Powershell run on aws machine

Question

Hi,
I'm a beginner!
I would like to know if it is possible to run a PowerShell script on my machine since the data is on an AWS server. The script is simple but it doesn't run.
Get-ChildItem -Path "\awsdisk\PDF\ ExecutionLogs\pdf.log" -Recurse | where-Object {$ _. LastWriteTime -gt '2020-09-06 00:00:00' -and $ _. LastWriteTime -lt '2020-09-21 00:00:00'} | Select-String -Pattern 'Error happened during downloading test components: due to:' -CaseSensitive -SimpleMatch | Out-File c:\ ritaaws\result01.txt

To test the script I used my machine's c:\ disk, and the result was instantaneous.

I ask for your help, is the command line wrong? To run a Powershell script on an AWS server do I need to add any parameters to the script? I am waiting for your answer. Thank you, Rita

Answer 1

I think you've misunderstood the example I posted. The code in the 1st example:

$x=gci C:\junk\evt.xml
($x.lastwritetime).gettype()

Was intended to show you that the LastWriteTime isn't a string object, but a DateTime object and that trying to use a string when attempting to compare the value of a DateTime object is incorrect.

Your script should look something like this:

Get-ChildItem -Path \\awsdisk\PDF\ExecutionLogs -Recurse -File | 
    Where-Object {($_.LastWriteTime -gt [DateTime]'2020-09-06 00:00:00') -and ($_.LastWriteTime -lt [DateTime]'2020-09-21 00:00:00')} | 
        Select-String -Pattern 'Error happened during downloading test components: due to:' -CaseSensitive -SimpleMatch | 
            Out-File c:\ritaaws\result01.txt

Answer 2

Hi,

Please use $_ to represent the current object. The property should be $_.LastWriteTime, not $.LastWriteTime.

Best Regards,
Ian

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Answer 3

Hi Ian,
Thank you for your answer. Sorry, I didn't notice that when copying and pasting that the property had become incorrect. I am executing the script with the property written correctly, it is displayed in green.
Get-ChildItem -Path "\awsdisk\PDF\ ExecutionLogs\pdf.log" -Recurse | where-Object {$. LastWriteTime -gt '2020-09-06 00:00:00' -and $. LastWriteTime -lt '2020-09-21 00:00:00'} | Select-String -Pattern 'Error happened during downloading test components: due to:' -CaseSensitive -SimpleMatch | Out-File c:\ ritaaws\result01.txt
I tried to make the copy-paste again and it doesn't appear as a property. When editing the text it appears, but when saved it is not displayed as a property. Can you tell me what I need to do? Please see the image
Best Regards, Rita

Answer 4

The property "LastWriteTime" isn't a string and you shouldn't be using string comparisons with such objects.

It you were to examine that property on one of those files you'd see:

$x=gci C:\junk\evt.xml
($x.lastwritetime).gettype()

IsPublic IsSerial Name                                     BaseType
-------- -------- ----                                     --------
True     True     DateTime                                 System.ValueType

Continuing with that file above, casting your string to a DateTime object produces the desired results:

$x.lastwritetime -lt [DateTime]"10/1/2020 00:00:00"
False

$x.lastwritetime -lt [DateTime]"10/1/2020 11:00:00"
True

In the future, if you're going to post code, please use the icon in the formatting toolbar. It's the one that has the "101" and "010" image. That'll make your code much more readable.

Answer 5

Hi RichMatheisen,
I appreciate your answer and your attention to my problem. Thank you.
This is my first script after taking the course. But based on your answer, I'm rewriting the script and testing, step by step.
I was able to verify that I can read the folders and subfolders and list the pdf.log file, without the filters until this moment.
I was unable to apply this suggested part of the code to my script $x=gci "\\awsdisk\PDF\ExecutionLogs\" ($x.lastwritetime).gettype(), I tried it in many ways but without success.