We all have ideas we all come up with daily based on customer interactions, self-learning or working with engineering. But the chance to make one of those ideas a reality is sometimes hard and they tend to end up in a notebook or whiteboard and no progress made. Ever quarter at Pure Storage we hold an internal Hackathon that encourages anyone to participate and create something unique. One of our corporate values is called “Customer First” which is all about creating a solution that focuses on providing business value to our customers and partners. Now that can mean a wide variety of things but the core concept is all about enabling
Our Hackathon’s are held over a 2-day period in a common area to allow teams to collaborate on their ideas. I always try to participant but sometimes it is just not possible with project timelines. But this one I just couldn’t pass up to work on my idea I’ve had in my notebook for 5 months.
Project Idea
FlashArray Management and Auto-Script Generation for PowerShell ISE. The key here is Auto-Script Generation by visually being able to view the different objects of the FlashArray and simply click on them to create a working script that can then be furthered built out or shared.
Objectives
- Create a tool that helps customers/partners auto-generate script code.
- Provide an integration example for how developers & scripters can add support for FlashArray.
Features
- Ability to add multiple FlashArray’s in the ISE Add-on to manage.
- Retrieve FlashArray information
- Array attributes — Name, Purity version, REST version, username and role.
- Hosts — Name, connectivity protocol and # of ports.
- Volumes — Name and # of snapshots.
- Snapshots — Name
- Automatically generate the script as users click on objects in the GUI.
PowerShell ISE Add-on: Streamlining FlashArray Management and Scripting
The PowerShell ISE Add-on is an innovative tool designed to simplify the management of Pure Storage FlashArray systems while empowering users to quickly generate scripts for automation. Developed during an internal Pure Storage Hackathon, this add-on exemplifies the company’s commitment to its “Customer First” value, focusing on delivering practical, business-driven solutions for customers and partners.
Streamlining FlashArray Management
The add-on integrates seamlessly with PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE), providing a user-friendly interface to manage multiple FlashArray systems. Users can add and manage multiple arrays within the tool, retrieve critical FlashArray information, and explore array attributes such as names, Purity versions, REST versions, usernames, and roles. Additionally, the tool provides detailed insights into hosts, volumes, and snapshots, making it easier to navigate and manage FlashArray configurations without needing to write code from scratch.
By offering a consolidated view of FlashArray objects, including hosts (with connectivity protocols and port counts), volumes (with snapshot counts), and snapshots, the add-on ensures administrators can access the data they need efficiently. This not only improves operational visibility but also reduces the complexity of managing storage infrastructure.
Accelerating Automation with Auto-Script Generation
One of the standout features of the PowerShell ISE Add-on is its Auto-Script Generation capability. This feature allows users to visually explore FlashArray objects through a graphical interface and automatically generate PowerShell scripts by simply clicking on the desired objects. The generated scripts serve as a starting point, enabling users to customize and expand them as needed.
This functionality dramatically accelerates script creation for common administrative tasks, reducing the time and effort required to develop automation workflows. Whether you’re a developer integrating FlashArray capabilities into custom tools or a storage administrator automating routine tasks, the PowerShell ISE Add-on offers a streamlined and intuitive way to generate actionable scripts.
Empowering Developers and Scripters
Beyond its immediate benefits for storage administrators, the PowerShell ISE Add-on provides an excellent example of how developers and scripters can extend support for FlashArray within their environments. By simplifying script creation and demonstrating integration best practices, the tool serves as a valuable resource for those looking to harness the full potential of Pure Storage solutions through PowerShell automation.
The PowerShell ISE Add-on is a prime example of innovation driven by customer needs and internal collaboration. With its combination of ease of use, powerful functionality, and time-saving features, this tool underscores Pure Storage’s commitment to delivering meaningful value and empowering users to achieve more with their FlashArray systems.
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