Administrator Guide

The $connection variable is used with the -Connection parameter to connect to a Storage Center. For example:

Get-SCVolume -Connection $connection

Save Connection Information to a -ConnectionName Object

Connection information can be saved to a -ConnectionName object using the -Save parameter with the Get-SCConnection

command. For example:

Get-SCConnection -HostName mmt1 -User Admin -Password $pass -Save connectionname

The saved object is used with the -ConnectionName parameter to connect to a Storage Center. For example:

Get-SCVolume -ConnectionName connectionname

Enter Connection Information Interactively

If you do not provide all required parameters (-HostName, -User, -Password) for the Get-SCConnection command, the system

prompts for the missing information. This method still requires storing connection information in a variable or as a connection name.

Creating Default Connections

To create a default Storage Center connection, use the -Default or -DestinationDefault parameters when executing the Get-

SCConnection cmdlet.

• Saving a connection as the default allows Storage Center cmdlets to be executed without specifying the -Connection or -

ConnectionName parameters.

• Saving a destination default connection allows Storage Center cmdlets that require a destination connection to be executed

without specifying the -DestConnection or -DestConnectionName parameters.

For details and examples, see Viewing and Printing Command Line Help.

Creating SecureString Passwords

SecureString objects are used in Windows PowerShell cmdlets as a security measure. SecureStrings are encrypted in memory and

the content of a SecureString variable cannot be displayed. For this reason, SecureString objects are commonly used for sensitive

information such as passwords.

NOTE: If security is not a prime concern, passwords can be entered directly on the command line without obscuring the

text. For example:

$pass = ConvertTo-SecureString "mypassword" -AsPlainText -Force

SecureString Input

Create a variable with SecureString content by entering the following command in the PowerShell console:

$pass = Read-Host -AsSecureString -Prompt "Please provide password"

The PowerShell console returns the following prompt:

Please provide password:

The password is obscured by asterisks (*) and stored in the variable.

Stored Values

SecureString values can be stored for later access. The encryption used for the SecureString is based on the logged-on user

credentials. The credentials help prevent another user from accessing the stored value and deriving the password. However, the

saved data should be kept in a secure location and NTFS permissions might also be used to further protect it from unwanted access.

To store your password in an encrypted le:

1. Enter the following command:

$pass = Read-Host -AsSecureString -Prompt "Please provide password"

PowerShell prompts for a password.

Please provide password:

2. Enter your password.

3. Save your password to a text le:

ConvertFrom-SecureString $pass > C:\password.txt

Using the Command Set