Consistency is king. Either consistently broken, or consistently working, automation will help you get there.
PowerShell has come a long way. Early on I avoided it and I’m happy I did that. Still to this day, we don’t have a consistent version of PowerShell across our servers. Execution policies are broken. All the code examples online didn’t provide me with a simple way to do the garbage in, garbage out data processing I needed. Time and time again, my first couple attempts would work, then I would find that some servers just wouldn’t cooperate. Error handling was a bear. But there were so many blind fans out there who would look down their nose at me I started to wonder if I was in the wrong.
Fast forward five more years and PowerShell has gotten a lot better. Working with rest APIs, tight integration with VMware, SharePoint, Exchange, and easy .csv manipulation got me started and learning the language. But even today, we still don’t have an elegant way to manage data with SQL Server.
The power is in the “|” for most things PowerShell. With great power, comes terrible error handing. Most things I will end up doing don’t really need to pipe data from one cmdlet to another so I’ve tossed in the towel for now.
Getting Started…
First, get administrator on your windows machine.
Then, lets get the latest bits. SQL Server 2016 Developer Edition is now free. That really helps us bloggers and speakers not have to load up a 180 day evaluation edition and then find out it has run out right before our talk. SSMS is also free
After checking out your local instance and connecting with SSMS to make sure you did everything right, lets enable powershell by doing the dreadful execution policy changes and module import.
Run powershell as administrator and these two commands. The first one giving you some information to switch it back if needed.
Get-ExecutionPolicy
Set-ExecutionPolicy unrestricted
For the remainder we can run without administrator. I’d suggest opening up the Windows PowerShell ISE and you can get some syntax highlighting in the top Script window. To do anything with SQL we’ll want to run this command
Import-Module SqlServer
Phew! That was a lot of setup.
Lets actually write some code!
I am not a fan of one liners. Its great in a conversation to say that was 1 line of code to trivialize the complexity but we are realist here and we are going to use some variables so we don’t have to feel like we are reading the worlds longest run-on sentence.
$ConnectionString = 'Server=localhost;Database=VMDB;Trusted_Connection=true'
$sql = 'SELECT name,physical_name FROM sys.database_files'
$results = Invoke-Sqlcmd -ConnectionString $ConnectionString -Query $sql
If the stars have aligned, after you run those three commands, you will have some results in the $results variable. Lets take a look at the results.
$results.name[0]
Taking a look at the query, we are getting 4 cells back if the database you have in your connection string has the default of 2 files, we get 2 rows in our $results variable. We also get a file “name” and a “physical_name” column. So we can reference the column by name, and the row, assuming we know the number of the row we want with an integer.
Making it useful by accepting variables…
Lets take a look at adding a dynamic where clause. I’d like to filter on the name column by whatever the user wants me to. In this example we will build the query string by asking for input with read-host.
$filename = read-host "Enter database file logical name"
$ConnectionString = 'Server=localhost;Database=VMDB;Trusted_Connection=true'
$sql = "SELECT name,physical_name FROM sys.database_files WHERE name = '$filename'"
$results = Invoke-Sqlcmd -ConnectionString $ConnectionString -Query $sql
$results
This is what I love about blogging. I can act like I got that right on the first try! I did not. Not even the second try, or third. I’m not going to mention how many tries it took. That said it is fairly easy with one catch, the quotes.
This particular problem(debatable) with PowerShell makes it rather tricky to build a string with a variable. Notice my two strings $ConnectionString and $sql are either surrounded in single quotes or double quotes? The double quotes allow me to include single quotes in the string. I also get to include the variable $filename and not get the literal “$filename” but instead the variable value.
Summary
This code is crap. You should not allow a user to free form enter text into a query string. That allows for SQL injection. In my case, the scripts I need will be protected and I will be the user so it is not a concern.
Appendix
I changed my mind, I am going to include the embarrassing details which is my PowerShell command window I used to write this blog. I find it hilarious to make fun of my coworkers when I see their screen full of red text on a blue background.
I figured I’d include the text too in case someone is search for errors.
PS C:\Users> $ConnectionString = ‘Server=localhost;Database=VMDB;Trusted_Connection=true’
$sql = ‘SELECT name,physical_name FROM sys.database_files’
Invoke-Sqlcmd -ConnectionString $ConnectionString -Query $sql
Invoke-Sqlcmd : The ‘Invoke-Sqlcmd’ command was found in the module ‘SqlServer’, but the module could not be loaded. For more information, run ‘Import-Module SqlServer’.
At line:3 char:1
+ Invoke-Sqlcmd -ConnectionString $ConnectionString -Query $sql
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : ObjectNotFound: (Invoke-Sqlcmd:String) [], CommandNotFoundException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : CouldNotAutoloadMatchingModule
PS C:\Users> Add-PSSnapin SqlServerCmdletSnapin100
Add-PSSnapin SqlServerProviderSnapin100
Add-PSSnapin : The Windows PowerShell snap-in ‘SqlServerCmdletSnapin100’ is not installed on this computer.
