I wrote a script a while back which I'll include at the bottom of this post, but I need to say a few things about it first.
It's not perfect. It's not even working well enough that I use it on a regular basis. I'm posting it because there are some things in there that will help you if you decide to roll your own solution with PowerShell. This should get you about 80% of the way there. The reason for writing this script probably had more to do with experimenting with Google Charts and querying event logs using XML filters than it did actually finding a workable solution for Remote Desktop reporting. I apparently hardcoded a few things in there (like the name of the terminal server) which I meant to go back and fix (before I abandoned it) as you can tell from my comments. The script should either create a graph or return "No activity." Sometimes it just outright hangs...
Anyway, it will create a color graph of the user's activity over a day that looks like the following --
![Remote Desktop Activity](../../images/3867806941.webp)
Please do not use this script as an example as to how this should be done, it's just how I did it a long while ago. Without further ado...
## TO DO
# 1. Make timing queries correct (without hard-coding the +6)
param
(
[parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[DateTime]
# Specifies date of information to be returned
$QueryDate,
[parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[String]
# Specifies user to run report on
$User,
[String]
# Specify server to query (default: TSSRV)
$Server="TSSRV",
[Switch]
# Automatically view graph upon completion of command
$ShowGraph
)
function constructQuery
{
param
(
[DateTime]
$date = $QueryDate,
[string]
$username = $User,
[Parameter(Mandatory=$false)]
[string]
$TargetLogonId,
[Parameter(Mandatory=$false)]
[ValidatePattern("[0-3]")]
[int]
$queryType, # 0 = EventID4647, 1 = EventID4634, 2 = EventID4779, 3 = EventID4778
[Parameter(Mandatory=$false)]
[alias("LastEvent")]
[int]
$_lastEvent
)
[string]$ReturnQuery = "" #initialize blank query
[string]$DateFormatString = "{0:yyyy'-'MM'-'dd'T'HH':'mm':'sss'Z'}"
[string]$StartDateTimeString = $DateFormatString -f $date.AddHours(6) # add 6 stupid hours for timezone...
[string]$EndDateTimeString = $DateFormatString -f ($date.AddDays(1)).AddHours(6) # add 6 stupid hours for timezone...
[string]$TimeQueryString = "TimeCreated[@SystemTime>='$StartDateTimeString' and @SystemTime<'$EndDateTimeString']]] and "
[string]$TargetLogonString = "*[EventData[Data[@Name=`'TargetLogonId`']=`'$TargetLogonId`']]"
[string]$LogonIDString = "*[EventData[Data[@Name=`'LogonID`']=`'$TargetLogonId`']]"
[string]$QueryHeader = "<QueryList><Query Id=`"0`" Path=`"Security`">"
[string]$QueryFooter = "</Query></QueryList>"
$ReturnQuery += $QueryHeader
if(!$TargetLogonId) # Query for Logons
{
$ReturnQuery += "<Select Path=`"Security`">" + `
"*[System[(EventID=4624) and " + `
$TimeQueryString + `
"*[EventData[Data[@Name=`'LogonType`']=10]] and " + `
"*[EventData[Data[@Name=`'TargetUserName`']=`'$username`']]" + `
"</Select>" + `
"<Suppress Path=`"Security`">" + `
"*[EventData[Data[@Name=`'LogonGuid`']=`'{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}`']]" + `
"</Suppress>"
}
else
{
[string]$tempString = "<Select Path=`"Security`">" + `
"*[System[(EventID={0}) and " + `
$TimeQueryString
switch ($queryType)
{
{$_ -eq 0 -or $_ -eq 1} { $tempString += $TargetLogonString }
{$_ -eq 2 -or $_ -eq 3} { $tempString += $LogonIDString }
default {Write-Host ERROR; exit}
}
$tempString += "{1}" + `
"</Select>"
switch($queryType)
{
0 { $ReturnQuery += $tempString -f "4647", "" }
