how to manage and unmanage nodes via powershell

The proper syntax for the Invoke-Verb statements would be the following:

Invoke-SwisVerb $swis Orion.Nodes Unmanage @("N:$nodeId", $now, $later, "false") (exactly how you have used it)

Invoke-SwisVerb $swis Orion.Nodes Remanage @("N: $nodeid ") (no need for other parameters besides NodeId; also, no need for Set-SwisObject $swis -Properties @{Remanage})

The rest of the code is pretty difficult to replicate for accurate testing. 

Another thing that I noticed is that $nodename is not defined anywhere; if it represents the current for each iteration item in the $nodelist I think you would need to substitute it with $_ .

Also, you can use SWQL Studio (https://github.com/solarwinds/OrionSDK/releases) to inspect the syntax for any verb and even invoke it directly:

Hi Dangreenhaus,

I got it working within my environment fine, I had to rewrite the ForEach statements a little and corrected the Remanage to just use the NodeID, but otherwise it's good to go.

####Start #################

#Unmamane/remanage devices
#dangreenhasu 2020 11 24

#Silently Call SolarWinds SDK
Import-Module SwisPowerShell
<#
if (!(Import-Module "SwisPowerShell" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue))
          { Import-Module SwisPowerShell -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue }
#>

#prompt user for which option they way to select
write-host "`Which option do you want to do? n`n"
do {
       write-host "M - Manage a list of servers in Solarwinds"
       write-host "U - Unanage a list of servers in Solarwinds"
       write-host "`n"
       write-host "X - Exit"
       write-host "`n"
       write-host -nonewline "Type your choice and press Enter: "
       $choice = read-host
       write-host ""
       $UorM = $choice -match '^[MmUuXx]+$'
       if ( -not $UorM) {
                                  write-host "`n Invalid selection" -ForegroundColor red
                                 }
     } until ( $UorM )

#Read hostnames from file in home folder
$filepath = "~\list.txt"

#Get creds the old fashioned way, correct as required
$creds = get-credential -Message "Please enter your credentials that you used to log onto the Solarwinds Orion Platform: "
$LGcreds = $creds

#Read node list from file
$nodelist = Get-Content $filepath

#Establish connection to the orion server
$swis = connect-swis -Host $orion -Credential $LGcreds
try{
      Write-Host "Verifying connection to Orion."
      #verify the connection to the Orion Server is successful,
      $swis.Open()
     }
catch {
           Write-Host $_.Exception.Message
          }

#Now and later definitions
$now =[DateTime ]:: Now
$later =$now.AddHours(6)

#if Unmanage (U/u)) is selected, then start the unmanage decision tree
if (($UorM -eq 'u') -or ($UorM -eq 'U'))

                       {
                          Foreach ($node in $nodelist)
                                        {
                                          $nodeid = Get-SwisData $swis "SELECT NodeID FROM Orion.Nodes WHERE SysName LIKE '$node'"
                                          Invoke-SwisVerb $swis Orion.Nodes Unmanage @("N: $nodeid ", $now ,$later , "false")
                                        }
                        }

#if Manage (M/m) is selected, than select the manage decision tree
elseif (($UorM -eq 'm') -or ($UorM -eq 'M'))
                  { 
                    Foreach ($node in $nodelist)
                                   {
                                     $nodeid = Get-SwisData $swis "SELECT NodeID FROM Orion.Nodes WHERE SysName LIKE '$node'"
                                     Invoke-SwisVerb $swis Orion.Nodes Remanage @("N: $nodeid ")
                                   }
                  }

#otherwise, exit the script
else { break script }
####End#################

Hope it helps,
yaquaholic

thank you ioan_bucsa for the info; I am still waiting on my security team to allow me to install the SWQL studio.  I wasn't sure how much of a benefit there would be, but it looks like it would make things easier.

Dude, you rock!!! I was pulling my hair out on this, and now it's working!

thanks!

Here's a script I use that I've adapted to match what you're trying to do here.

There are a few differences:

1. Using the Connect-Swis -Trusted flag is much easier (and more secure) than having a user type their credentials into a script in plain text. If the user running the script can log into SolarWinds using their AD credentials, this will work for them.
2. I have a nifty little "menu creator" function that I use all the time. I've included it at the top of this script for you to shamelessly steal. It'll pop a dialog box if ran in the ISE, or a regular menu selection in cli.
3. I added in some error checking:
   1. If the "list.txt" file doesn't exist in the same location the script is ran from, the script will stop with a warning.
   2. If a sysname listed in the text file doesn't exist, the output will tell you that and continue.
   3. If a user tries to set the same status the node is currently in (ex: tries to unmanage an already unmanaged node), the script will skip that node. This helps cut down on the number of calls made to SWIS.
4. I changed the node lookup query to WHERE sysname = '$node' instead of using a LIKE. Since there were no wildcards, = should perform faster.

There are some additional steps that the script I use in production contains, but I wanted to keep the functionality here as close to your original script as possible. 

Function Select-Item {
<#
    .SYNOPSIS
        Allows the user to select simple items, returns a number to indicate the selected item.
    
    .DESCRIPTION
        Produces a list on the screen with a caption followed by a message.  
        The options are then displayed one after the other, and the user can choose one.
        In the ISE, this will pop-up a dialog box.
    
    .PARAMETER ChoiceList
        An array of available choices to present to the user.
        The first letter of each option will be used as the hotkey.
    
    .PARAMETER Caption
        First line presented to the user.
        In the ISE this will be displayed in the title bar.
    
    .PARAMETER Message
        Longer, second line presented to the user.
        In the ISE, this will be the message in the dialog box.
    