At line:1 char:1
+ Add-PSSnapin SqlServerCmdletSnapin100
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (SqlServerCmdletSnapin100:String) [Add-PSSnapin], PSArgumentException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : AddPSSnapInRead,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.AddPSSnapinCommand
Add-PSSnapin : The Windows PowerShell snap-in ‘SqlServerProviderSnapin100’ is not installed on this computer.
At line:2 char:1
+ Add-PSSnapin SqlServerProviderSnapin100
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (SqlServerProviderSnapin100:String) [Add-PSSnapin], PSArgumentException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : AddPSSnapInRead,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.AddPSSnapinCommand
PS C:\Users> import-module SqlServer
import-module : File C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\SqlServer\SqlServer.ps1 cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled on this system. For more
information, see about_Execution_Policies at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=135170.
At line:1 char:1
+ import-module SqlServer
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : SecurityError: (:) [Import-Module], PSSecurityException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : UnauthorizedAccess,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.ImportModuleCommand
PS C:\Users> Set-ExecutionPolicy unsigned
Set-ExecutionPolicy : Cannot bind parameter ‘ExecutionPolicy’. Cannot convert value “unsigned” to type “Microsoft.PowerShell.ExecutionPolicy”. Error: “Unable to match
the identifier name unsigned to a valid enumerator name. Specify one of the following enumerator names and try again:
Unrestricted, RemoteSigned, AllSigned, Restricted, Default, Bypass, Undefined”
At line:1 char:21
+ Set-ExecutionPolicy unsigned
+ ~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (:) [Set-ExecutionPolicy], ParameterBindingException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : CannotConvertArgumentNoMessage,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.SetExecutionPolicyCommand
PS C:\Users> Get-ExecutionPolicy
Restricted
PS C:\Users> Set-ExecutionPolicy unrestricted
Set-ExecutionPolicy : Access to the registry key ‘HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PowerShell\1\ShellIds\Microsoft.PowerShell’ is denied. To change the execution
policy for the default (LocalMachine) scope, start Windows PowerShell with the “Run as administrator” option. To change the execution policy for the current user, run
“Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser”.
At line:1 char:1
+ Set-ExecutionPolicy unrestricted
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : PermissionDenied: (:) [Set-ExecutionPolicy], UnauthorizedAccessException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : System.UnauthorizedAccessException,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.SetExecutionPolicyCommand
PS C:\Users> import-module SqlServer
PS C:\Users> Add-PSSnapin SqlServerCmdletSnapin100
Add-PSSnapin SqlServerProviderSnapin100
Add-PSSnapin : The Windows PowerShell snap-in ‘SqlServerCmdletSnapin100’ is not installed on this computer.
At line:1 char:1
+ Add-PSSnapin SqlServerCmdletSnapin100
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (SqlServerCmdletSnapin100:String) [Add-PSSnapin], PSArgumentException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : AddPSSnapInRead,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.AddPSSnapinCommand
Add-PSSnapin : The Windows PowerShell snap-in ‘SqlServerProviderSnapin100’ is not installed on this computer.
At line:2 char:1
+ Add-PSSnapin SqlServerProviderSnapin100
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (SqlServerProviderSnapin100:String) [Add-PSSnapin], PSArgumentException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : AddPSSnapInRead,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.AddPSSnapinCommand
PS C:\Users> $ConnectionString = ‘Server=localhost;Database=VMDB;Trusted_Connection=true’
$sql = ‘SELECT name,physical_name FROM sys.database_files’
Invoke-Sqlcmd -ConnectionString $ConnectionString -Query $sql
name physical_name
—- ————-
VMDB C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL13.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\DATA\VMDB.mdf
VMDB_log C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL13.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\DATA\VMDB_log.ldf
PS C:\Users> $results=Invoke-Sqlcmd -ConnectionString $ConnectionString -Query $sql
PS C:\Users> $results
name physical_name
—- ————-
VMDB C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL13.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\DATA\VMDB.mdf
VMDB_log C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL13.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\DATA\VMDB_log.ldf
PS C:\Users> $results.name
VMDB
VMDB_log
PS C:\Users> $results.name[0]
VMDB
PS C:\Users> $ConnectionString = ‘Server=localhost;Database=VMDB;’
PS C:\Users> Invoke-Sqlcmd -ConnectionString $ConnectionString -Query $sql
Invoke-Sqlcmd : Login failed for user ”.
At line:1 char:1
+ Invoke-Sqlcmd -ConnectionString $ConnectionString -Query $sql
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation: (:) [Invoke-Sqlcmd], SqlException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : SqlExectionError,Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.PowerShell.GetScriptCommand
Invoke-Sqlcmd :
At line:1 char:1
+ Invoke-Sqlcmd -ConnectionString $ConnectionString -Query $sql
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : ParserError: (:) [Invoke-Sqlcmd], ParserException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : ExecutionFailureException,Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.PowerShell.GetScriptCommand
PS C:\Users> $filename = read-host “Enter database file logical name: ”
Enter database file logical name: : VMDB_log
PS C:\Users> $filename
VMDB_log
PS C:\Users> $filename = read-host “Enter database file logical name”
$ConnectionString = ‘Server=localhost;Database=VMDB;Trusted_Connection=true’
$sql = ‘SELECT name,physical_name FROM sys.database_files WHERE name = $filename’
$results = Invoke-Sqlcmd -ConnectionString $ConnectionString -Query $sql
Enter database file logical name: VMDB_log
Invoke-Sqlcmd : Invalid pseudocolumn “$filename”.
