xRDServer: Adding RDS-Web-Access role throws exception

[a-schuetz]

Details of the scenario you tried and the problem that is occurring

Using xRDServer ressource to add an RDS-Web-Access server raises exceptions but works anyway.

Verbose logs showing the problem

{
    "Exception":  {
                      "Message":  "The PowerShell DSC resource \u0027[xRDServer]AddWebServer02\u0027 with SourceInfo \u0027::179::9::xRDServer\u0027 threw one or more non-terminating errors while running the Set-TargetResource functionality. These errors are logged to the ETW channel called Microsoft-Windows-DSC/Operational. Refer to this channel for more details.",
                      "Data":  {

                               },
                      "InnerException":  {
                                             "SerializedRemoteException":  "System.Management.Automation.CommandNotFoundException: The term \u0027Get-RDWorkspace\u0027 is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.\r\n   at System.Management.Automation.CommandDiscovery.LookupCommandInfo(String commandName, CommandTypes commandTypes, SearchResolutionOptions searchResolutionOptions, CommandOrigin commandOrigin, ExecutionContext context)\r\n   at System.Management.Automation.CommandDiscovery.LookupCommandProcessor(String commandName, CommandOrigin commandOrigin, Nullable`1 useLocalScope)\r\n   at System.Management.Automation.ExecutionContext.CreateCommand(String command, Boolean dotSource)\r\n   at System.Management.Automation.PipelineOps.AddCommand(PipelineProcessor pipe, CommandParameterInternal[] commandElements, CommandBaseAst commandBaseAst, CommandRedirection[] redirections, ExecutionContext context)\r\n   at System.Management.Automation.PipelineOps.InvokePipeline(Object input, Boolean ignoreInput, CommandParameterInternal[][] pipeElements, CommandBaseAst[] pipeElementAsts, CommandRedirection[][] commandRedirections, FunctionContext funcContext)\r\n   at System.Management.Automation.Interpreter.ActionCallInstruction`6.Run(InterpretedFrame frame)\r\n   at System.Management.Automation.Interpreter.EnterTryCatchFinallyInstruction.Run(InterpretedFrame frame)\r\n   at System.Management.Automation.Interpreter.EnterTryCatchFinallyInstruction.Run(InterpretedFrame frame)",
                                             "SerializedRemoteInvocationInfo":  "System.Management.Automation.InvocationInfo",
                                             "ErrorRecord":  "The term \u0027Get-RDWorkspace\u0027 is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.",
                                             "WasThrownFromThrowStatement":  false,
                                             "Message":  "The term \u0027Get-RDWorkspace\u0027 is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.",
                                             "Data":  "System.Collections.ListDictionaryInternal",
                                             "InnerException":  null,
                                             "TargetSite":  null,
                                             "StackTrace":  null,
                                             "HelpLink":  null,
                                             "Source":  null,
                                             "HResult":  -2146233087
                                         },
                      "TargetSite":  null,
                      "StackTrace":  null,
                      "HelpLink":  null,
                      "Source":  null,
                      "HResult":  -2146233079
                  },
    "TargetObject":  null,
    "CategoryInfo":  {
                         "Category":  7,
                         "Activity":  "",
                         "Reason":  "InvalidOperationException",
                         "TargetName":  "",
                         "TargetType":  ""
                     },
    "FullyQualifiedErrorId":  "NonTerminatingErrorFromProvider",
    "ErrorDetails":  null,
    "InvocationInfo":  null,
    "ScriptStackTrace":  null,
    "PipelineIterationInfo":  [

                              ]
}

Suggested solution to the issue

I found a workaround by adding a reboot if Add-RDServer fails. This is not a ideal solution as it could result in an infinite loop, but it does the job for me right now.

 xRDSessionDeployment RDDeployment
{
    ConnectionBroker = $MainConnectionBroker
    WebAccessServer = $WebAccessServer1
    SessionHost = $SessionHost
    PsDscRunAsCredential = $AdminCreds
    DependsOn = "[xDSCDomainjoin]JoinDomain"
}

Script AddWebServer02 {
    GetScript = { @{} } # not used
    SetScript = {
        try {
            Import-Module RemoteDesktop
            Add-RDServer -Server $Using:WebAccessServer2 -Role 'RDS-Web-Access' -ConnectionBroker $Using:ConnectionBroker
        }
        catch {
              # The function throws an exception but still works
        }
    }
    TestScript = {
        Import-Module RemoteDesktop
        $servers = Get-RDServer -Role 'RDS-Web-Access' -ConnectionBroker $Using:MainConnectionBroker -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
        if ($servers -and $Using:WebAccessServer2 -in $servers.Server) { return $true } else { return $false }
    }
    
    PsDscRunAsCredential = $AdminCreds
    DependsOn = "[xRDSessionDeployment]RDDeployment"
}  

The DSC configuration that is used to reproduce the issue (as detailed as possible)

xRDSessionDeployment RDDeployment
{
    ConnectionBroker = $MainConnectionBroker
    WebAccessServer = $WebAccessServer1
    SessionHost = $SessionHost
    PsDscRunAsCredential = $AdminCreds
    DependsOn = "[xDSCDomainjoin]JoinDomain"
}


xRDServer AddWebServer02
{
    ConnectionBroker = $MainConnectionBroker
    Role = 'RDS-Web-Access'
    Server = $WebAccessServer2
    PsDscRunAsCredential = $AdminCreds
    DependsOn = "[xRDServer]AddGateway02"
}

The operating system the target node is running

OsName               : Microsoft Windows Server 2019 Datacenter
OsOperatingSystemSKU : DatacenterServerEdition
OsArchitecture       : 64-bit
WindowsVersion       : 1809
WindowsBuildLabEx    : 17763.1.amd64fre.rs5_release.180914-1434
OsLanguage           : en-US
OsMuiLanguages       : {en-US}

Version and build of PowerShell the target node is running

Name                           Value
----                           -----
PSVersion                      5.1.17763.1852
PSEdition                      Desktop
PSCompatibleVersions           {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0...}
BuildVersion                   10.0.17763.1852
CLRVersion                     4.0.30319.42000
WSManStackVersion              3.0
PSRemotingProtocolVersion      2.3
SerializationVersion           1.1.0.1

Version of the DSC module that was used

2.0.0