Running a Control Set Job with different credentials

[mark106]

I have a similar query to the post here: viewtopic.php?t=7004

Inside my PowerShell GUI I invoke a PowerShell job because the particular task takes a few seconds to complete and it also requires alternative credentials.

As mentioned in the referenced post, this causes a console window to appear for the duration - which I'd like to remove/hide.

I'd like to use the Job Control Set (as recommended in the other post) but I can't see how to run the job with different credentials.

Any help gratefully received.

Thanks.

[jvierra]

Edit the function and add a "Credential" parameter.

The control set is designed to allow you to modify the example code.

[mark106]

Hi,

Thanks for your quick reply.

I'm afraid I'm struggling to work out how to do what you describe. I basically would like to run the whole job as a different user. So, using a normal job I would do something like:

Code: Select all

$thejob = start-job -ScriptBlock {
		
     # Do a thing that takes a while ................

	} -Name "exampleJob" -Credential $credentials 

.... but I can't see how to do the same thing when using the Control Set Job Button.

[jvierra]

Edit the Add-JobTracker function to add the parameter.

Code: Select all

function Add-JobTracker {    
    Param (
        [ValidateNotNull()]
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
        [string]$Name,
        [ValidateNotNull()]
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
        [ScriptBlock]$JobScript,
        $ArgumentList = $null,
        [ScriptBlock]$CompletedScript,
        [ScriptBlock]$UpdateScript,
        [pscredential]$credential
    )
    
    #Start the Job
    $jobArguments = @{
        Name = $Name 
        ScriptBlock = $JobScript
        ArgumentList =  $ArgumentList
    }
    if($credential){ $jobArguments.Add('Credential',$credential)
    $job = Start-Job @jobArguments
 

[mark106]

Thank you for your reply - it's much appreciated. I wouldn't have worked that out myself.

It's working now (i.e. I seem to be able to spawn a job, using the Control Set Job, with alternate credentials) so that's great. Unfortunately, I still get a PowerShell window appear while the job is in progress (even if I don't put anything in the job (-Jobscript parameter)). Is there any way to hide/silence this? The PowerShell window only seems to appear on jobs run with different credentials.

[jvierra]

I have never seen that. There is no reason for that to happen. I cannot reproduce the issue either. perhaps you are building with the wrong host.

[mark106]

Ahh. It seems that if the job is run with alternate credentials then it shows a window. If there's no credential parameter, no window.

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/270 ... credential

Not yet found a way to suppress it but I've used $form1.Topmost = $true when invoking the job (and then set it back to $false in -CompletedScript) - this stops the window overlaying my exe (which is fine for my purposes).

[jvierra]

No. A job does not create a window even with alternate credentials.

[mark106]

Hi,

I see this behaviour on all of the machines that I have tried in our corporate environment (all Windows 7 - PowerShell v3 & v5) - and I see the same thing when using the ISE too. So, I wonder if it's something peculiar to the OS build / GP settings etc...... The forum posters in the above link seemed to experience the same thing. Anyway, I'm happy with the workaround but if I find out why this occurs I'll post an update.

[jvierra]

What behavior? Open a PowerShell prompt and create a job with credentials. There will be no extra windows.

Note that you cannot place forms code in the job script.