AWS Tools for Windows PowerShell
Command Reference

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Synopsis

Calls the AWS Systems Manager StartSession API operation.

Syntax

Start-SSMSession
-DocumentName <String>
-DisablePluginInvocation <SwitchParameter>
-Parameter <Hashtable>
-Reason <String>
-Target <String>
-Select <String>
-Force <SwitchParameter>
-ClientConfig <AmazonSimpleSystemsManagementConfig>

Description

Initiates a connection to a target (for example, a managed node) for a Session Manager session. Returns a URL and token that can be used to open a WebSocket connection for sending input and receiving outputs. Amazon Web Services CLI usage: start-session is an interactive command that requires the Session Manager plugin to be installed on the client machine making the call. For information, see Install the Session Manager plugin for the Amazon Web Services CLI in the Amazon Web Services Systems Manager User Guide. Amazon Web Services Tools for PowerShell usage: Start-SSMSession isn't currently supported by Amazon Web Services Tools for PowerShell on Windows local machines.

Parameters

-ClientConfig <AmazonSimpleSystemsManagementConfig>
Amazon.PowerShell.Cmdlets.SSM.AmazonSimpleSystemsManagementClientCmdlet.ClientConfig
Required?False
Position?Named
Accept pipeline input?True (ByPropertyName)
-DisablePluginInvocation <SwitchParameter>
Amazon.PowerShell.Cmdlets.SSM.StartSSMSessionCmdlet.DisablePluginInvocation
Required?False
Position?Named
Accept pipeline input?True (ByPropertyName)
-DocumentName <String>
The name of the SSM document you want to use to define the type of session, input parameters, or preferences for the session. For example, SSM-SessionManagerRunShell. You can call the GetDocument API to verify the document exists before attempting to start a session. If no document name is provided, a shell to the managed node is launched by default. For more information, see Start a session in the Amazon Web Services Systems Manager User Guide.
Required?False
Position?1
Accept pipeline input?True (ByValue, ByPropertyName)
-Force <SwitchParameter>
This parameter overrides confirmation prompts to force the cmdlet to continue its operation. This parameter should always be used with caution.
Required?False
Position?Named
Accept pipeline input?True (ByPropertyName)
-Parameter <Hashtable>
The values you want to specify for the parameters defined in the Session document. For more information about these parameters, see Create a Session Manager preferences document in the Amazon Web Services Systems Manager User Guide. Starting with version 4 of the SDK this property will default to null. If no data for this property is returned from the service the property will also be null. This was changed to improve performance and allow the SDK and caller to distinguish between a property not set or a property being empty to clear out a value. To retain the previous SDK behavior set the AWSConfigs.InitializeCollections static property to true.
Required?False
Position?Named
Accept pipeline input?True (ByPropertyName)
AliasesParameters
-Reason <String>
The reason for connecting to the instance. This value is included in the details for the Amazon CloudWatch Events event created when you start the session.
Required?False
Position?Named
Accept pipeline input?True (ByPropertyName)
-Select <String>
Use the -Select parameter to control the cmdlet output. The default value is '*'. Specifying -Select '*' will result in the cmdlet returning the whole service response (Amazon.SimpleSystemsManagement.Model.StartSessionResponse). Specifying the name of a property of type Amazon.SimpleSystemsManagement.Model.StartSessionResponse will result in that property being returned. Specifying -Select '^ParameterName' will result in the cmdlet returning the selected cmdlet parameter value.
Required?False
Position?Named
Accept pipeline input?True (ByPropertyName)
-Target <String>
The managed node to connect to for the session.
Required?True
Position?Named
Accept pipeline input?True (ByPropertyName)

