Passing array to another script with Invoke-Command

Question

I'm stuck trying to figure this out. I've seen the other articles and have tried everything, but I'm not getting anywhere. I am trying to pass an array as an argument to another PS script. Here's what I'm trying:

$IPArray = Get-Content C:\ListofIps.txt
Invoke-Command -Computername $server -Credential $cred -FilePath "C:\script.ps1" -ArgumentList (,$IPArray)

The 5 values in $IPArray aren't being passed to the script that I call.

Thanks in advance, guys, I really appreciate any help you can give...

Answer 1

Use:

... -ArgumentList (,$IPArray)

Because the ArgumentList parameter expects an array you've correctly noted that you need to wrap the array in another array. However, the correct syntax in this scenario (specifying a parameter value) is to use a grouping expression () to create the nested array.

Answer 2

This is an old question, but I'm going to re-iterate @keith-hill on the answer--add a comma at the beginning of the array declaration (even when including an existing array).

It's stupid, but I'm answering again because I tried all alternatives and that's the only thing that works--even with PowerShell 3.0+. You can use #require for anything from at least v3.0+, but nothing will work unless you do what @keith-hill suggests--even though it's an array, and the parameter is an array, PS sucks in this case (and I love PS)...do what he said (posting didn't work, so sorry but working answers are better): \\ ... -ArgumentList (,$IPArray)

It makes no sense, but that works. Hands down to the PS team for dropping the bomb on this one, but if I hadn't done that my script would be null and void. And I've become the "scripting guy"...so here you go.

Answer 3

This is 100% correct - may not be how this thread started but immensely useful to me.

Variable $Content contains 372 lines of text and should be sent to the remote computer:

Invoke-command -scriptblock {Param($content);$content.count} -ArgumentList @($content) -ComputerName CAT0005

Result:

1

Invoke-command -scriptblock {Param($content);$content.count} -ArgumentList @(,$content) -ComputerName CAT-0005

Result:

372

Answer 4

If you are just trying to pass one array, you can treat the $args variable itself as the array in your remote command and you get the same result as passing it as (, $IPArray) and then accessing that array in the scriptblock as $args[0]. I didn't test whether this works with multiple arrays or not.

That is to say,

$MyScriptBlock = { $args | % { Do-Stuff -Thing $PSItem } }
Invoke-Command -Session $MySession -ScriptBlock $MyScriptBlock -ArgumentList $IPArray

will return the same values as

$MyScriptBlock = { $args[0] | % { Do-Stuff -Thing $PSItem } }
Invoke-Command -Session $MySession -ScriptBlock $MyScriptBlock -ArgumentList (,$IPArray)