Exporting vCenter Roles and Permissions with PowerShell

Problem

• Managing roles and permissions in vCenter environments is complex and time-consuming
• Lack of centralized view of roles, permissions, and associated entities
• Difficulty in auditing and reporting on access rights across the vCenter inventory
• Manual review of permissions is error-prone and inefficient
• Challenges in maintaining compliance and security standards

Troubleshooting

Traditional approaches to managing vCenter roles and permissions face several challenges:

1. Manual navigation through vSphere Client UI to check permissions
2. Time-intensive process of documenting roles and permissions for each entity
3. Risk of overlooking critical permission assignments
4. Difficulty in identifying overly permissive or unnecessary access rights
5. Lack of an easy way to export and analyze permission data

Solution

Utilize the vCenterRolesAndPermissions (VRAR) PowerShell script to automate the export of vCenter inventory details along with roles and permissions:

<#
.SYNOPSIS
Script: vCenterRolesAndPermissions (VRAR)
Version: 1.0 (Tested)
Date: Aug 6, 2024
Author: Kabir Ali - info@whatkabirwrites.nl
Description: This script will create an export of the vCenter inventory along with the roles and permissions of those objects.
Version history:
1.0 - Aug 6 - Initial version

.EXAMPLE
.\VRAR.ps1 -vCenterServer "vcenter01.local.domain" -vCentersUsername "Admin" -vCenterPassword "VMware1!"
#>

Param (
    [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$vCenterServer,
    [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$vCenterUsername,
    [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$vCenterPassword
)

# Zorg ervoor dat je de VMware.PowerCLI-module hebt geïnstalleerd en geïmporteerd
# Install-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI -Scope CurrentUser
# Import-Module VMware.PowerCLI

# Verbind met je vCenter-server
try {
    Connect-VIServer -Server $vCenterServer -User $vCenterUsername -Password $vCenterPassword -ErrorAction Stop
} Catch {
    Write-Warning -Message "Error: Kan geen verbinding maken met vCenter: $($vCenterServer). Script gestopt."
    Break
}
  

# Haal alle rollen (groepen) op
$allRoles = Get-VIRole

# Haal alle entiteiten op waarvoor we de permissies willen controleren
$entities = Get-Inventory

# Initialiseer een array voor het opslaan van de resultaten
$results = @()

# Loop door elke entiteit
foreach ($entity in $entities) {
    # Haal de permissies voor deze entiteit op
    $permissions = Get-VIPermission -Entity $entity
    
    # Loop door elke permissie
    foreach ($permission in $permissions) {
        # Controleer of de rol voorkomt in de permissie
        foreach ($role in $allRoles) {
            if ($permission.Role -eq $role) {
                # Haal de privileges op voor deze rol en zet ze om naar een string
                $privileges = ($role | Get-VIPrivilege) -join ", "
                
                # Voeg het resultaat toe aan de array
                $results += [PSCustomObject]@{
                    RoleName    = $role.Name
                    EntityName  = $entity.Name
                    EntityType  = $entity.GetType().Name
                    Principal   = $permission.Principal
                    Permissions = $privileges
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

# Exporteer de resultaten naar een CSV-bestand
$results | Export-Csv -Path "vCenter_Groups_Permissions.csv" -NoTypeInformation -Append

# Ontkoppel van de vCenter-server
Disconnect-VIServer -Server $vCenterServer -Confirm:$false

Script Functionality

1. Connects to the specified vCenter server
2. Retrieves all roles and inventory entities
3. Iterates through each entity, collecting associated permissions
4. Compiles a detailed list of roles, entities, principals, and permissions
5. Exports the collected data to a CSV file for easy analysis

Usage

.\VRAR.ps1 -vCenterServer "vcenter01.local.domain" -vCenterUsername "Admin" -vCenterPassword "VMware1!"

Benefits

• Automates the collection of role and permission data
• Provides a comprehensive view of access rights across the vCenter inventory
• Facilitates easier auditing, reporting, and compliance checks
• Saves significant time compared to manual permission reviews
• Helps identify potential security risks or overly permissive access

Output

The script generates a CSV file named “vCenter_Groups_Permissions.csv” containing:

• Role Name
• Entity Name
• Entity Type
• Principal (user or group)
• Detailed list of permissions

This output allows for easy filtering, sorting, and analysis of permission data, enabling administrators to quickly identify and address any access control issues.