I found a solution. It' not pretty, but it works. Based off the comments in this thread:
http://www.xpresslearn.com/cisco/general/automate-cisco-commands-from-windows
Since StdIn redirect (<) does not work in PowerShell you have to call cmd.exe to do the dirty work. My sample code looks like this:
# setting up the plink command in these two steps: 1. the cmd.exe call, 2. the command in cmd as an argument
$install_cmd = "cmd.exe"
$install_args = "/c `"$PlinkPath -ssh -2 -l $username -pw $password $SshHost -batch < $commandPath > $logPath`\$SshHost`.txt`""
#Run command and wait for exit
$PlinkCMD = [System.Diagnostics.Process]::Start("$install_cmd","$install_args")
$PlinkCMD.WaitForExit()
# grab the commnd output
$Output = get-content "$logPath`\$SshHost`.txt"
$PlinkPath is the full path to, and including, plink.exe.
$username and $password are the plain string info needed to logon via SSH.
$SshHost is the IP or hostname you are connecting to.
$commandPath is th full path to, and including, the file with the commands.
$logPath is the directory where the output goes.
Since a new and separate window is opened to perform the work you need to pipe, using >, Plink's output to a text file which can be read and parsed for validation and error correction purposes.
Like I said, not pretty, but it works. Could easily be turned into a function, too.
James Kehr
