Otter - PSEnsure script failed

[lucas_001]

Hello,

I'm evaluating Otter Version 2023.6 (Build 2).
I'm trying to write a remediating drift powershell script:

<# 
.DESCRIPTION
This script ensures that the specified environment variable is set to the desired value.

.PARAMETER EnvironmentVariableName
Environment variable name.

.PARAMETER EnvironmentVariableValue
Desired value for the environment variable.

.AHEXECMODE 
$ExecutionMode

.AHDESIREDVALUE 
$EnvironmentVariableDesiredValue

.AHCURRENTVALUE 
$EnvironmentVariableCurrentValue

.AHVALUEDRIFTED
$EnvironmentVariableDriftedValue
#>

param ([string]$EnvironmentVariableName, [string]$EnvironmentVariableValue)

$EnvironmentVariableDesiredValue = $EnvironmentVariableValue
$EnvironmentVariableCurrentValue = [System.Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable($EnvironmentVariableName, [System.EnvironmentVariableTarget]::Machine)

Write-Host "Current value of environment variable '$EnvironmentVariableName' is '$EnvironmentVariableCurrentValue'."

if ($ExecutionMode -eq "Collect") {
  if ($EnvironmentVariableValue -ne $EnvironmentVariableCurrentValue) {
    Write-Information "Environment variable '$EnvironmentVariableName' has drifted from the desired value."
    $EnvironmentVariableDriftedValue = $EnvironmentVariableCurrentValue
    return $false
  } 
  else {
    Write-Information "Environment variable '$EnvironmentVariableName' is set to the desired value."
    return $true
  }
} 
  
elseif ($ExecutionMode -eq "Configure") {     
  if ($EnvironmentVariableValue -ne $EnvironmentVariableCurrentValue) {
    [System.Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable($EnvironmentVariableName, $EnvironmentVariableValue, [System.EnvironmentVariableTarget]::Machine)
    Write-Information "Environment variable '$EnvironmentVariableName' has been set to the desired value."

  } 
  else {
    Write-Information "Environment variable '$EnvironmentVariableName' is set to the desired value."
  }
}   

When this script is executed on a server it fails with following error:

