topic Re: Using Powershell to set Multiple timed.servers with variables in Microsoft Virtualization Discussions

Using Powershell to set Multiple timed.servers with variables

kramanella — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 23:41:33 GMT

Having an issue using PowerShell to set 3 timed.servers which are defined in a variable.

Running the commands:

$TimeServers = "IPaddress1,IPaddress2,IPaddress3"

Set-NaOption -OptionName timed.servers -OptionValue $TimeServers

Thanks in advance!

Re: Using Powershell to set Multiple timed.servers with variables

Aparajita — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 10:08:43 GMT

What is the error you see?

I suspect if you initialize the string as $timeServers = '"IP1,IP2,IP3"' (note the value of the string becomes "IP1,IP2,IP3" and that value is enclosed in single '), it will work.

Re: Using Powershell to set Multiple timed.servers with variables

kramanella — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 17:08:15 GMT

So my goal is to only change one variable in one location in the script, as a result I have nested variables. Here's a more complete view into what I'm trying to accomplish:

# this is the only variable to change

$subnet = "xx"

$TimeServers = "xxx.xx.$subnet.50,xxx.xx.$subnet.51,xxx.xx.$subnet.2"

Set-NaOption -OptionName timed.servers -OptionValue $TimeServers

The output of Write-Host $TimeServers looks good, 3 comma seperated ip addresses with

Here's the error message when the script runs:

Set-NaOption : Unable to set option: timed.servers
At P:\My Documents\WindowsPowerShell\timed_servers.ps1:57 char:1
+ Set-NaOption -OptionName timed.servers -OptionValue $TimeServers
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation: (xxx.xx.xx.xx:NaController) [Set-NaOption], EAPIERROR
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : ApiException,DataONTAP.PowerShell.SDK.Cmdlets.Options.SetNaOption

Re: Using Powershell to set Multiple timed.servers with variables

mbeattie — Sat, 25 Jul 2015 07:13:43 GMT

Hi,

The Set-NaOption CmdLet -optionvalue parameter expects a string and it shouldn't matter if that's a comma delimited string containing multiple IP Addresses. I noticed that whilst the cmdlet thows an error it does actually set the option value for all servers so this seems like it could be a bug (IMO). It might be possible to invoke the API using "Invoke-NaSystemApi" but I checked the ZAPI and noticed this also fails using ZExplore from the SDK:

ZAPI Request:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<netapp xmlns="http://www.netapp.com/filer/admin" version="1.21">
<options-set>
<name>timed.servers</name>
<value>192.168.100.10,192.168.100.11,192.168.100.12</value>
</options-set>
</netapp>

ZAPI Results:

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' ?>
<netapp version='1.1' xmlns='http://www.netapp.com/filer/admin'>
    
   <results reason='Unable to set option: timed.servers' errno='13001' status='failed'>
       <cluster-constraint>same_preferred</cluster-constraint>
       <cluster_constraint>same_preferred</cluster_constraint>
       <message>1 entry was deleted.
</message>
   </results>
</netapp>

So i think the options are either using the "Set-NaOption" cmdlet with the -SilentlyContinue parameter or the "Invoke-NaSsh" cmdlet with -ErrorAction stop.

As a work around i'd recommend something like:

[String]$servers = "192.168.100.10,192.168.100.11,192.168.100.12"
[String]$command = "options timed.servers $servers"
Try{
   Invoke-NaSsh -Command $command -ErrorAction Stop
   Write-Host "Executed Command: $command"
}Catch{
   Write-Warning -Message $("Failed Executing Command: $command. Error " + $_.Exception.Message)
}

Hope that helps

/matt

Re: Using Powershell to set Multiple timed.servers with variables

Aparajita — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 04:29:21 GMT

Ahh, from Matt's observations and my own experiments, this looks like a bug in the zapi.

The first time I try setting multiple time servers, the zapi reports an error but sets it correctly none-the-less. If I repeat the same zapi call one more time, the call returns success. Same behavior is repeated when using the PSTK cmdlets as well - since they internally call the zapi.

Another alternate (to Matt's) workaround is to run the Set-NaOption with ErrorAction set as 'SilentlyContinue' and then use the Get-NaOption to check if timeserver was set correctly. If not set correctly, the script should throw an error.