1 { $ReturnQuery += $tempString -f "4634", "and *[EventData[Data[@Name=`'LogonType`']=10]]" }
2 { $ReturnQuery += $tempString -f "4779", "and *[System[(EventRecordID>$_lastEvent)]]" }
3 { $ReturnQuery += $tempString -f "4778", "and *[System[(EventRecordID>$_lastEvent)]]" }
default {Write-Host ERROR; exit}
}
}
$ReturnQuery += $QueryFooter
$ReturnQuery
}
function search
{
param
(
[string]
$_User = $User,
[Parameter(Mandatory=$false)]
[string]
$_TargetLogonId,
[ref]
$_lastEvent,
[ref]
$_currentEvent,
[int]
$_queryType, # Logoff = 1, Disconnect = 2, Reconnect = 3
[int]
$_eventIDNumber
)
try
{
[string]$query = constructQuery -Date $QueryDate -username $User -TargetLogonId $_TargetLogonId -queryType $_queryType -LastEvent $_eventIDNumber
$query | Out-File -Append c:\TEMP\queries.txt # DEBUG
$_lastEvent.Value = $_currentEvent.Value # DEBUG
$_currentEvent.Value = Get-WinEvent -ComputerName $Server -FilterXML $query -Oldest -ErrorAction Stop # DEBUG
#"SUCCESS" | Out-File -Append c:\TEMP\queries.txt # DEBUG
$true
}
catch
{
$false
}
}
function eventURLBuilder
{
param
(
[System.Diagnostics.Eventing.Reader.EventLogRecord]
$_currentEvent,
[System.Diagnostics.Eventing.Reader.EventLogRecord]
$_lastEvent,
[alias("Disconnected")]
[switch]
$_disconnected
)
$lastEventDT = Get-Date $_lastEvent.TimeCreated
$dTimeStart = [decimal]$lastEventDT.ToString("HH") + [decimal]($lastEventDT.ToString("%m")/60)
if($_disconnected) { $baseString = "B,$disconnectedColor,0," + ("{0:N2}" -f $dTimeStart) + ":" }
else { $baseString = "B,$activeColor,0," + ("{0:N2}" -f $dTimeStart) + ":" }
$currentEventDT = Get-Date $_currentEvent.TimeCreated
$dTimeFinish = [decimal]$currentEventDT.ToString("HH") + [decimal]($currentEventDT.ToString("%m")/60)
$baseString + ("{0:N2}" -f $dTimeFinish) + ",0|" # return string
}
## Public Variables ##
[int]$state = 0 # 0=Logged off, 1=Logged on, 2=Disconnected, 3=Reconnected
[string]$eventsURL = "" # snippet of URL that will hold the data being charted
$totalDisconnectedTime = New-TimeSpan # will contain total disconnected time
$totalLogonTime = New-TimeSpan # will contain total logged on (not disconnected) time
[string]$activeColor = "4D7CFF" #76A4FB
[string]$disconnectedColor = "E86868" #990000
[int]$lastEventProcessed = 0
######################
try
{
$LogonsQuery = constructQuery
$LogonEvents = Get-WinEvent -ComputerName $Server -FilterXML $LogonsQuery -Oldest -ErrorAction Stop
}
catch
{
Write-Host "No activity." -ForegroundColor Red
exit
}
foreach ($LogonEvent in $LogonEvents)
{
if($LogonEvent.RecordId -lt $lastEventProcessed)
{
continue
}
#Extract 'TargetLogonId' from $LogonEvent XML to match related session events
[xml]$xmlEvent = $LogonEvent.ToXml()
$xmlns = New-Object -TypeName System.Xml.XmlNamespaceManager -ArgumentList $xmlEvent.NameTable
$xmlns.AddNamespace("el", "http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event")
[string]$TargetLogonId = $xmlEvent.SelectSingleNode("el:Event/el:EventData/el:Data[@Name = 'TargetLogonId']/text()", $xmlns).Value
[int]$lastEventProcessed = $LogonEvent.RecordId
$lastEvent = $LogonEvent
$currentEvent = $LogonEvent # initialize (value meaningless at this point)
$state = 1 # Mark as "logged on"
while ($state -ne 0)
{
if ($state -eq 1) #LOGGED ON
{
try
{
$hasEvent = search $User $TargetLogonId ([ref]$lastEvent) ([ref]$currentEvent) 2 $lastEventProcessed # 2 = disconnect
}
catch
{
Write-Host ERROR -ForegroundColor Red
$_
exit
}
if ($hasEvent)
{
try
{
$totalLogonTime += (Get-Date $currentEvent.TimeCreated) - (Get-Date $lastEvent.TimeCreated)
$eventsURL += eventURLBuilder $currentEvent $lastEvent
$state = 2
$lastEventProcessed = $currentEvent.RecordId
