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Get the Name of a Server Returned with Data Using Get-Process

Here is a question that I had about using Get-Process.  The user needed the same basic information that Get-Process normally gives you, but they also needed the name of the computer that the data came from.  Their intent was to run this one command against multiple servers at the same time, but needed to separate the data by its source.

When you use the Get-WMIObject cmdlet, you get a few extra properties added in.  The on of interest in this case is __SERVER.  This will hold the name of the client that the data came from.  I could have just told the user to execute Get-WMIObject Win32_Process –ComputerName <List of names>.  But that would return a lot more data.  Also, I am on a very long flight back from Microsoft so I needed something to keep me from being bored.  Below is the result.

Since the user wanted to use this in a script or as a stand alone, I created a function that could be either dot sourced into memory or added as a http://mctexpert.blogspot.com/2011/04/creating-powershell-module.html as well as be added directly to a script.  It also includes a help file.

Function Get-Process2
{
[CmdletBinding(Helpuri
= 'http://get-help-jason-yoder.blogspot.com/2012/10/get-process2.html')]
Param (
    [Parameter(Mandatory
=$True)]$ComputerName,
    [
Switch]$Quiet,
    [
Switch]$FullDetail
)

   
# Cycle through each computer.
    ForEach ($Computer in $ComputerName)
    {
       
Try
        {
           
# Get the process information and include the client
            # that the information was received from.
           
           
If($FullDetail)
            {
              
$Data = Get-WmiObject Win32_Process
            }
           
Else
            {
               
$Data = Get-WmiObject Win32_Process `
                
-ComputerName $Computer `
                
-ErrorAction Stop |
                
Select-Object `
                
-Property Handles, NPM, PM, WS, VM, CPU, ID, Name, @{Label="ComputerName";Expression={$_.__Server}}
            }

           
Write-Output $Data
        }
# End: Try
        Catch
        {
           
# If the client could not be contacted, notify the user.
            If (!$Quiet)
            {
               
Write-Host "$Computer is not online" -ForegroundColor Red -BackgroundColor DarkRed
            }
        }
# End: Catch


    }
# End: ForEach ($Computer in $ComputerName)

<#
.SYNOPSIS
Returns process information on local and remote clients.

.DESCRIPTION
Returns process information on local and remote clients, but includes
the computer name.

.PARAMETER ComputerName
The name or names of the computers that you want to return process
information from.

.PARAMETER Quiet
Suppresses error messages.

.PARAMETER FullDetail
Returned the entire process object.  The default will return the
same information as Get-Process.

.EXAMPLE
Get-Process2  -ComputerName "Srv01", "Svr2", "Svr3"

Returns the same information as Get-Process, but also includes the
name of the source the data came from.

.EXAMPLE
Get-Process2  -ComputerName "Srv01", "Svr2", "Svr3" -Quiet

Returns the same information as Get-Process, but also includes the
name of the source the data came from. Any errors generated while
attmpting to contact the clients will be suppressed.

.EXAMPLE
Get-Process2  -ComputerName "Srv01", "Svr2", "Svr3" -FullDetail
Returns the entire Process object for each object on each server contacted.
This will return a very large amount of data.

.NOTES
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Provided as is with no warranty or support.
Jason Yoder, MCT  -  MCTExpert, Inc.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#>
}
# -- End Function Get-Process2 ----------------------------------------------

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