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Quickstart Guide

Get your first AsBuiltReport up and running in 5 minutes!

Just 4 simple steps from zero to your first generated report.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

  • PowerShell 5.1 or PowerShell 7+ installed
  • Internet connection for module installation
  • Access to a target system you want to document (e.g., vCenter, Active Directory, etc.)
  • Credentials with read-only access to the target system

Step 1: Install a Report Module (2 minutes)

Open PowerShell and install a report module for your environment. AsBuiltReport.Core will be automatically installed as a dependency.

Discover Available Report Modules

First, see what report modules are available:

Find available AsBuiltReport modules
# List all available AsBuiltReport modules in PowerShell Gallery
Find-Module -Name AsBuiltReport.* | Select-Object Name, Description | Format-Table -AutoSize

# Or search for a specific vendor (e.g., VMware)
Find-Module -Name AsBuiltReport.VMware.* | Select-Object Name, Description

# Or search for a specific vendor (e.g., Microsoft)
Find-Module -Name AsBuiltReport.Microsoft.* | Select-Object Name, Description

This will display all published report modules you can install.

Browse Online

You can also browse all available modules at the Report Modules Overview page or the PowerShell Gallery.

Install Your Chosen Report Module

Choose a report module for your environment:

Install VMware vSphere report module
Install-Module -Name AsBuiltReport.VMware.vSphere -Scope CurrentUser
Install Active Directory report module
Install-Module -Name AsBuiltReport.Microsoft.AD -Scope CurrentUser
Install Veeam VBR report module
Install-Module -Name AsBuiltReport.Veeam.VBR -Scope CurrentUser
Install Nutanix Prism report module
Install-Module -Name AsBuiltReport.Nutanix.PrismElement -Scope CurrentUser

AsBuiltReport.Core Dependency

The report module installation will automatically install AsBuiltReport.Core if it's not already present. You'll see both modules being installed.

Browse all available report modules for more options.

Verify Installation

Check that both the Core and report module are installed:

Verify installation
# List installed AsBuiltReport modules
Get-Module -Name AsBuiltReport.* -ListAvailable

You should see both AsBuiltReport.Core and your chosen report module listed.

Step 2: Check Requirements (1 minute)

Before generating your first report, check the report module's README for:

  • Target system version support - Ensure your system version is supported
  • PowerShell module dependencies - Install any required vendor modules
  • Minimum permissions - Verify your credentials have the necessary access
Check report module information
# View the report module's project URI (links to GitHub README)
Find-Module -Name AsBuiltReport.VMware.vSphere | Select-Object Name, ProjectUri

Visit the GitHub repository to review the README for specific requirements.

Common Dependencies

  • VMware vSphere requires VCF.PowerCLI
  • Microsoft AD requires ActiveDirectory module
  • Veeam VBR requires Veeam.Backup.PowerShell snapin

Example installation:

PowerShell
# Install VMware PowerCLI for vSphere reports
Install-Module -Name VCF.PowerCLI -Scope CurrentUser -AllowClobber -SkipPublisherCheck

Step 3: Generate Your First Report (2 minutes)

Now generate your first report! Replace the example values with your environment details:

Generate VMware vSphere report
# Store credentials
$Credential = Get-Credential

# Generate the report
New-AsBuiltReport -Report VMware.vSphere `
    -Target vcenter.example.com `
    -Credential $Credential `
    -Format HTML `
    -OutputFolderPath C:\Reports
Generate Active Directory report
# Store credentials
$Credential = Get-Credential

# Generate the report
New-AsBuiltReport -Report Microsoft.AD `
    -Target dc01.example.com `
    -Credential $Credential `
    -Format HTML `
    -OutputFolderPath C:\Reports
Generate Veeam VBR report
# Store credentials
$Credential = Get-Credential

# Generate the report
New-AsBuiltReport -Report Veeam.VBR `
    -Target veeam-server.example.com `
    -Credential $Credential `
    -Format HTML `
    -OutputFolderPath C:\Reports
Generate Nutanix Prism report
# Store credentials
$Credential = Get-Credential

# Generate the report
New-AsBuiltReport -Report Nutanix.PrismElement `
    -Target prism.example.com `
    -Credential $Credential `
    -Format HTML `
    -OutputFolderPath C:\Reports

First Run Experience

On your first run, you'll be prompted to create configuration files:

  • AsBuiltReport configuration: Author name, company info, email settings (optional)
  • Report configuration: Automatically created with default settings

You can press Enter to accept defaults or customise as needed.

Step 4: View Your Report

Once generation completes:

  1. Navigate to C:\Reports (or your chosen output folder)
  2. Open the HTML file in your web browser
  3. Review your first as-built report!

What's Next?

Congratulations! You've generated your first AsBuiltReport. Here's what to explore next:

Customise Report Detail

Adjust the level of detail in your reports using InfoLevel settings:

Create a report configuration file
# Generate a configuration file
New-AsBuiltReportConfig -Report VMware.vSphere -FolderPath C:\Reports

# Edit the JSON file to adjust InfoLevel values (0-3)
# Then use it when generating reports
New-AsBuiltReport -Report VMware.vSphere -Target vcenter.example.com `
    -Credential $Cred -ReportConfigFilePath C:\Reports\AsBuiltReport.VMware.vSphere.json

See New-AsBuiltReportConfig for details on customising reports.

Enable Health Checks

Highlight configuration issues with health checks:

Generate report with health checks
New-AsBuiltReport -Report VMware.vSphere -Target vcenter.example.com `
    -Credential $Cred -EnableHealthCheck -OutputFolderPath C:\Reports

Generate Multiple Formats

Create reports in Word and HTML simultaneously:

Generate multiple formats
New-AsBuiltReport -Report VMware.vSphere -Target vcenter.example.com `
    -Credential $Cred -Format HTML,Word -OutputFolderPath C:\Reports

Customise Branding

Apply your corporate branding with custom styles:

  1. See Creating a Report Style
  2. Use the -StyleFilePath parameter to apply your style

Automate Reports

Schedule reports to run automatically:

  • Windows: Use Task Scheduler
  • Linux/macOS: Use cron

See FAQ - How do I schedule reports?

Common Beginner Pitfalls

Avoid these common mistakes:

Forgetting to Install Dependencies

Problem: Report module requires vendor PowerShell modules (e.g., VMware PowerCLI)

Solution: Check the report module's README for dependencies and install them:

Install required dependencies
# Example: VMware vSphere requires PowerCLI
Install-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI -Scope CurrentUser

Using Insufficient Permissions

Problem: "Access Denied" or missing report sections

Solution: Ensure your credentials have read access to all components you want to document.

Not Using -Verbose When Troubleshooting

Problem: Report fails with generic error

Solution: Always use -Verbose to see detailed progress:

Use verbose output for troubleshooting
New-AsBuiltReport -Report VMware.vSphere -Target vcenter.example.com `
    -Credential $Cred -Verbose

Expecting Instant Results for Large Environments

Problem: Report seems to hang

Solution: Large environments take time. Start with InfoLevel 1-2 for faster results:

Create configuration with lower InfoLevels
# Create config with lower InfoLevels for testing
New-AsBuiltReportConfig -Report VMware.vSphere -FolderPath C:\Reports
# Edit the JSON file to set InfoLevel values to 1 or 2

Getting Help

If you run into issues:

  1. Check verbose output - Run with -Verbose to see detailed progress
  2. Review documentation - Installation Guide, FAQ, Troubleshooting
  3. Search GitHub Issues - Check if others have encountered similar issues
  4. Ask the community - GitHub Discussions

Next Steps

Now that you've generated your first report, explore these guides: