PowerCLI module commands fail to execute against vCenter Server

Products

VMware vCenter Server VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

When you execute PowerCLI cmdlets against vCenter Server, the commands fail to complete successfully and return various error messages. Common cmdlets like Get-Tag, Get-VM, or Connect-VIServer produce unexpected errors during normal operations.

These failures occur after:

recent vCenter Server upgrades
PowerCLI module updates
When running automated scripts that previously worked without issues.

The errors prevent you from managing your VMware vSphere environment through PowerCLI, disrupting automation workflows and administrative tasks that depend on these commands.

Environment

• vCenter Server 7.0.x and newer
• PowerCLI 12.3.0 and newer modules running on Windows PowerShell 5.1 or PowerShell Core 7.x

Cause

PowerCLI cmdlet failures occur when the communication between PowerCLI modules and vCenter Server becomes incompatible. The underlying mechanism involves:

Authentication tokens expire between PowerCLI sessions, preventing cmdlets from establishing valid connections to vCenter Server APIs
PowerCLI module versions attempt to invoke API calls using formats that differ from what the current vCenter Server version expects
Certificate validation fails during secure connection attempts when vCenter Server certificates change or PowerCLI certificate settings become misconfigured
API endpoint modifications in vCenter Server updates render older PowerCLI module calls obsolete, causing the server to reject previously functional requests

These conditions result in PowerCLI modules being unable to execute commands successfully, as the expected API communication format no longer matches between client and server.

Resolution

Verify PowerCLI module compatibility with your vCenter Server version at the VMware Interoperability Matrix:
```
get-module -listavailable -name VMware*
```

Update PowerCLI modules to the latest version:

get-module -listavailable -name VMware*
Update-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI

Clear existing PowerCLI configuration and stored credentials:
```
Get-VICredentialStoreItem | Remove-VICredentialStoreItem
```

Set certificate validation preferences for your environment:

Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -Confirm:$false

Reconnect to vCenter Server with explicit credentials:

Connect-VIServer -Server <vCenter_FQDN> -Credential (Get-Credential)

Test the problematic cmdlet in isolation:
```
Get-VM
Get-Tag
```
You can also try running the following command immediately after a failure to see if it shows any additional exception details:
```
$error[0].exception | select *
```
If the errors persist, enable verbose logging and capture error details:
```
$VerbosePreference = "Continue"
$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
```

Generate an error report for further analysis:

Get-ErrorReport -Destination "C:\error-reports" -ProblemDescription "Cmdlet failure"

Review the error report output and check for specific API compatibility issues or authentication failures.
If the issue remains unresolved, collect vCenter Server logs from the timeframe when cmdlets fail for correlation with PowerCLI errors.

Workaround:

If immediate resolution is needed while troubleshooting continues:

Use REST API calls directly through `Invoke-RestMethod` as an alternative to PowerCLI cmdlets
Downgrade to a previously working PowerCLI version that matches your vCenter Server version:
```
   Install-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI -RequiredVersion 12.3.0 -Force
```
Execute cmdlets from a different workstation or PowerShell environment to isolate environmental factors.

Additional Information

For more information, see:

PowerCLI Cmdlet Reference Documentation - Complete reference guide for all available PowerCLI cmdlets and their parameters
VMware PowerCLI Installation and Configuration Guide - Detailed instructions for installing and configuring PowerCLI modules
VMware Product Interoperability Matrix - Verify compatibility between PowerCLI versions and vCenter Server releases
Collecting vCenter Server Log Bundles - Steps to gather diagnostic logs from vCenter Server for troubleshooting
Uploading Diagnostic Information to Broadcom Support - Instructions for providing log files to support cases