DEBUG: 2024-10-03 10:05:11Z - Beginning collection run...
DEBUG: 2024-10-03 10:05:12Z - Collecting current configuration from server...
DEBUG: 2024-10-03 10:05:12Z - Using Windows PowerShell 5.1...
DEBUG: 2024-10-03 10:05:12Z - Importing ExecutionMode...
DEBUG: 2024-10-03 10:05:12Z - Assigning parameter EnvironmentVariableName...
DEBUG: 2024-10-03 10:05:12Z - Assigning parameter EnvironmentVariableValue...
INFO : 2024-10-03 10:05:12Z - Current value of environment variable 'MyTestVar' is ''.
INFO : 2024-10-03 10:05:12Z - Environment variable 'MyTestVar' is set to the desired value.
ERROR: 2024-10-03 10:05:12Z - Unhandled exception: System.Management.Automation.Remoting.PSRemotingTransportException: The input does not contain any JSON tokens. Expected the input to start with a valid JSON token, when isFinalBlock is true. LineNumber: 0 | BytePositionInLine: 0.
 ---> System.Text.Json.JsonReaderException: The input does not contain any JSON tokens. Expected the input to start with a valid JSON token, when isFinalBlock is true. LineNumber: 0 | BytePositionInLine: 0.
   at System.Text.Json.ThrowHelper.ThrowJsonReaderException(Utf8JsonReader& json, ExceptionResource resource, Byte nextByte, ReadOnlySpan`1 bytes)
   at System.Text.Json.Utf8JsonReader.Read()
   at System.Text.Json.JsonDocument.Parse(ReadOnlySpan`1 utf8JsonSpan, JsonReaderOptions readerOptions, MetadataDb& database, StackRowStack& stack)
   at System.Text.Json.JsonDocument.Parse(ReadOnlyMemory`1 utf8Json, JsonReaderOptions readerOptions, Byte[] extraRentedArrayPoolBytes, PooledByteBufferWriter extraPooledByteBufferWriter)
   at System.Text.Json.JsonDocument.Parse(ReadOnlyMemory`1 json, JsonDocumentOptions options)
   at Inedo.Extensions.Scripting.PowerShell.PowerShellScriptRunner.ParseJson(ReadOnlyMemory`1 json) in C:\Users\builds\AppData\Local\Temp\InedoAgent\BuildMaster\192.168.44.60\Temp\_E380919\Src\Scripting\InedoExtension\PowerShell\PowerShellScriptRunner.cs:line 387
   at Inedo.Extensions.Scripting.PowerShell.PowerShellScriptRunner.<>c__DisplayClass32_0.<RunAsync>b__0(Object s, DataAddedEventArgs e) in C:\Users\builds\AppData\Local\Temp\InedoAgent\BuildMaster\192.168.44.60\Temp\_E380919\Src\Scripting\InedoExtension\PowerShell\PowerShellScriptRunner.cs:line 217
   at System.Management.Automation.PSDataCollection`1.RaiseEvents(Guid psInstanceId, Int32 index)
   at System.Management.Automation.PSDataCollection`1.InternalAddRange(Guid psInstanceId, ICollection collection)
   at System.Management.Automation.Internal.PSDataCollectionStream`1.Write(Object obj, Boolean enumerateCollection)
   at System.Management.Automation.Runspaces.Internal.ClientRemotePowerShell.HandleOutputReceived(Object sender, RemoteDataEventArgs`1 eventArgs)
   at System.Management.Automation.Internal.ClientPowerShellDataStructureHandler.ProcessReceivedData(RemoteDataObject`1 receivedData)
   at System.Management.Automation.Remoting.ClientRemoteSessionDSHandlerImpl.ProcessNonSessionMessages(RemoteDataObject`1 rcvdData)
   at System.Management.Automation.Remoting.BaseTransportManager.OnDataAvailableCallback(RemoteDataObject`1 remoteObject)
   at System.Management.Automation.Remoting.Client.BaseClientTransportManager.ServicePendingCallbacks(Object objectToProcess)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.Management.Automation.Runspaces.AsyncResult.EndInvoke()
   at System.Management.Automation.PowerShell.EndInvoke(IAsyncResult asyncResult)
   at System.Threading.Tasks.TaskFactory`1.FromAsyncCoreLogic(IAsyncResult iar, Func`2 endFunction, Action`1 endAction, Task`1 promise, Boolean requiresSynchronization)
--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at Inedo.Extensions.Scripting.PowerShell.PowerShellScriptRunner.RunAsync(String script, Dictionary`2 variables, Dictionary`2 parameters, Dictionary`2 outVariables, String workingDirectory, CancellationToken cancellationToken) in C:\Users\builds\AppData\Local\Temp\InedoAgent\BuildMaster\192.168.44.60\Temp\_E380919\Src\Scripting\InedoExtension\PowerShell\PowerShellScriptRunner.cs:line 267
   at Inedo.Extensions.Scripting.PowerShell.ExecutePowerShellJob.StandardRunner.ExecuteAsync(String script, Dictionary`2 variables, Dictionary`2 parameters, String[] outVariables, String workingDirectory, CancellationToken cancellationToken) in C:\Users\builds\AppData\Local\Temp\InedoAgent\BuildMaster\192.168.44.60\Temp\_E380919\Src\Scripting\InedoExtension\PowerShell\ExecutePowerShellJob.cs:line 278
   at Inedo.Extensions.Scripting.PowerShell.ExecutePowerShellJob.ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken) in C:\Users\builds\AppData\Local\Temp\InedoAgent\BuildMaster\192.168.44.60\Temp\_E380919\Src\Scripting\InedoExtension\PowerShell\ExecutePowerShellJob.cs:line 37
   at Inedo.Agents.AgentCommand`1.Inedo.Agents.IAgentCommandWithResponse.ExecuteAsync(Stream responseStream)
   at Inedo.Agents.AgentCommandDispatcher.ExecuteCommandAsync(AgentCommand command, IClientConnection connection)
ERROR: 2024-10-03 10:05:12Z - Collection run failed.

I would like to add that when I removed all augmented help metadata then this script would run with no issues.

Can you tell me what is the problem?

[atripp]

Hi @lucas_001

I'm a bit rusty with these and I'm going off memory, but I know that AHVALUEDRIFTED is supposed to point to a boolean.

Have you tried a script like this instead?

$EnvironmentVariableDesiredValue = $EnvironmentVariableValue
$EnvironmentVariableCurrentValue = [System.Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable($EnvironmentVariableName, [System.EnvironmentVariableTarget]::Machine)
$EnvironmentVariableDriftedValue = $EnvironmentVariableValue -ne $EnvironmentVariableCurrentValue

Write-Host "Current value of environment variable '$EnvironmentVariableName' is '$EnvironmentVariableCurrentValue'."

if ($ExecutionMode -eq "Collect") {
  if ($EnvironmentVariableValue -ne $EnvironmentVariableCurrentValue) {
    Write-Information "Environment variable '$EnvironmentVariableName' has drifted from the desired value."
  } 
  else {
    Write-Information "Environment variable '$EnvironmentVariableName' is set to the desired value."
  }
} 
  
elseif ($ExecutionMode -eq "Configure") {     
  if ($EnvironmentVariableDriftedValue) {
    [System.Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable($EnvironmentVariableName, $EnvironmentVariableValue, [System.EnvironmentVariableTarget]::Machine)
    Write-Information "Environment variable '$EnvironmentVariableName' has been set to the desired value."

  } 
  else {
    Write-Information "Environment variable '$EnvironmentVariableName' is set to the desired value."
  }
}   

That might do the trick... note the only thing aside from logging that's happening is in the execute portion.

Can you try that? Obviously the logging experience should be improved. No idea why there's a JSON parse error happening.

Thanks,
Alana

[lucas_001]

Hello Alana,

Yes, you are right. AHVALUEDRIFTED has to be a boolean value. The name implies it actually but I did not connect the dots.

Thank you for the help!