Scheduled Task for PowerShell Script with String Array Parameter - arrays

Question

I've created a PowerShell script that runs perfectly from the Management Shell. I'm trying to get it setup to work in a scheduled task in Windows Server 2008 R2 and am unsure how to pass the parameters for my string array parameter.
Here is the relevant portion of my script:
[CmdletBinding()]
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[String]
$BaseDirectory,
[String]
$BackupMethod = "Full",
[Int]
$RemoveOlderThanDays = 0,
[String]
$LogDirectory,
[Int]
$LogKeepDays = 7,
[String[]]
$AdditionalDirectories
)
if ($AdditionalDirectories -and $AdditionalDirectories.Count -gt 0) {
Write-Host " Additional Directories to be included:" -ForegroundColor Green
$AdditionalDirectories | ForEach-Object {
Write-Host " $_" -foregroundcolor green
}
}
The parameter giving the trouble is that last one, $AdditionalDirectories.
From the Shell:
If I run the script from the Management Shell like this, it works perfectly:
.\FarmBackup.ps1 \\SomeServer\Backups Full 0 D:\Logs\Backups 0 "D:\Documents\PowerShell Scripts","D:\SomeFolder"
Result:
Additional Directories to be included:
D:/Documents/PowerShell Scripts
D:/SomeFolder
From Scheduled Task:
Action: Start a program
Program/script: PowerShell.exe
Arguments: -File "D:\Documents\PowerShell Scripts\FarmBackup.ps1" \\SomeServer\Backups Full 0 D:\Logs\Backups 0 "D:\Documents\PowerShell Scripts","D:\SomeFolder"
Result: (From Log File)
Additional Directories to be included:
D:\Documents\PowerShell Scripts,D:\SomeFolder
I've tried a couple of different methods for those parameters but I can't seem to get them to be seen as 2 separate strings in the string array. I'm hardcoding them for now, but it seems like there must be a way to make this work since it's totally valid when run from the shell.

Answer 1

Try using the -Command switch instead of the -File switch, and then use the invocation operator '&'. Here is a link to an example of doing this with scheduled tasks:
http://blogs.technet.com/b/heyscriptingguy/archive/2011/01/12/schedule-powershell-scripts-that-require-input-values.aspx
Something like:
-Command "& 'D:\Documents\PowerShell Scripts\FarmBackup.ps1' '\\SomeServer\Backups' 'Full' 0 'D:\Logs\Backups' 0 'D:\Documents\PowerShell Scripts','D:\SomeFolder'"
I tested this solution by creating a script with the contents:
param([string[]] $x)
Write-Host $x.Count
Then called it in the following two ways:
powershell -File ".\TestScript.ps1" "what1,what2"
with result : 1
and
powershell -Command "& .\TestScript.ps1 what1,what2"
with result: 2

Answer 2

Another option, when the options get too complex and you're tired of fiddling with quotes, backticks, etc is to use the underused -EncodedCommand parameter on PowerShell.exe e.g.:
C:\PS> $cmd = "c:\temp\foo.ps1 'D:\Documents\PowerShell Scripts','D:\SomeFolder'"
C:\PS> $cmd
c:\temp\foo.ps1 'D:\Documents\PowerShell Scripts','D:\SomeFolder'
C:\PS> $bytes = [Text.Encoding]::Unicode.GetBytes($cmd)
C:\PS> $encodedCmd = [Convert]::ToBase64String($bytes)
C:\PS> $encodedCmd
YwA6AFwAdABlAG0AcABcAGYAbwBvAC4AcABzADEAIAAnAEQAOgBcAEQAbwBjAHUAbQBlAG4AdABzAFwAUABvAHcAZQByAFMAaABlAGwAbAAgAFMAYwByAGkAcAB0AHMAJwAsACcARAA6AFwAUwBvAG0AZQBGAG8AbABkAGUAcgAnAA==
C:\PS> powershell.exe -encodedCommand YwA6AFwAdABlAG0AcABcAGYAbwBvAC4AcABzADEAIAAnAEQAOgBcAEQAbwBjAHUAbQBlAG4AdABzAFwAUABvAHcAZQByAFMAaABlAGwAbAAgAFMAYwByAGkAcAB0AHMAJwAsACcARAA6AFwAUwBvAG0AZQBGAG8AbABkAGUAcgAnAA==
param1[0] is D:\Documents\PowerShell Scripts
param1[1] is D:\SomeFolder
Admittedly, not something that would be exactly readable/understandable by someone else. :-) You'd have to doc the command in the description of the scheduled task.

Answer 3

I have been using PowerShell for SharePoint and have created several Scheduled Task to trigger them at various intervals.
This is how i do it and it worked for me all the time.
Syntax : [Path to ur script'] -Param1Name 'Value1' -Param2Name 'Value2' -Param3Name 'Value3'
Here is a real example :
D:\Scripts\Global.ps1 -DataLocation 'D:\Scripts' -DeploymentParameters 'Deploymentparameters' -Deployments 'Deployments' -GlobalParameters 'GlobalParameters' -SiteUrl 'https://my.sp.company.com'