At line:4 char:12
+ $results = Invoke-Sqlcmd -ConnectionString $ConnectionString -Query $ …
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation: (:) [Invoke-Sqlcmd], SqlPowerShellSqlExecutionException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : SqlError,Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.PowerShell.GetScriptCommand
PS C:\Users> $filename = read-host “Enter database file logical name”
$ConnectionString = ‘Server=localhost;Database=VMDB;Trusted_Connection=true’
$sql = ‘SELECT name,physical_name FROM sys.database_files WHERE name = ‘ + $filename
$results = Invoke-Sqlcmd -ConnectionString $ConnectionString -Query $sql
Enter database file logical name: VMDB_log
Invoke-Sqlcmd : Invalid column name ‘VMDB_log’.
At line:4 char:12
+ $results = Invoke-Sqlcmd -ConnectionString $ConnectionString -Query $ …
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation: (:) [Invoke-Sqlcmd], SqlPowerShellSqlExecutionException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : SqlError,Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.PowerShell.GetScriptCommand
PS C:\Users> $sql
SELECT name,physical_name FROM sys.database_files WHERE name = VMDB_log
PS C:\Users> $sql = ‘SELECT name,physical_name FROM sys.database_files WHERE name = ”$filename”
The string is missing the terminator: ‘.
+ CategoryInfo : ParserError: (:) [], ParentContainsErrorRecordException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : TerminatorExpectedAtEndOfString
PS C:\Users> $sql = ‘SELECT name,physical_name FROM sys.database_files WHERE name = ”’$filename”’
The string is missing the terminator: ‘.
+ CategoryInfo : ParserError: (:) [], ParentContainsErrorRecordException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : TerminatorExpectedAtEndOfString
PS C:\Users> $sql = ‘SELECT name,physical_name FROM sys.database_files WHERE name = `’$filename`’
At line:1 char:74
+ … name,physical_name FROM sys.database_files WHERE name = `’$filename`’
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~
Unexpected token ‘$filename`” in expression or statement.
At line:1 char:83
+ … name,physical_name FROM sys.database_files WHERE name = `’$filename`’
+ ~~
Unexpected token ‘`” in expression or statement.
+ CategoryInfo : ParserError: (:) [], ParentContainsErrorRecordException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : UnexpectedToken
PS C:\Users> $sql = ‘SELECT name,physical_name FROM sys.database_files WHERE name = `’$filename`”
The string is missing the terminator: ‘.
+ CategoryInfo : ParserError: (:) [], ParentContainsErrorRecordException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : TerminatorExpectedAtEndOfString
PS C:\Users> $temp = ‘this is ” a quote’
PS C:\Users> $temp
this is ‘ a quote
PS C:\Users> $sql = ‘SELECT name,physical_name FROM sys.database_files WHERE name = ”$filename”
The string is missing the terminator: ‘.
+ CategoryInfo : ParserError: (:) [], ParentContainsErrorRecordException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : TerminatorExpectedAtEndOfString
PS C:\Users> $sql = ‘SELECT name,physical_name FROM sys.database_files WHERE name = ”$filename”’
PS C:\Users> $sql
SELECT name,physical_name FROM sys.database_files WHERE name = ‘$filename’
PS C:\Users> $filename = read-host “Enter database file logical name”
$ConnectionString = ‘Server=localhost;Database=VMDB;Trusted_Connection=true’
$sql = ‘SELECT name,physical_name FROM sys.database_files WHERE name = ”$filename”’
$results = Invoke-Sqlcmd -ConnectionString $ConnectionString -Query $sql
Enter database file logical name: VMDB
PS C:\Users>
PS C:\Users> $results
PS C:\Users> $sql
SELECT name,physical_name FROM sys.database_files WHERE name = ‘$filename’
PS C:\Users> $filename = read-host “Enter database file logical name”
$ConnectionString = ‘Server=localhost;Database=VMDB;Trusted_Connection=true’
$sql = ‘SELECT name,physical_name FROM sys.database_files WHERE name = ”’ + $filename + ”’
$results = Invoke-Sqlcmd -ConnectionString $ConnectionString -Query $sql
The string is missing the terminator: ‘.
+ CategoryInfo : ParserError: (:) [], ParentContainsErrorRecordException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : TerminatorExpectedAtEndOfString
PS C:\Users> $sql = “SELECT name,physical_name FROM sys.database_files WHERE name = ‘$filename'”
PS C:\Users> $sql
SELECT name,physical_name FROM sys.database_files WHERE name = ‘VMDB’
PS C:\Users> $results = Invoke-Sqlcmd -ConnectionString $ConnectionString -Query $sql
PS C:\Users> $results
name physical_name
—- ————-
VMDB C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL13.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\DATA\VMDB.mdf
PS C:\Users>
