powershell grep to query txt files on remote hosts

#remote host must enable powershell remote management
#you can run Enable-PSRemoting -force to enable powershell remote

# for single host
$cren = Get-Credential
invoke-command -computer server  -Credential $cren -ScriptBlock {Select-String c:\2.text}

$ for many single host
$comp = get-content c:\computers.txt
$s = new-pssession -computername $comp
invoke-command -session $s -ScriptBlock  {Select-String c:\2.text}

thx...so your suggestion works if the remote host has powershell installed. How about if powershell isnt installed? Is there a way then? Similar to the WMI technology...you can do Get-ChildItem on the local computer, but Get-ChildItem wouldn't work on the remote host. However, you could accomplish the same result of Get-ChildItem using WMI queries on the remote host.

Why do you think PS cannot access remote files? You only need to allow for admin shares (c$ and the like), and appropriate credentials to use them. Get-Content does not care whether the "file" is remote, local or a registry hive.

I was under the assumption it wouldnt work. Do you have a sample script I could try?

If you do not need to provide credentials, then it is as easy as
  get-content \\remotePC\c$\temp\example.txt

Ok lets assume credentials are needed

$cred = Get-Credential
New-PSDrive -Name RemoteDrive -PSProvider FileSystem -Root \\remotePC\c$\temp -Credentials $cred
get-content RemoteDrive:\example.txt
Remove-PSDrive RemoteDrive

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Tried it...

Get-Content: Cannot find drive. A drive with the name 'RemoteDrive' does not exist.

Screenshots of what I'm getting

There was a type on the "-Credential" parameter....fixed now, but still not working. I must pass the credentials via the script vs. Get-Credential. This works for my other scripts.


relative path: X:\utils\logs
absolute path: \\MCCLANE\c$\utils\logs
1.png
2.png
3.png

Looks like the provider FileSystem does not like any -credentials parameter. Of course this is the only feature I did not check. Sigh.

We will have to use COM methods then:

$password = Get-Content "C:\scripts\password.txt" | ConvertTo-SecureString
$drive = new-object -com wscript.network
$drive.MapNetworkDrive("X:", "\\MCCLANE\c$\utils\logs", $false, "domain\administrator", $password)
get-content X:\example.txt
$drive.RemoveNetworkDrive("X:")

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For an explanation of the MapNetworkDrive method see e.g. http://ss64.com/vb/drivemap.html .
I don't know whether you need the ConvertTo-SecureString here. That depends on your text file.

I only changed X: for Y:...and here's what I get.



Exception calling "MapNetworkDrive" with "5" argument(s): "Type mismatch.
"
At C:\Users\ramon.alvarez\AppData\Local\Temp\5193195e-c50d-4cb1-82b2-31f15aa11697.ps1:3 char:23
+ $drive.MapNetworkDrive <<<< ("Y:", "\\MCCLANE\c$\utils\logs", $false, "domain\administrator", $password)
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodInvocationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ComMethodTargetInvocation
 
Get-Content : Cannot find path 'Y:\bytecount.txt' because it does not exist.
At C:\Users\ramon.alvarez\AppData\Local\Temp\5193195e-c50d-4cb1-82b2-31f15aa11697.ps1:4 char:12
+ get-content <<<<  Y:\bytecount.txt
    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (Y:\bytecount.txt:String) [Get-Content], ItemNotFoundException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : PathNotFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.GetContentCommand

Try to use the plain password instead of the SecureString one.

This ended up being the best way for me to map a network drive.