    .PARAMETER Default
        The index of the default choice in ChoiceList.
        (Array indices start at 0)
    
    .EXAMPLE
        PS C:\> Select-Item -ChoiceList @('Yes','No','Cancel') -Caption 'Choose a thing.' -Message 'Would you like to continue doing a thing?' -Default 1
            
        Choose a thing.
        Would you like to continue doing a thing?
        [Y] Yes  [N] No  [C] Cancel  [?] Help (default is "N"):
#>
    
    [OutputType([int])]
    Param
    (
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true,
                   ValueFromPipeline = $true)]
        [array]$ChoiceList,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true,
                   ValueFromPipeline = $true)]
        [string]$Caption,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true,
                   ValueFromPipeline = $true)]
        [string]$Message,
        [Parameter(ValueFromPipeline = $true)]
        [int]$Default = 0
    )
    
    $choiceDescription = New-Object System.Collections.ObjectModel.Collection[System.Management.Automation.Host.ChoiceDescription]
    $ChoiceList | ForEach-Object { $choiceDescription.add((New-Object "System.Management.Automation.Host.ChoiceDescription" -ArgumentList "&$($_)")) }
    $Host.UI.PromptForChoice($Caption, $Message, $choiceDescription, $Default)
}

Function New-TrustedSwisConnection {
<#
    .SYNOPSIS
        Internal function to create a connection for all cmdlets included in this module.
    
    .DESCRIPTION
        Attempts to connect to the SolarWinds Information Service using the logged in account.
    
    .PARAMETER SwisHostname
        Hostname of the server hosting the SolarWinds Information Service to connect to.
    
    .EXAMPLE
        PS C:\> New-TrustedSwisConnection
#>
    Param (
        [string]$SwisHostname = 'YOUR DEFAULT ORION HOSTNAME HERE'
    )
    
    $Global:SwisConnection = Connect-Swis -Hostname $SwisHostname -Trusted
    Return $Global:SwisConnection
}

### PROMPT USER FOR ACTION TO TAKE
$choiceParams = @{
    ChoiceList = @('Unmanage Nodes','Remanage Nodes','Cancel')
    Caption = 'SolarWinds Unmanage/Remanage Nodes'
    Message = 'Should the nodes in ~\list.txt be Unmanaged or Remanaged?'
    Default = 2
} 
$choiceOutput = Select-Item @choiceParams
If ($choiceOutput -eq 2) { 
    Write-Host "User selected cancel. Exiting."
    Break
}

### ASSIGN ARRAY OF NODES TO VARIABLE
$listPath = '.\list.txt'
If (Test-Path -Path $listPath) { 
    $nodeList = Get-Content -Path $listPath
    Write-Host "Found a list of nodes at $listPath. Continuing..."
}
Else {
    Write-Host "No node list was found at $listPath. Please run the script after creating a node list. Exiting."
    Break
}

### CONNECT TO SWIS
Try {
    New-TrustedSwisConnection -SwisHostname 'YOURHOSTNAMEHERE' | Out-Null
}
Catch {
    Write-Host "A connection could not be made to SWIS. Exiting."
    Write-Host $_.Exception.Message
}

### DATE DEFINITIONS
$dateNow = $(Get-Date).ToUniversalTime() | Get-Date -Format "yyyy-MM-ddTHH:mm:ssZ"
$dateEnd = $(Get-Date).ToUniversalTime().AddHours(6) | Get-Date -Format "yyyy-MM-ddTHH:mm:ssZ"

### COUNTERS
$countSuccess = $countFailure = $countSkipped = 0

### DO ALL THE THINGS
ForEach ($node in $nodeList) {
    $nodeDetails = Get-SwisData -SwisConnection $Global:SwisConnection -Query "SELECT NodeID, Unmanaged FROM Orion.Nodes WHERE SysName = '$node'" #NO NEED TO USE A LIKE WITHOUT A WILDCARD
    If (!$nodeDetails) {
        Write-Host "No node found with Hostname $node. Skipped."
        $countFailure++
        Break
    }
    $nodeId = $nodeDetails.NodeID
    Switch ($choiceOutput) {
        ### UNMANAGE
        0 {
            If ($nodeDetails.Unmanaged) {
                $countSkipped++
                Write-Host "$node is already unmanaged in SolarWinds. Skipped."
            }
            Else {
                #$swisResponse = Invoke-SwisVerb -SwisConnection $global:SwisConnection -EntityName Orion.Nodes -Verb Unmanage -Arguments @("$($entityPrefix):$($nodeID)", $startDateTime, $endDateTime, $false)
                $swisResponse = Invoke-SwisVerb -SwisConnection $Global:SwisConnection -EntityName Orion.Nodes -Verb Unmanage -Arguments @("N:$($nodeId)", $dateNow, $dateEnd, $false)
                If ($swisResponse.nil) {
                    $countSuccess++
                    Write-Host "$node has been unmanaged for 6 hours. Continuing..."
                }
                Else {
                    $countFailure++
                    Write-Host "An issue occurred unmanaging $node. Continuing..."
                }
            }
        }
        ### REMANAGE
        1 {
            If (!($nodeDetails.Unmanaged)) {
                $countSkipped++
                Write-Host "$node is not unmanaged in SolarWinds. Skipped."
            }
            Else {
                $swisResponse = Invoke-SwisVerb -SwisConnection $Global:SwisConnection -EntityName Orion.Nodes -Verb Remanage -Arguments @("N:$($nodeID)")
                If ($swisResponse.nil) {
                    $countSuccess++
                    Write-Host "$node nas been remanaged. Continuing..."
                }
                Else {
                    $countFailure++
                    Write-Host "An issue occurred remanaging $node. Continuing..."
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

### REPORT OUTCOME
Write-Host @"

Succeeded: $countSuccess
Failed: $countFailure
Skipped: $countSkipped

"@

Write-Host "Complete. Exiting."