There are many available blog posts on internet explaining how to update XML files in PowerShell. But I felt need of one consolidated blog where complex XML files can be updated using PowerShell. These complex xml files can have long complex hierarchy of XML nodes and attributes.

Let us try to update below XML sample at various levels of node hierarchy.

Sample XML Code

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Data version="2.0">
  <Roles>
    <Role Name="ManagementServer" Value="OldManagementServer" />
  </Roles>
  <SQL>
    <Instance Server="OldSQLServer" Instance="MSSQLSERVER" Version="SQL Server 2012">
      <Variable Name="SQLAdmin" Value="Domain\OldSQlAdmin" />
      <Variable Name="SQLUser" Value="domain\sqluser" />
    </Instance>
  </SQL>
  <VMs>
    <VM Type="ClientVM">
      <VMName>ClientVM</VMName>
    </VM>
    <VM Type="DNSServerVM">
      <VMName>OldDNSServer</VMName>
    </VM>
  </VMs>
</Data>

Steps to follow

Save the above xml block in C: drive with name “Data.xml”.

We will update the nodes in XML file to use a new management, SQL, and DNS servers. Below are the step-by-step PowerShell commands on how we can update the nodes and their attributes at various levels.

1. Define the variables that we need to modify.

   $path             = 'C:\Users\sorastog\Desktop\blog\Variable.xml'
   $ManagementServer = 'NewManagementServer'
   $SQLServer        = 'NewSQLServer'
   $SQLAdmin         = 'Domain\NewSQlAdmin'
   $DNSServerVMName  = 'NewDNSServer'

2. Read the content of XML file.

   $xml = [xml](Get-Content -Path $path)

3. Update ManagementServer: Change the attribute Value of nodes at level 3 based on the Name attribute on the same level.

   $node = $xml.Data.Roles.Role | 
   where {$_.Name -eq 'ManagementServer'}
   $node.Value = $ManagementServer

4. Update SQLServer: Change the attribute Value of a node at level 3.

   $node        = $xml.Data.SQL.Instance
   $node.Server = $SQLServer

5. Update SQLAdmin: Change the attribute Value of nodes at level 4 based on the Name attribute on the same level.

   $node = $xml.Data.SQL.Instance.Variable |
   where {$_.Name -eq 'SQLAdmin'}
   $node.Value = $SQLAdmin

6. Update DNSServerVM: Change the attribute Value of nodes at level 4 based on the VMType attribute at the level above.

   $node = $xml.Data.VMs.VM |
   where {$_.Type -eq 'DNSServerVM'}
   $node.VMName = $DNSServerVMName

7. Save changes to the XML file.

   $xml.Save($path)

Output

The final PowerShell script will look like below:

$path             = 'C:\Data.xml'
$ManagementServer = 'NewManagementServer'
$SQLServer        = 'NewSQLServer'
$SQLAdmin         = 'Domain\NewSQlAdmin'
$DNSServerVMName  = 'NewDNSServer'

$xml = [xml](Get-Content $path)

$node = $xml.Data.Roles.Role |
    where {$_.Name -eq 'ManagementServer'}
$node.Value = $ManagementServer

$node        = $xml.Data.SQL.Instance
$node.Server = $SQLServer

$node = $xml.Data.SQL.Instance.Variable |
    where {$_.Name -eq 'SQLAdmin'}
$node.Value = $SQLAdmin

$node = $xml.Data.VMs.VM |
    where {$_.Type -eq 'DNSServerVM'}
$node.VMName = $DNSServerVMName

$xml.Save($path)

The final xml will look like below.

Hope this post will help you to update complex XML files using PowerShell. If there are suggestions on how to improve this blog post, then please comment below. I will be happy to include them.

Till Then, Happy Scripting 🙂

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