Powershell to remotely check server services and start if off.

Question

Bluff:
Looking for a PowerShell script that will do the following:

1. Check that multiple servers are available
2. Remote into each server and check specified services
3. Turn those services on if they are not running

Current script attempt below, but I receive an error at the Start-Service area that "Cannot bind argument to parameter -Name because it's null."

Thank you everyone for your help.

$ServerName = Get-content C:\User\desktop\ServerList
$ServiceList = @("Service1", "Service2")
for each ($Server in $ServerName) {
 if (Test-Connection -ComputerName $Server -Quiet) {
  foreach ($Service in $ServiceList) {
   $ServiceStatus = Get-Service -ComputerName $Server -Name $Service
    if ($ServiceStatus.Status -ne "Running") {
     Write-Host "Service $Service in Server $Server is not running. Attempting to start.."
     Invoke-Command -ComputerName $Server -ScriptBlock {
       Start-Service -Name $Service
   }
  }
 }
} else {
Write-Host "Server $Server is not reachable"
}

Answer 1

Try the following

# Define list of server names and services
$ServerName = Get-Content "C:\User\desktop\ServerList"
$ServiceList = @("Service1", "Service2")
foreach ($Server in $ServerName) {
    # Check if the server is reachable
    if (Test-Connection -ComputerName $Server -Quiet) {
        foreach ($Service in $ServiceList) {
            try {
                # Check the status of the service on the remote server
                $ServiceStatus = Get-Service -ComputerName $Server -Name $Service
                # If the service is not running, attempt to start it
                if ($ServiceStatus.Status -ne "Running") {
                    Write-Host "Service $Service on Server $Server is not running. Attempting to start..."
                    # Start the service remotely using Invoke-Command
                    Invoke-Command -ComputerName $Server -ScriptBlock {
                        param($ServiceName)
                        # Start the service
                        Start-Service -Name $ServiceName
                    } -ArgumentList $Service
                } else {
                    Write-Host "Service $Service on Server $Server is already running."
                }
            } catch {
                Write-Host "Error checking or starting service $Service on Server $Server: $_"
            }
        }
    } else {
        Write-Host "Server $Server is not reachable."
    }
}

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hth

Marcin

Answer 2

The variable $Service doesn't exist on the remote machine.

Change this: Start-Service -Name $Service to this: Start-Service -Name $using:Service.

The effect is to parameterize the contents of the variable inside the script block using the local variable on the source machine.

You should note that the Get-Service -ComputerName does NOT work in PowerShell 7. You should check the status of the services in the script block of the Invoke-Command if you want forward compatibility. That would also decrease runtime in PS5 by not making (and tearing down) as many connections to each remote machine.