Invoke-WSManAction command and CIM Object references

Question

Hi,
I am using powershell on my Windows Server 2008 R2 system to invoke a CIM class method that takes a reference object argument. The signature of the method is something like:
uint32 DoSomething([IN, Description(" Does something ")] CIM_LogicalPort ref Target);
The command I use to invoke this method is:
PS C:\Users\Administrator> $list = Get-WSManInstance -Enumerate -ResourceURI "http://schemas.microsoft.com/wbem/wsman/1/wmi/root/****/CIM_FCPort" -ReturnType EPR
PS C:\Users\Administrator>
PS C:\Users\Administrator> invoke-wsmanaction -action DoSomething -resourceuri "http://schemas.microsoft.com/wbem/wsman/1/wmi/root/****/CIM_SoftwareInstallationService" -selectorset @{CreationClassName="CIM_SoftwareInstallationService";Name="CIM_SoftwareInstallationService";SystemCreationClassName="CIM_ComputerSystem";SystemName="testServer"}
-ValueSet @{Target=$($list[0].InnerXml)}
xsi         : http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance
p           : http://schemas.microsoft.com/wbem/wsman/1/wmi/root/****/CIM_SoftwareInstallationService
cim         : http://schemas.dmtf.org/wbem/wscim/1/common
lang        : en-US
ReturnValue : 32968
PS C:\Users\Administrator>
Though the command execution succeeds, the CIM Provider fails as the reference argument passed in the powershell command reaches the provider as NULL.
My questions are:
  1. What is the right way to pass the CIM objects by reference to the methods?
  2. Is the syntax of the commands I am using correct?
Notes:
  - I have tried the same thing with "winrm" and "Invoke-CIMMethod" commands as well, but with the same failure.
  - The same commands seem to have worked for some people in a similar scenario (http://somethingaboutcode.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/invoking-hyper-v-wmi-api-methods-with-reference-parameters-using-ws-management/).
I really appreciate any help on this.
Cheers,
Venu

Answer 1

Hello AnnaWY,
First of all, thanks for the reply.
In fact, that is the link I followed to get my commands and it was very helpful. I think the EPR is reaching the WINRM server as it is supposed to (I have verified it with wireshark capture when executing the command remotely; copy-pasted below), but when
it reaches the CIM Provider, it is NULL. I suspect one of the below might be happening:
  1. WINRM is not able to get the object from the EPR.
  2. WINRM is passing the argument as NULL when invoking the method.
  3. Something could be going wrong during marshalling (?!!).
Is there a way to know which one of the above is the case?
Please note: I have tried enabling the "WMI" and "Windows Remote Management" traces and it didn't help much.
Thanks again,
Venu
REQUEST
<s:Envelope xmlns:s="http://www.w3.org/2003/05/soap-envelope" xmlns:a="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2004/08/addressing" xmlns:p="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wbem/wsman/1/wsman.xsd" xmlns:w="http://schemas.dmtf.org/wbem/wsman/1/wsman.xsd">
    <s:Header>
        <a:To>http://10.192.203.53:5985/wsman</a:To>
        <w:ResourceURI s:mustUnderstand="true">http://schemas.microsoft.com/wbem/wsman/1/wmi/root/****/CIM_SoftwareInstallationService</w:ResourceURI>
        <a:ReplyTo>
            <a:Address s:mustUnderstand="true">http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2004/08/addressing/role/anonymous</a:Address>
        </a:ReplyTo>
        <a:Action s:mustUnderstand="true">http://schemas.microsoft.com/wbem/wsman/1/wmi/root/****/CIM_SoftwareInstallationService/DoSomething</a:Action>
        <w:MaxEnvelopeSize s:mustUnderstand="true">153600</w:MaxEnvelopeSize>
        <a:MessageID>uuid:2A713DC6-F79A-452F-9AA6-D19D9A929C9B</a:MessageID>
        <w:Locale s:mustUnderstand="false" xml:lang="en-US"/>
        <w:OperationTimeout>PT60.000S</w:OperationTimeout>
        <w:SelectorSet>
            <w:Selector Name="CreationClassName">CIM_SoftwareInstallationService</w:Selector>
            <w:Selector Name="Name">CIM_SoftwareInstallationService</w:Selector>
            <w:Selector Name="SystemCreationClassName">CIM_ComputerSystem</w:Selector>
            <w:Selector Name="SystemName">testServer</w:Selector>
        </w:SelectorSet>
    </s:Header>
    <s:Body>
        <p:DoSomething_INPUT xmlns:p="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wbem/wsman/1/wmi/root/****/CIM_SoftwareInstallationService">
            <p:Target>
                <a:Address>http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2004/08/addressing/role/anonymous</a:Address>
                <a:ReferenceParameters>
                    <w:ResourceURI>http://schemas.microsoft.com/wbem/wsman/1/wmi/root/****/CIM_FCPort</w:ResourceURI>
                    <w:SelectorSet>
                        <w:Selector Name="CreationClassName">CIM_FCPort</w:Selector>
                        <w:Selector Name="DeviceID">0000ABCDABCD0000</w:Selector>
                        <w:Selector Name="SystemCreationClassName">CIM_ComputerSystem</w:Selector>
                        <w:Selector Name="SystemName">testServer</w:Selector>
                    </w:SelectorSet>
                </a:ReferenceParameters>
            </p:Target>
        </p:DoSomething_INPUT>
    </s:Body>
</s:Envelope>
RESPONSE
<s:Envelope xml:lang="en-US" xmlns:s="http://www.w3.org/2003/05/soap-envelope" xmlns:a="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2004/08/addressing" xmlns:x="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2004/09/transfer" xmlns:w="http://schemas.dmtf.org/wbem/wsman/1/wsman.xsd"
xmlns:p="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wbem/wsman/1/wsman.xsd">
    <s:Header>
        <a:Action>http://schemas.microsoft.com/wbem/wsman/1/wmi/root/****/CIM_SoftwareInstallationService/DoSomethingResponse</a:Action>
        <a:MessageID>uuid:25561441-A48B-4DDF-B201-BDD00024EC25</a:MessageID>
        <a:To>http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2004/08/addressing/role/anonymous</a:To>
        <a:RelatesTo>uuid:2A713DC6-F79A-452F-9AA6-D19D9A929C9B</a:RelatesTo>
    </s:Header>
    <s:Body>
        <p:DoSomething_OUTPUT xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:p="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wbem/wsman/1/wmi/root/****/CIM_SoftwareInstallationService" xmlns:cim="http://schemas.dmtf.org/wbem/wscim/1/common">
            <p:ReturnValue>32968</p:ReturnValue>
        </p:DoSomething_OUTPUT>
    </s:Body>
</s:Envelope>