Bulk Removing VIBs During the Transition to vLCM

Problem

When transitioning environments from vSphere Baselines to vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM), certain legacy components may need to be removed from hosts.

One common example is the VMware Tools VIB (tools-light). In environments where VMware Tools are managed differently, or when preparing clusters for image-based lifecycle management, this VIB must be removed.

In small environments this might not be a big deal. But in larger clusters the reality quickly becomes painful:

Dozens of ESXi hosts need modification
Each host must be checked individually
The VIB must be verified before removal
The process often involves SSH access to every host

Manually repeating this process across multiple hosts is tedious, time consuming, and prone to human error.

There had to be a better way.

Troubleshooting

The first approach most administrators take is the traditional route:

SSH into each ESXi host
Run esxcli software vib list
Verify whether the VIB is installed
Execute esxcli software vib remove -n tools-light

While this works, it introduces several problems:

Time consumption: Performing this operation across large clusters can take hours
Operational overhead: Enabling and managing SSH access on hosts is often undesirable
Human error: Running commands manually increases the risk of mistakes
Inconsistent results: Hosts may be skipped or handled differently

Since PowerCLI already provides access to ESXi host functionality through the ESXCLI interface, automation becomes the logical solution.

Solution

To simplify the process I created a PowerShell script called:

Bulk-Remover-Vibs (BRV)

The script removes a specific VIB from all hosts in a cluster, without requiring SSH access to individual hosts.

Instead it:

Connects directly to vCenter
Enumerates all hosts in the specified cluster
Checks whether the target VIB exists
Removes it if present
Reports the result per host

This allows administrators to perform the operation across an entire cluster in seconds.

Script Functionality

The BRV script automates the following workflow:

Connects to the specified vCenter Server
Retrieves the cluster object
Enumerates all connected ESXi hosts
Uses Get-EsxCli (V2) to interact with the host software stack
Checks whether the target VIB exists on each host
Removes the VIB if it is present
Provides clear output showing success or status messages
Handles errors through try/catch blocks
Gracefully disconnects from vCenter after execution

Key design considerations included:

Avoiding SSH access
Ensuring safe execution
Providing clear feedback during execution
Allowing repeated runs without causing issues

.Bulk-Remover-Vibs.ps1 -vCenter "vcenter.local.domain" -ClusterName "test-cl01" -TargetVib "tools-light"

Example output:

VIB 'tools-light' gevonden op esx01.local. Verwijderen gestart...
[SUCCESS] esx01.local: Operation finished successfully.

VIB 'tools-light' gevonden op esx02.local. Verwijderen gestart...
[SUCCESS] esx02.local: Operation finished successfully.

Host esx03.local: VIB niet gevonden.

Real-World Implementation

Scenario: Migrating a cluster from Baselines to vLCM image-based lifecycle management.

Before using this script:

Hosts required manual SSH access
Commands had to be executed individually
The process took 30–60 minutes per cluster

After implementing the script:

Entire cluster processed automatically
No SSH required
Execution time reduced to seconds

This significantly simplifies preparing clusters for vLCM image compliance.

Benefits

Using this script provides several advantages:

Time savings: Remove VIBs across clusters within seconds
Consistency: Ensures all hosts are processed the same way
Security: No need to enable SSH on hosts
Automation ready: Easily integrated into operational workflows
Safe execution: Only removes the VIB when it actually exists
Clear logging: Immediate feedback per host

Complete Script

 <#
.SYNOPSIS
Script: Bulk-Remover-Vibs (BRV)
Version: 1.0
Date: March 12, 2026
Author: Kabir Ali - [email protected]
Description: This script removes VIBs from all hosts in a cluster without the need to SSH into every single host

Version history:
0.1 - March 12, 2026 - Initial version
1.0 - March 12, 2026 - Validated by customer

.EXAMPLE
.Bulk-Remover-Vibs.ps1 -vCenter "vcenter.local.domain" -ClusterName "test-cl01" -TargetVib "tools-light"
#>

[CmdletBinding()]
param (
    [Parameter(Mandatory = $true, HelpMessage = "De FQDN van de vCenter server.")]
    [string]$vCenter,

    [Parameter(Mandatory = $true, HelpMessage = "Naam van het cluster waar de hosts in staan.")]
    [string]$ClusterName,

    [Parameter(Mandatory = $false)]
    [string]$TargetVib = "tools-light",

    [Parameter(Mandatory = $false)]
    [switch]$Force # Optioneel: voor als je later destructievere acties wilt forceren
)

process {
    try {
        # 1. Connectiviteit checken
        if ($global:DefaultVIServer.Name -notcontains $vCenter) {
            Write-Verbose "Verbinding maken met $vCenter..."
            Connect-VIServer -Server $vCenter -ErrorAction Stop
        }

        # 2. Cluster object ophalen
        $cluster = Get-Cluster -Name $ClusterName -ErrorAction Stop
        $esxHosts = $cluster | Get-VMHost | Where-Object { $_.ConnectionState -eq "Connected" }

        if (-not $esxHosts) {
            Write-Warning "Geen actieve hosts gevonden in cluster $ClusterName."
            return
        }

        # 3. Iteratie over de hosts
        foreach ($esx in $esxHosts) {
            $esxcli = Get-EsxCli -VMHost $esx -V2
            
            # Gebruik de .Where() methode voor snelheid
            $vib = $esxcli.software.vib.list.Invoke().Where({$_.Name -eq $TargetVib})

            if ($vib) {
                $statusMsg = "VIB '$TargetVib' gevonden op $($esx.Name). Verwijderen gestart..."
                Write-Host $statusMsg -ForegroundColor Cyan
                
                $result = $esxcli.software.vib.remove.Invoke(@{vibname = $vib.Name})
                Write-Host "[SUCCESS] $($esx.Name): $($result.Message)" -ForegroundColor Green
            } else {
                Write-Verbose "Host $($esx.Name): VIB niet gevonden."
            }
        }
    }
    catch {
        Write-Error "Kritieke fout: $($_.Exception.Message)"
    }
    finally {
        # Netjes afsluiten
        if ($global:DefaultVIServer) {
            Disconnect-VIServer -Server * -Confirm:$false -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
        }
    }
}

The original article was posted on: whatkabirwrites.nl

Search our website