell script that can be used to deploy an High Availability Domain-Based DFS Namespace on a Windows Server 2012 R2. The UI result can be seen below.

In this lab's case I've been using the following servers to create the root namespace:

• lab-dc001: This is the Windows Server 2012 R2 Domain Controller
• lab-dfs001: This is the first DFS Server
• lab-dfs002: This is the second DFS Server

Both DFS servers are members of my katalykt.lan domain.

Note that the script can be executed on any of our DFS servers and that we rely on PS/CIM sessions to execute some remote commands (i.e Folders creation, SMB Shares)

 # Parameters
$DFS_Root = "lab-dfs001"
$DFS_Secondaries = "lab-dfs002"
$DFS_Domain = "katalykt.lan"
$DFS_Namespace = "root"
$DFS_SmbPath = "E:\DFS\root"
$DFS_Servers = $DFS_Root, $DFS_Secondaries
# Install the DFS Namespace & Replication features
$DFS_Servers | ForEach-Object {Install-WindowsFeature -ComputerName $_ -Name FS-DFS-Namespace,FS-DFS-Replication -IncludeManagementTools}
# Create the Local Folders
$Sessions_DFS = New-PSSession -ComputerName $DFS_Servers
Invoke-Command -Session $Sessions_DFS -Script { New-Item $args[0] –Type Directory } -ArgumentList $DFS_SmbPath
$Sessions_DFS | Remove-PSSession
# Create the Local Shares 
$CIMs_DFS = New-CimSession -ComputerName $DFS_Servers
New-SmbShare –Name $DFS_Namespace –Path $DFS_SmbPath -CimSession $CIMs_DFS
$CIMs_DFS | Remove-CimSession
# Create the main DFS Namespace root
New-DfsnRoot -TargetPath ("\\{0}\{1}" -f $DFS_Root, $DFS_Namespace) -Type DomainV2 -Path ("\\{0}\{1}" -f $DFS_Domain, $DFS_Namespace)
# Add additional targets to our DFS Namespace
$DFS_Secondaries | ForEach-Object {
    New-DfsnRootTarget -Path ("\\{0}\{1}" -f $DFS_Domain, $DFS_Namespace) -TargetPath ("\\{0}\{1}" -f $_, $DFS_Namespace)
} 

Using Powershell to backup the Configuration of a Brocade SAN Fibre Channel Switch

Automating the Configuration backup of a Brocade SAN Fibre Channel Switch is not really a difficult task. Indeed, one may export the configuration of a Switch by using the "configUpload" SSH command which allows the device to export parameters such as the Zones along with the Switch core parameters toward a remote FTP/SFTP/SCP server.

This task can be automated by combining both Powershell and SSH.

The following function requires the Posh-SSH module which is available on github (https://github.com/darkoperator/Posh-SSH) and uses the FTP protocol for the backup. A CSV is expected as an input which contains the Host (the Brocade device), the SSH Operator Username and the SSH Operator Password (see the example below)

Host;Username;Password
192.168.16.100;srvsw-backop;Passw0rdFCA
192.168.16.101;srvsw-backop;Passw0rdFCB

The SSH command "configDownload" may be used to restore the device should the need arise.

 #Requires -Version 3.0
Function Backup-BrocadeSANSW {
<#
    .SYNOPSIS
            This function allows the backup of one or multiple Brocade SAN FC Switch
    .DESCRIPTION
            This function allows the backup of one or multiple Brocade SAN FC Switch on an FTP Server
    .PARAMETER  CSV
            The CSV file contains the list of all the IBM Brocade devices (Host / Username / Password)
            Backup-BrocadeSANSW.csv is used by default if nothing is specified
    .PARAMETER  ExportWithName
            This switch may be specified to format the output with the device's name rather than the host name
    .EXAMPLE
            Backup-BrocadeSANSW -CSV "e:\scripts\brocade_list.csv" -ExportWithName
            BackedUp Path                                                                        HostName      Device  
            -------- ----                                                                        --------      ------  
                True ftp://repository.katalykt.lan/SYSTEM/BROCADE2498/SW_FCA_20150612_105512.txt 192.168.16.100 SW_FCA
                True ftp://repository.katalykt.lan/SYSTEM/BROCADE2498/SW_FCB_20150612_105516.txt 192.168.16.101 SW_FCB
    .EXAMPLE
            Backup-BrocadeSANSW
            BackedUp Path                                                                                HostName      Device  
            -------- ----                                                                                --------      ------  
                True ftp://repository.katalykt.lan/SYSTEM/BROCADE2498/192.168.16.100_20150612_105532.txt 192.168.16.100 192.168.16.100
                True ftp://repository.katalykt.lan/SYSTEM/BROCADE2498/192.168.16.101_20150612_105536.txt 192.168.16.101 192.168.16.101
    .MODULES
            Posh-SSH
    .LINKS
            https://github.com/darkoperator/Posh-SSH
    .NOTES
            NAME:     Backup-BrocadeSANSW
            AUTHOR:   ROULEAU Benjamin
            LASTEDIT: 2015-06-12
            TESTED:   IBM Brocade 2498
#>
    #Requires -Module Posh-SSH
    [CmdletBinding()]
    PARAM(
        [ValidateScript({Test-Path -Path $_ -PathType Leaf})]
        $CSV=(Join-Path -Path (Split-Path -parent $PSCommandPath) -ChildPath "Backup-BrocadeSANSW.csv"),
        
