Calling Another Powershell Script With A Timeout

Question

I have this function:

function getHDriveSize($usersHomeDirectory)
{
    $timeOutSeconds = 600
    $code = 
    {
        $hDriveSize = powershell.exe $script:getHDriveSizePath - path $usersDirectory
        return $hDriveSize
    }

    $job = Start-Job -ScriptBlock $code

    if (Wait-Job $job -Timeout $timeOutSeconds)
    {
        $receivedJob = Receive-Job $job
        return $receivedJob
    }
    else
    {
        return "Timed Out"
    }
}

When I call it, I get a CommandNotFoundException:

-path : The term '-path' 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.

However, the line:

$hDriveSize = powershell.exe $script:getHDriveSizePath - path $usersDirectory

by itself works fine.

How can I call the powershell script within the $code variable successfully?

First of all, - path cannot work. Second, it appears that $script:getHDriveSizePath seems to not exist, so PowerShell just gets an empty string there and tries executing -path. Third, your function name is way off and should probably be something like Get-HDriveSize instead. — Joey
– Joey, Commented Sep 25, 2014 at 7:40
@Joey That's probably just a typo, because the output would be different otherwise. — Ansgar Wiechers
– Ansgar Wiechers, Commented Sep 25, 2014 at 8:38

Ansgar Wiechers · Accepted Answer · 2014-09-25 08:47:50Z

1

Variables and functions defined outside the scriptblock are not available inside the scriptblock. Because of this, both $script:getHDriveSizePath and $usersDirectory inside the scriptblock are $null, so that you're actually trying to run the statement powershell.exe -Path, which produces the error you observed. You need to pass variables as parameters into the scriptblock:

function getHDriveSize($usersHomeDirectory) {
  $timeOutSeconds = 600

  $code = {
    & powershell.exe $args[0] -Path $args[1]
  }

  $job = Start-Job -ScriptBlock $code -ArgumentList $script:getHDriveSizePath, $usersHomeDirectory

  if (Wait-Job $job -Timeout $timeOutSeconds) {
    Receive-Job $job
  } else {
    'Timed Out'
  }
}

answered Sep 25, 2014 at 8:47

Ansgar Wiechers

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