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Date calculations using New-TimeSpan

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I have extended the SCCM inventory on our server to retrieve additional WMI data from clients. We use a DCM rule to update the client machines with the current days data. Inventory is run every day so we will have the latest data usage. I have a problem though that the script for compliance only works for the UK. The US machines have a differen regional and locale set and it seems to affect the way powershell commands work.

# Discovery Script

# Daily Compliance Check for OneDrive folder scan.
$Today = get-date
$Namespace = "ERM"
$Class = "ERMOneDriveFolderScans"
$ClassInfo = Get-WmiObject -Namespace "root\cimv2\ERM" -Class ERMOneDriveFolderScans -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -ErrorVariable wmiclasserror
$ClassCount = (Get-WmiObject -Namespace "root\cimv2\ERM" -Query "select * from ERMOneDriveFolderScans" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -ErrorVariable wmiclasserror | select-object -expandproperty key).count
if ($wmiclasserror -or $ClassCount -eq 0) # Class doesn't exist or no class instances (meaning ERMer has set up one drive yet)
{
$Updated = 0
}
else      # update if more than a day old
{
if ($ClassCount -eq 1)
        {
        if ((New-TimeSpan -start $classinfo.Scan_Date -End (Get-Date -Format "dd-MM-yyyy")).days -gt 0)
  {
   $Updated = 0
  }
  else
  {
   $Updated = 1
  }
}
else
{
if ((New-TimeSpan -start $classinfo[0].Scan_Date -End (Get-Date -Format "dd-MM-yyyy")).days -gt 0)
{
         $Updated = 0
}
else
{
  $Updated = 1
}
}

}
$Updated

# Script End


If I run this script on a US machine with the region and local being US with date formant "mm/DD/yyyy the New-TimeSpan will generate and error :

                                      [DBG]: PS C:\Tools\Scripts>> (New-TimeSpan -start $classinfo.Scan_Date -End (Get-Date -Format "dd-MM-yyyy")).days
                                      New-TimeSpan : Cannot convert 'System.Object[]' to the type 'System.DateTime' required by parameter 'Start'. Specified method is not supported.
                                      At line:1 char:22
                                      + (New-TimeSpan -start $classinfo.Scan_Date -End (Get-Date -Format "dd- ...
                                      +                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                                          + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (:) [New-TimeSpan], ParameterBindingException
                                          + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CannotConvertArgument,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.NewTimeSpanCommand.
                                      This command gives the correct date if machine is in the UK. The start date is a string in the same string format "dd-MM-yyyy".

Does anyone know how to perform a universal date calculation as we have machines in multiple time zones but will was one constant date format when reporting?

Regards,

Nigel
- Moved by Bill_Stewart Thursday, January 25, 2018 9:51 PM This is not SCCM forum
Tuesday, October 17, 2017 2:24 PM

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I must also add the $classinfo[0...].Scan_Date array contains all users that have been using the machine. When I write the WMI values it is stored as a string in the format "dd-MM-yyyy"

Regards,

Nigel

Tuesday, October 17, 2017 2:28 PM
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You may need to convert the object in to a DateTime object. Try

New-TimeSpan -start (($classinfo.Scan_Date).ToDateTime()) -End (Get-Date -Format "dd-MM-yyyy")).days

Regards Mark
Tuesday, October 17, 2017 2:33 PM
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What format is the "$classinfo.Scan_Date " in. Is it WMI datetime format or something else?

$classdate = (Convert from unknown format)$classinfo.Scan_Date
(New-TimeSpan -start $classdate -End [DateTime]::ToDay).days
\_(ツ)_/

Tuesday, October 17, 2017 2:39 PM
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PS C:\Tools\Scripts> $classinfo[0].Scan_Date.GetType()

IsPublic IsSerial Name                                     BaseType
-------- -------- ----                                     --------
True     True     String                                   System.Object

Tuesday, October 17, 2017 3:55 PM
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I know it is a string but what is the format. Post the string.

\_(ツ)_/

Wednesday, October 18, 2017 1:29 AM
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The format is "dd-MM-yyyy"

Wednesday, October 18, 2017 9:43 AM
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Take a look at this blog post for information about dealing with dates in different formats: https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/heyscriptingguy/2011/08/25/use-culture-information-in-powershell-to-format-dates/

As the script is running on the client, you should be able to do something like this:

$culture = New-Object System.Globalization.CultureInfo "en-gb" $StartDate = Get-Date -Date ($class.Scan_Date) -Format $culture.DateTimeFormat.ShortDatePattern
New-TimeSpan -start $StartDate -End (Get-Date -Format "dd-MM-yyyy")).days

Regards Mark
Wednesday, October 18, 2017 10:40 AM
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Get-Date cannot convert a WMI date string. Use Mangement datetime converter class;

[System.Management.ManagementDateTimeConverter]

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.management.managementdatetimeconverter.todatetime(v=vs.110).aspx
\_(ツ)_/

Wednesday, October 18, 2017 11:19 AM
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The format is "dd-MM-yyyy"

Is that the string you have or is that what you want?

\_(ツ)_/

Wednesday, October 18, 2017 11:20 AM
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Hi,

That is the format I want.

Wednesday, October 18, 2017 12:47 PM
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I used string type because when create a WMI instance using a DateTime object defining a property it throws up a 'type mismatch'

i.e

$newClass = New-Object System.Management.ManagementClass ("root\cimv2\$Namespace", [String]::Empty, $null);
$newClass["__CLASS"] = $Class

$newClass.Qualifiers.Add("Static", $true)
$newClass.Properties.Add("Key", [System.Management.CimType]::String, $false)
$newClass.Properties["Key"].Qualifiers.Add("Key", $true)
# $newClass.Properties.Add("Scan_Date", [System.Management.CimType]::String, $false)

$newClass.Properties.Add("Scan_Date", [System.Management.CimType]::DateTime, $false)
$WMIURL = 'root\cimv2\'+$Namespace+':'+$Class
$PushDataToWMI = ([wmiclass]$WMIURL).CreateInstance()
$PushDataToWMI.Scan_Date = Get-Date

$PushDataToWMI.Put()

Wednesday, October 18, 2017 12:52 PM

As jrv pointed out you will need to convert between a WMI date and a .NET date format. Using the following code I was able to create the class with a WMI datetime property, set an instance and then convert that back again.

$Class = "Test_Class"
$newClass = New-Object System.Management.ManagementClass ("root\cimv2", [String]::Empty, $null)
$newClass["__CLASS"] = $Class
$newClass.Qualifiers.Add("Static", $true)
$newClass.Properties.Add("Key", [System.Management.CimType]::String, $false)
$newClass.Properties["Key"].Qualifiers.Add("Key", $true)
$newClass.Properties.Add("Scan_Date", [System.Management.CimType]::DateTime, $false)
$newClass.Put()

# Get .NET DateTime
$a = Get-Date
# Convert to WMI DateTime
$Date = [System.Management.ManagementDateTimeConverter]::ToDmtfDateTime($a)
Set-WmiInstance -Class $Class -Arguments @{Scan_Date=$a}

$c = Get-WmiObject -class $Class
# Convert WMI DateTime to .NET DateTime
[System.Management.ManagementDateTimeConverter]::ToDateTime($c.Scan_Date)

Regards Mark

Thursday, October 19, 2017 12:27 PM

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Date calculations using New-TimeSpan

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