Common Credential and Region Parameters

-AccessKey <String>
The AWS access key for the user account. This can be a temporary access key if the corresponding session token is supplied to the -SessionToken parameter.
Required?False
Position?Named
Accept pipeline input?True (ByPropertyName)
AliasesAK
-Credential <AWSCredentials>
An AWSCredentials object instance containing access and secret key information, and optionally a token for session-based credentials.
Required?False
Position?Named
Accept pipeline input?True (ByValue, ByPropertyName)
-EndpointUrl <String>
The endpoint to make the call against.Note: This parameter is primarily for internal AWS use and is not required/should not be specified for normal usage. The cmdlets normally determine which endpoint to call based on the region specified to the -Region parameter or set as default in the shell (via Set-DefaultAWSRegion). Only specify this parameter if you must direct the call to a specific custom endpoint.
Required?False
Position?Named
Accept pipeline input?True (ByPropertyName)
-NetworkCredential <PSCredential>
Used with SAML-based authentication when ProfileName references a SAML role profile. Contains the network credentials to be supplied during authentication with the configured identity provider's endpoint. This parameter is not required if the user's default network identity can or should be used during authentication.
Required?False
Position?Named
Accept pipeline input?True (ByValue, ByPropertyName)
-ProfileLocation <String>
Used to specify the name and location of the ini-format credential file (shared with the AWS CLI and other AWS SDKs)If this optional parameter is omitted this cmdlet will search the encrypted credential file used by the AWS SDK for .NET and AWS Toolkit for Visual Studio first. If the profile is not found then the cmdlet will search in the ini-format credential file at the default location: (user's home directory)\.aws\credentials.If this parameter is specified then this cmdlet will only search the ini-format credential file at the location given.As the current folder can vary in a shell or during script execution it is advised that you use specify a fully qualified path instead of a relative path.
Required?False
Position?Named
Accept pipeline input?True (ByPropertyName)
AliasesAWSProfilesLocation, ProfilesLocation
-ProfileName <String>
The user-defined name of an AWS credentials or SAML-based role profile containing credential information. The profile is expected to be found in the secure credential file shared with the AWS SDK for .NET and AWS Toolkit for Visual Studio. You can also specify the name of a profile stored in the .ini-format credential file used with the AWS CLI and other AWS SDKs.
Required?False
Position?Named
Accept pipeline input?True (ByPropertyName)
AliasesStoredCredentials, AWSProfileName
-Region <Object>
The system name of an AWS region or an AWSRegion instance. This governs the endpoint that will be used when calling service operations. Note that the AWS resources referenced in a call are usually region-specific.
Required?False
Position?Named
Accept pipeline input?True (ByPropertyName)
AliasesRegionToCall
-SecretKey <String>
The AWS secret key for the user account. This can be a temporary secret key if the corresponding session token is supplied to the -SessionToken parameter.
Required?False
Position?Named
Accept pipeline input?True (ByPropertyName)
AliasesSK, SecretAccessKey
-SessionToken <String>
The session token if the access and secret keys are temporary session-based credentials.
Required?False
Position?Named
Accept pipeline input?True (ByPropertyName)
AliasesST

Outputs

Amazon.SimpleSystemsManagement.Model.StartSessionResponse
This cmdlet returns an Amazon.SimpleSystemsManagement.Model.StartSessionResponse object containing multiple properties.

Examples

Example 1

Start-SSMSession -Target 'i-064578e5e7454488f' -DocumentName 'AWS-StartPortForwardingSession' -Parameter @{ localPortNumber = '8080'; portNumber = '80' } -Region 'us-west-1'

Starting session with SessionId: testUser-xi4glew849asyeryde34u4dfsdfy
Port 8080 opened for sessionId testUser-xi4glew849asyeryde34u4dfsdfy.
Waiting for connections...
This example initiates a connection to a target for a Session Manager session, enabling port forwarding. Note: You need to add Region parameter if not already set using AWSCredentials.

Example 2

Start-SSMSession -Target 'i-1234567890abcdef0' -Region 'us-west-1'

Starting session with SessionId : testUser-xi4glew849asyeryde34u4dfsdfy
Windows PowerShell
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PS C:\Windows\system32> whoami
ec2amaz-fnsdrwv\ec2-test-user
PS C:\Windows\system32>
This example creates an interactive session with a specified instance for a Session Manager session.

Example 3

Start-SSMSession -Target 'i-1234567890abcdef0' -Region 'us-west-1' -DisablePluginInvocation

SessionId        : testUser-xi4glew849asyeryde34u4dfsdfy
StreamUrl        : {StreamUrl value redacted}
TokenValue       : {Token value redacted}
ContentLength    : 1207
HttpStatusCode   : OK    
This example creates a session without connecting to it and returns the SessionId, StreamUrl, and TokenValue properties required to connect to the session.
Service User Guide
Service API Reference
Microsoft Windows Guide
AWS Tools for PowerShell User Guide

Supported Version

AWS Tools for PowerShell: 2.x.y.z