        [Switch]$ExportWithName
    )
    BEGIN {
        Write-Verbose -Message "[BEGIN Backup-BrocadeSANSW] Attempting to import the Posh-SSH Module..."
        # FTP Properties, our backup files will be stored in there
        $FTP_Host = "repository.katalykt.lan"
        $FTP_Username = "srv-backupop"
        $FTP_Password = "Passwd20160612"
        $FTP_Path = "SYSTEM/BROCADE2498"
    }
    PROCESS {
        # Retrieve the needed parameters for each given devices
        Import-Csv -Path $CSV -Delimiter ';' | ForEach-Object {
            $SSH_Username = $_.Username
            $SSH_Password = $_.Password
            $SSH_Host = $_.Host
            $IsBackedUp = $false
            # Build up the Credentials
            $SSH_Password = ConvertTo-SecureString $SSH_Password -AsPlainText -Force
            $SSH_Credentials =  New-Object System.Management.Automation.PSCredential ($SSH_Username, $SSH_Password)
            Write-Verbose -Message "[PROCESS Backup-BrocadeSANSW] Processing SSH Host: $SSH_Host"
            # Attempt to start an SSH Session
            TRY {
                Write-Verbose -Message "[PROCESS Backup-BrocadeSANSW] Attempting to connect to the SSH Host: $SSH_Host"
                $SSH_Session = New-SSHSession -ComputerName $SSH_Host -Credential $SSH_Credentials -AcceptKey $true -ErrorAction Stop
            } CATCH {
                Write-Warning -Message "[PROCESS Backup-BrocadeSANSW] Unable to start an SSH Session on the given host"
                $SSH_Session = $false
            }
            # Ensure that the SSH Session is alive and kicking
            IF ($SSH_Session) {
                # By default, we use the SSH Host as a label
                $SSH_DeviceName = $SSH_Host
                # Retrieve the SSH Device Name if specified
                IF ($ExportWithName) {
                    Write-Verbose -Message "[PROCESS Backup-BrocadeSANSW] Attempting to retrieve the device name"
                    $SSH_DeviceName = Invoke-SSHCommand -SSHSession $SSH_Session -Command "switchshow | grep switchName"
                    $SSH_DeviceName = $SSH_DeviceName.Output -match "\:\s(.*[a-zA-Z0-9])"
                    $SSH_DeviceName = $matches[1]
                    IF (-not($SSH_DeviceName)) {
                        Write-Warning -Message "[PROCESS Backup-BrocadeSANSW] Unable to retrieve the Device Name, falling back to the Host name"
                        $SSH_DeviceName = $SSH_Host
                    }
                    Write-Verbose -Message "[PROCESS Backup-BrocadeSANSW] Retrieved device name: '$SSH_DeviceName'"
                }
                # Export the Log to the FTP
                $FTP_ExportFullPath = "{0}/{1}_{2}.txt" -f $FTP_Path, $SSH_DeviceName, (Get-Date -Format "yyyyMMdd_HHmmss")
                $SSH_Export = Invoke-SSHCommand -SSHSession $SSH_Session -Command ("configupload -all -p ftp {0},{1},{2},{3}" -f $FTP_Host, $FTP_Username, $FTP_ExportFullPath, $FTP_Password)
                # Make sure that the output match the expected valid return
                IF ($SSH_Export.Output -like "*All selected config parameters are uploaded*") {
                    Write-Verbose -Message "[PROCESS Backup-DevicesConfiguration] Device '$SSH_DeviceName' configuration has been backed up"
                    # Append the FTP host to the path for the output
                    $FTP_ExportFullPath = "ftp://{0}" -f ((Join-Path $FTP_Host -ChildPath $FTP_ExportFullPath) -replace '\\','/')
                    $IsBackedUp = $true
                } ELSE {
                    Write-Warning -Message "[PROCESS Backup-DevicesConfiguration] Failed to back up device '$SSH_DeviceName': $($SSH_Export.Output)"
                    $FTP_ExportFullPath = "Failed"
                }
                # Remove the SSH Session
                $SSH_Session | Remove-SSHSession | Out-Null
                # Return the Output
                New-Object -TypeName PSObject -Property @{
                    Device = $SSH_DeviceName
                    HostName = $SSH_Host
                    BackedUp = $IsBackedUp
                    Path = $FTP_ExportFullPath
                }
            }
        }
    }
    END {
    }
}