Exchange cmdlets when called from remote machine

Question

I have one exchange server and a windows 7 machine.

W.R.T remote execution

Server - Exchange Server (Win server 2012) Client - Win 7 machine

I want to run scripts which are present in client machine on remote machine (exchange/ win server 2012). But these are failing with error cmdlets not found.

So to check quickly i tried to invoke normal powershell cmdlets as well as exchange cmdlets and found that only exchange cmdlets are failing. However if i run same cmdlet on server (exchange) it gives me expected output.

Questions

Won't exchange cmdlets work in remote powershell ?
I tried with different session type having exchange server as connection URL but facing errors there as well.

Attached below sample test outputs.

Help me how to proceed further !!

On remote client (Win 7 machine)

PS C:\Users\Administrator> invoke-command -Session $session -ScriptBlock { ls }

returns:

Directory: C:\Users\Administrator\Documents

Mode        LastWriteTime       Length Name        PSComputerName
----        -------------        ------ ----        --------------
d-----      12/2/2018  12:10 PM  WindowsPowerShell  10.76.68.251

But the Exchange cmdlets do not work

PS C:\Users\Administrator> invoke-command -Session $session -ScriptBlock { Get-Mailbox }

The term 'Get-Mailbox' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. Check
the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.
    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (Get-Mailbox:String) [], CommandNotFoundException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CommandNotFoundException
    + PSComputerName        : 10.76.68.251

Server - Exchange / Server 2012

PS C:\Users\Administrator\Downloads\custom scripts> Get-Mailbox

Name                      Alias                ServerName       ProhibitSendQuota
----                      -----                ----------       -----------------
Administrator             Administrator        win-j1uti0rc7qp  Unlimited
DiscoverySearchMailbox... DiscoverySearchMa... win-j1uti0rc7qp  50 GB (53,687,091,200 bytes)

Test with Exchange Server URL in Connection URI

Test 1

PS C:\Users\Administrator> $session1 = New-PSSession -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange -ConnectionUri http://10.76.68.251/PowerShell/ -Authentication Kerberos -Credential $credential

Error:

New-PSSession : [10.76.68.251] Connecting to remote server 10.76.68.251 failed with the following error message : The
WinRM client cannot process the request. Kerberos authentication cannot be used when the destination is an IP address.
Specify a DNS or NetBIOS destination or specify Basic or Negotiate authentication. For more information, see the
about_Remote_Troubleshooting Help topic.

At line:1 char:13
+ $session1 = New-PSSession -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange -ConnectionUri h ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo: OpenError: (System.Manageme....RemoteRunspace:RemoteRunspace) [New-PSSession], PSRemotingTransportException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : -2144108277,PSSessionOpenFailed

Test 2

PS C:\Users\Administrator> $session1 = New-PSSession -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange -ConnectionUri http://10.76.68.251/PowerShell/  -Credential $credential

Error:

New-PSSession : [10.76.68.251] Connecting to remote server 10.76.68.251 failed with the following error message : The
WinRM client cannot process the request. It cannot determine the content type of the HTTP response from the
destination computer. The content type is absent or invalid. For more information, see the
about_Remote_Troubleshooting Help topic.
At line:1 char:13
+ $session1 = New-PSSession -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange -ConnectionUri h ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : OpenError: (System.Manageme....RemoteRunspace:RemoteRunspace) [New-PSSession],PSRemotingTransportException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : -2144108297,PSSessionOpenFailed

postanote postanote · Accepted Answer · 2018-12-23T00:06:10

Yes, they do, this is a common practice, but what you are doing is not complete enough.

PSRemoting must properly be enabled.
You must pass the credentials of an account that is an admin on the box and admin in Exchange

You have to use PSRemoting to do this and that is well documented by Microsoft for not only Exchange on prom but for Exchange Online.

Connect to Exchange servers using remote PowerShell

Connect-O365 1.5.4

If you are using the PowerShell ISE, you can take either of these approaches, just remember to hit that Refresh button on the Commands tabs to see the cmdlets reflected.

How To–Load Exchange Management Shell into PowerShell ISE

Adding Exchange Shell items to PowerShell ISE

$psISE.CurrentPowerShellTab.AddOnsMenu.SubMenus.Add(
    "Connect to Exchange @ Contoso", {
        $ExSession= New-PSSession -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange -ConnectionUri http://exserver.contoso.com/PowerShell/ -Authentication Kerberos
        Import-PSSession $ExSession
    },
    "Control+Alt+1"
)
$psISE.CurrentPowerShellTab.AddOnsMenu.SubMenus.Add(
    "Connect to Exchange On-Premise", {
        Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.Exchange.Management.PowerShell.E2010
        . $env:ExchangeInstallPath\bin\RemoteExchange.ps1
        Connect-ExchangeServer –auto
            },
    "Control+Alt+2"
)
$psISE.CurrentPowerShellTab.AddOnsMenu.SubMenus.Add(
    "Connect to Exchange Online", {
        $o365Cred= Get-Credential
        $o365Session= New-PSSession -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange -ConnectionUri https://ps.outlook.com/powershell/ -Credential $o365Cred -Authentication Basic -AllowRedirection
        Import-PSSession $o365Session
    },
    "Control+Alt+3"
)

If you are using the console host, just remove all the ISE stuff.

$ExSession= New-PSSession -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange -ConnectionUri http://exserver.contoso.com/PowerShell/ -Authentication Kerberos
Import-PSSession $ExSession

Exchange cmdlets when called from remote machine

1 Answers