SkylineCLI: How to automate Skyline Endpoint operations

Nov 21, 2022 · 3 min read ·

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This blog post will show you how to use the Skyline CLI fling to automate the Skyline Endpoint operations including workflows, commands and a example powershell script which automates the Skyline endpoint operations.

Prerequisites:

Skyline CLI Link
Powershell
PowerCLI
Skyline users and permissions
VM Name schema of endpoints based on FQDN
vCenter: vcsa.vmware.local
vROPs: vrops.vmware.local
NSX-T: nsx-01.vmware.local, nsx-02.vmware.local, nsx-03.vmware.local | VIP nsx.vmware.local

Workflow 1 create endpoints:

Login to vCenter
find all management VMs
execute SkylineCLI and create corresponding endpoints

Workflow 2 monitor endpoints and update if required:

SkylineCLI monitor
Skyline CLI update endpoint if necessary

Workflow 3 check if endpoints exist if not create:

list all existing endpoints using SkylineCLI
get all management VMs from VC
compare and add what is not existing in Skyline collector

SkylineCLI Commands:

List all endpoints:

Remark: if no Webhook is provided the action will provide a list of the endpoints including status

1skylinecli --action=monitor_slack --username admin --password PASSWORD --collector COLLECTOR-IP --insecure=true --output=true

Add Endpoint

1skylinecli --action=add --username admin --password PASSWORD --collector COLLECTOR-IP --insecure=true --eptype=VSPHERE --epuser="ENDPOINT-USER" --eppassword="ENDPOINT-PASSWORD" --ep="ENDPOINT-FQDN"

Update vSphere Endpoint

1skylinecli --action=update --username admin --password PASSWORD --collector COLLECTOR-IP --insecure=true --eptype=VSPHERE --epuser="ENDPOINT-USER" --eppassword="ENDPOINT-PASSWORD" --ep="ENDPOINT-FQDN"

Update vROPs Endpoint

1skylinecli --action=update --username admin --password PASSWORD --collector COLLECTOR-IP --insecure=true --eptype=VROPS --epuser="ENDPOINT-USER" --eppassword="ENDPOINT-PASSWORD" --ep="ENDPOINT-FQDN"

Update NSX-T Endpoint

1skylinecli --action=update --username admin --password PASSWORD --collector COLLECTOR-IP --insecure=true --eptype=NSX_T --epuser="ENDPOINT-USER" --eppassword="ENDPOINT-PASSWORD" --ep="ENDPOINT-FQDN"

Update LCM Endpoint

1skylinecli --action=update --username admin --password PASSWORD --collector COLLECTOR-IP --insecure=true --eptype=LCM --epuser="ENDPOINT-USER" --eppassword="ENDPOINT-PASSWORD" --ep="ENDPOINT-FQDN"

Powershell script using PowerCLI and SkylineCLI

Download the script and the json file

1git clone https://github.com/mdhemmi/skyline-endpoint-ops.git

Adjust the config json file based on your environment

Parameter	Description	Example
SkylineCLI	Path to the SkylineCLI binary	/Users/mdhemmi/Documents/skyline-endpoint-ops/skylinecli-darwin-arm64-1.0.5
vcsa	vCenter FQDN	vcsa.vmware.local
SkylineVCUser	vCenter username with Skyline permissions based on docs	skywatcher@vsphere.local
SkylineVCUserPass	Corresponding password	VMware123!
Collector	Skyline collector FQDN	skyline.vmware.local
CollectorUser	Skyline collector user	admin
CollectorUserPass	Corresponding password	VMware123!
vROPsUser	vROPs user for Skyline	skywatcher
vROPsUserPassword	Corresponding password	VMware123!
NSXTUser	NSX-T user (until 3.2 the admin user has to be used)	admin
NSXTPassword	Corresponding password	VMware123!
LCMUser	LCM user for Skyline	admin@local
LCMPassword	Corresponding password	VMware123!
vCenterFilter	Filter string to find vCenter	vc
vROPsFilter	Filter string to find	vrops
NSXTFilter	Filter string to find	nsx
LCMFilter	Filter string to find	lcm

1vi skyline_ops.json

 1{
 2    "SkylineCLI": "/PATH/TO/skylinecli-darwin-arm64-1.0.5",
 3    "vcsa":  "VCENTER-FQDN",
 4    "SkylineVCUser": "skywatcher@vsphere.local",
 5    "SkylineVCUserPass": "VMware123!",
 6    "Collector": "COLLECTOR-FQDN",
 7    "CollectorUser": "admin",
 8    "CollectorUserPass": "VMware123!",
 9    "vROPsUser": "skywatcher",
10    "vROPsUserPassword": "VMware123!",
11    "NSXTUser": "admin",
12    "NSXTPassword": "VMware123!",
13    "vCenterFilter": "vc",
14    "vROPsFilter": "vrops",
15    "NSXTFilter": "nsx",
16    "LCMFilter": "lcm"
17}

Run the powershell script

1./skyline-endpoint-ops.ps1

Example Output if no Endpoints are existing

 1--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 2[11-24-2022_09-38-04] Connect to vCenter vcsa.vmware.local
 3[11-24-2022_09-38-05] Get endpoints from vCenter vcsa.vmware.local
 4[11-24-2022_09-38-05] Get endpoints from Skyline Collector skyline.vmware.local
 5[11-24-2022_09-38-05] Compare Endpoints in Skyline Collector vs. found Endpoints
 6[11-24-2022_09-38-05] vcsa.vmware.local not found in Skyline Collector skyline.vmware.local
 7[11-24-2022_09-38-05] Add Endpoint vcsa.vmware.local in Skyline Collector skyline.vmware.local
 8[11-24-2022_09-38-10] Endpoint created
 9[11-24-2022_09-38-10] vrops.vmware.local not found in Skyline Collector skyline.vmware.local
10[11-24-2022_09-38-10] Add Endpoint vrops.vmware.local in Skyline Collector skyline.vmware.local
11[11-24-2022_09-38-14] Endpoint created
12[11-24-2022_09-38-14] Disconnect from vcsa.vmware.local
13--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Example Output if all Endpoints are working as expected

 1--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 2[11-24-2022_09-36-19] Connect to vCenter vcsa.vmware.local
 3[11-24-2022_09-36-20] Get endpoints from vCenter vcsa.vmware.local
 4[11-24-2022_09-36-21] Get endpoints from Skyline Collector skyline.vmware.local
 5[11-24-2022_09-36-21] Compare Endpoints in Skyline Collector vs. found Endpoints
 6[11-24-2022_09-36-21] Found vcsa.vmware.local in Skyline Collector skyline.vmware.local
 7[11-24-2022_09-36-21] Check status of vcsa.vmware.local in Skyline Collector skyline.vmware.local
 8[11-24-2022_09-36-21] Endpoint status of vcsa.vmware.local is OK
 9[11-24-2022_09-36-21] Found vrops.vmware.local in Skyline Collector skyline.vmware.local
10[11-24-2022_09-36-21] Check status of vrops.vmware.local in Skyline Collector skyline.vmware.local
11[11-24-2022_09-36-21] Endpoint status of vrops.vmware.local is OK
12[11-24-2022_09-36-21] Disconnect from vcsa.vmware.local
13--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------