Note: As for why you should never use Write-Host to output data, see this answer.
In PSv5+:
$result = Test-Cluster 6>&1
Since version 5, Write-Host writes to the newly introduced information stream, whose number is 6.
6>&1 redirects that stream to the success output stream (number 1), so that it too can be captured in $result.
Caveat: The related Out-Host cmdlet does not write to the information stream; its output cannot be captured - see this answer for the differences between Write-Host and Out-Host.
In PSv4-:
There is no way to capture Write-Host output in-session.
The only workaround is to launch another instance of Powershell with the target command specified as a string.
Caveats:
- Such an invocation is slow,
- prevents passing of arguments with their original data type
- invariably only returns string data (lines of text)
- returns output from all output streams, including error output
$result = powershell -noprofile -command 'Test-Cluster'
Note that using a script block to pass the command (-command { Test-Cluster }) would not work, because PowerShell then uses serialization and deserialization to emulate the in-session behavior.
Optional reading: output streams in PowerShell and how to redirect them:
Get-Help about_Redirection discusses a list of all output streams, which can be targeted by their numbers; since PSv5, these are:
1 ... success output stream (implicit output and Write-Output output)
2 ... error output stream (Write-Error and unhandled errors)
3 ... warnings (Write-Warning)
4 ... verbose output (Write-Verbose)
5 ... debug output (Write-Debug)
6 ... (v5+) Write-Information and Write-Host output
Note that some streams are silent by default and require opt-in to produce output, either via a preference variable (e.g., $VerbosePreference) or a common parameter (e.g., -Verbose)
{n}> allows redirecting the number {n} stream; if {n} is omitted, 1 is implied:
- to a file (e.g.,
3> c:/tmp/warnings.txt
- to "nowhere", i.e suppressing the output (e.g.,
3> $null)
- to the success output stream (e.g.,
3>&1); note: only stream 1 can be targeted this way.
*> targets all output streams.
Note: Unlike in POSIX-like shells (e.g., bash), the order of multiple redirection expression does not matter.
Therefore, the following POSIX-like shell idiom - which redirects error output to the success stream and silences only the original success output - does NOT work:
... 2>&1 1>$null # !! NO output in PowerShell
To achieve this in PowerShell, you mustn't redirect 1 and instead filter the objects in the success by their stream of origin.
Case in point: In the end, the OP wanted the following: capture only warning output, without the regular (success) output:
Test-Cluster 3>&1 | Where-Object { $_ -is [System.Management.Automation.WarningRecord] }
Objects that came from the warning stream have type [System.Management.Automation.WarningRecord], which is what enables the filtering above.
