Hardware.SystemInfo.OtherIdentifyingInfo Blank in PowerCLI

Summary:
Using my PowerCLI script to get Dell warranty information, I noticed that some of my ESX hosts were not returning service/asset tag information.  The information was showing up in vCenter's hardware status tab, but not w/ my PowerCLI script.
Workaround:

1. First, check to see if your ESX host has this information populated:

Connect-viServer ESXHostName

$VMHost = Get-VMHost | Get-View

$VMHost.Hardware.SystemInfo.OtherIdentifyingInfo



2. If the above code returns objects, then the next step is to disconnect the host from vCenter, then reconnect it.  You can use the following PowerCLI code to find all hosts w/ empty properties to do this for you.  As always, test before you try it in a production environment.



$ESXHosts = @()

$VMHosts = Get-VMHost | Get-View

Foreach ($VMHost in $VMHosts)

{

$NewObj             = "" | Select Name, ServiceTag, AssetTag

$NewObj.Name        = $VMHost.Name

#Replace is used to clean up data that might be there for easier filtering

$NewObj.ServiceTag    = ($VMHost.hardware.systeminfo.OtherIdentifyingInfo | where {$_.IdentifierType.Key -eq "servicetag"}).identifierValue -replace(" ","")

$NewObj.AssetTag    = ($VMHost.hardware.systeminfo.OtherIdentifyingInfo | where {$_.IdentifierType.Key -eq "assettag"}).identifierValue -replace(" ","")

$ESXHosts += $NewObj

}

$VMHostsFiltered = $ESXHosts | Where-Object {($_.ServiceTag -eq "" -or $_.AssetTag -eq "") -and ($_.ServiceTag -ne "unknown") -and ($_.AssetTag -ne "unknown")}

Foreach ($EvilESXBox in $VMHostsFiltered)

{

Set-VMHost -VMHost $EvilESXBox.Name -State Disconnected

Set-VMHost -VMHost $EvilESXBox.Name -State Connected

}



3. Now running the code in my Dell Warranty Script should have all information populated as long as the ESX host has the information.

FYI:  

If the assettag and servicetag fields are blank or unknown, it's likely that your server needs to be flashed by a Dell Technician to insert the service tag info.  It supposed to be pre-populated by the factory, but if you've had the motherboard replaced, then it needs to be flashed.