}
catch
{
Write-Host "ERROR" -ForegroundColor Red
$_
exit
}
}
if ($state -ne 0 -and $state -ne 2)
{
try
{
$hasEvent = search $User $TargetLogonId ([ref]$lastEvent) ([ref]$currentEvent) 1 $lastEventProcessed
}
catch
{
Write-Host ERROR -ForegroundColor Red
$_
exit
}
if ($hasEvent)
{
try
{
$totalLogonTime += (Get-Date $currentEvent.TimeCreated) - (Get-Date $lastEvent.TimeCreated)
$eventsURL += eventURLBuilder $currentEvent $lastEvent
$state = 0
}
catch
{
Write-Host "ERROR" -ForegroundColor Red
$_
exit
}
}
}
}
elseif ($state -eq 2) #DISCONNECTED
{
try
{
$hasEvent = search $User $TargetLogonId ([ref]$lastEvent) ([ref]$currentEvent) 3 $lastEventProcessed # 3 = reconnect
}
catch
{
Write-Host "ERROR" -ForegroundColor Red
$_
exit
}
if ($hasEvent)
{
try
{
$totalDisconnectedTime += (Get-Date $currentEvent.TimeCreated) - (Get-Date $lastEvent.TimeCreated)
$eventsURL += eventURLBuilder $currentEvent $lastEvent -Disconnected
$state = 3
$lastEventProcessed = $currentEvent.RecordId
}
catch
{
Write-Host "ERROR" -ForegroundColor Red
$_
exit
}
}
if ($state -ne 0 -and $state -ne 3)
{
try
{
$hasEvent = search $User $TargetLogonId ([ref]$lastEvent) ([ref]$currentEvent) 1 $lastEventProcessed
}
catch
{
Write-Host "ERROR" -ForegroundColor Red
$_
exit
}
if ($hasEvent)
{
try
{
$totalDisconnectedTime += (Get-Date $currentEvent.TimeCreated) - (Get-Date $lastEvent.TimeCreated)
$eventsURL += eventURLBuilder $currentEvent $lastEvent -Disconnected
$state = 0
}
catch
{
Write-Host "ERROR" -ForegroundColor Red
$_
exit
}
}
}
}
elseif ($state -eq 3) #RECONNECTED
{
try
{
$hasEvent = search $User $TargetLogonId ([ref]$lastEvent) ([ref]$currentEvent) 2 $lastEventProcessed # 2 = disconnect
}
catch
{
Write-Host ERROR -ForegroundColor Red
$_
exit
}
if ($hasEvent)
{
try
{
$totalLogonTime += (Get-Date $currentEvent.TimeCreated) - (Get-Date $lastEvent.TimeCreated)
$eventsURL += eventURLBuilder $currentEvent $lastEvent
$state = 2
$lastEventProcessed = $currentEvent.RecordId
}
catch
{
Write-Host "ERROR" -ForegroundColor Red
$_
exit
}
}
if ($state -ne 0 -and $state -ne 2)
{
try
{
$hasEvent = search $User $TargetLogonId ([ref]$lastEvent) ([ref]$currentEvent) 1 $lastEventProcessed
}
catch
{
Write-Host "ERROR" -ForegroundColor Red
$_
exit
}
if ($hasEvent)
{
try
{
$totalLogonTime += (Get-Date $currentEvent.TimeCreated) - (Get-Date $lastEvent.TimeCreated)
$eventsURL += eventURLBuilder $currentEvent $lastEvent
$state = 0
}
catch
{
Write-Host "ERROR" -ForegroundColor Red
$_
exit
}
}
}
}
}
}
$chartURL = "http://chart.googleapis.com/chart?cht=lc&chtt=" + `
$User + `
"+Remote+Access+for+" + `
$QueryDate.ToShortDateString() + `
"|Total%3A+" + ($totalDisconnectedTime + $totalLogonTime).Hours + "+hours+and+" + ($totalDisconnectedTime + $totalLogonTime).Minutes + "+minutes" + `
"-- Active%3A+" + $totalLogonTime.Hours + "+hours+and+" + $totalLogonTime.Minutes + "+minutes" + `
"&chm="
$chartURL += $eventsURL
$chartURL = $chartURL.Remove($chartURL.Length - 1) # remove the extraneous '|' character
$chartURL += "&chxl=0:|12%3A00|3%3A00|6%3A00|9%3A00|12%3A00|3%3A00|6%3A00|9%3A00|12%3A00|1:||AM|PM||2:|&chxtc=0,5&chdl=|Logged+On|Disconnected&chco=FFFFFF|" + `
$activeColor + `
"|" + `
$disconnectedColor + `
"&chs=800x240&chxt=x,x,y&chd=t:100&chls=FFFFFF&chfd=0,x,0,24,1,100"
$saveFolder = "c:\TEMP\chart.png"
$clnt = new-object System.Net.WebClient
$clnt.DownloadFile($chartUrl,$saveFolder)
if($ShowGraph)
{
&"$saveFolder"
}
$chartURL | Out-File c:\TEMP\chartURL.txt # DEBUG
Write-Host Chart Generated at $saveFolder -ForegroundColor Green
To run this script, do the following --
.\Get-TSUserReport.ps1 -ShowGraph -QueryDate "4/11/2012" -User jdoe