trouble executing SSH remote ash script on ESXI Host

Question

I have two servers: Linux shell (192.168.1.11) and ESXI host ash shell (192.168.1.12).

Desired outcome:

• Local testsuspend.sh scp uploads suspendvm.sh to remote ESXI server and executes on ESXI. When finished testsuspend.sh continues and exits.
• Script testsuspend.sh on .11 uploads an ash script (suspendvm.sh) to ESXi host .12, should execute it and wait until it's finished,then finish testsuspend.sh.

On Linux I want to remote execute a script suspendvm.sh from another script testsuspend.sh to suspend all VMs and put ESXI host in maintenance mode.

When I execute the testsuspend.sh on Linux it stops on executing suspendvm.sh via SSH. If I execute the suspend script sustendvm.sh on the ESXI host directly it works.

File after copy on ESXI:

-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root          1260 Apr 16 07:06 suspendvm.sh

Would you have an idea on what I need to do here to get the ssh remote script to execute properly on the ESXi host and the local script to wait until remote is finished?

... So I found that if I run this in the testsuspend.sh it works:

cat suspendVM.sh | ssh -T $user@$host

Why does this work but not the copy and execute?

Local script 192.168.1.11, testsuspend.sh should execute suspenvm.sh remotely:

#!/bin/sh
user="root"
host="192.168.1.120"

scp suspendvm.sh $user@$host:/tmp
echo "copy suspend script"
ssh $user@$host 'sh -s /tmp/suspendvm.sh' &
exit

Remote script 192.168.1.12, suspendvm.sh works when I execute on ESXI host .12):

#!/bin/sh
RUNNING=0
VMS=`vim-cmd vmsvc/getallvms | grep -v Vmid | awk '{print $1}'`
for VM in $VMS ; do
     # echo "Probing VM with id: $VM."
     PWR=`vim-cmd vmsvc/power.getstate $VM | grep -v "Retrieved runtime info"`
     name=`vim-cmd vmsvc/get.config $VM | grep -i "name =" | awk '{print $3}' | head -1 | awk -F'"' '{print $2}'
     echo "VM with id $VM has power state $PWR (name = $name)."
     if [ "$PWR" == "Powered on" ] ; then
          RUNNING=1
          echo "Powered on VM with id $VM and name: $name"
          echo "Suspending VM with id $VM and name: $name"
          vim-cmd vmsvc/power.suspend $VM > /dev/null &
     fi
done

while true ; do
     if [ $RUNNING -eq 0 ] ; then
          echo "Gone..."
          break
     echo "Powered on VM with id $VM and name: $name"
          echo "Suspending VM with id $VM and name: $name"
          vim-cmd vmsvc/power.suspend $VM > /dev/null &
     fi
done

while true ; do
     if [ $RUNNING -eq 0 ] ; then
          echo "Gone..."
          break
     fi
     RUNNING=0
     for VM in $VMS ; do
          PWR=`vim-cmd vmsvc/power.getstate $VM | grep -v "Retrieved runtime info"`
          if [ "$PWR" == "Powered on" ] ; then
               name=`vim-cmd vmsvc/get.config $VM | grep -i "name =" | awk '{print $3}' | head -1 | awk -F'"' '{$
               echo "Waiting for id $VM and name: $name..."
               RUNNING=1
          fi
     done
     sleep 1
esxcli system maintenanceMode set --enable true
done

Remote script #2 that should do the same via esxicli, it also works when I execute it on .12 but not via ssh from .11:

#! /bin/ash
#test2
rm -f listid
touch listid

######## Listing the running vms################

esxcli vm process list |grep -v "^\s.*"| grep -v "^$" > list

######## If you want to reuse list for later use #######
####### put the file in a datastore, else it ##########
#######gonna be erease on next reboot ##########
####### Command look like this: ###############

## esxcli vm process list |grep -v "^\s.*"| grep -v "^$" > /vmfs/volumes/tmp/list

########## cleaning the id.s file by keeping only the id
for name in `cat list`;do
########## Dont forget to change the path if #######
########## you choose to put it in a datastore #####
####### put the file in a datastore, else it ##########
#######gonna be erease on next reboot ##########
####### Command look like this: ###############

## esxcli vm process list |grep -v "^\s.*"| grep -v "^$" > /vmfs/volumes/tmp/list

########## cleaning the id.s file by keeping only the id
for name in `cat list`;do
########## Dont forget to change the path if #######
########## you choose to put it in a datastore #####

## Example: for name in `cat /vmfs/volumes/yourDatastore/list`;do

        vim-cmd vmsvc/getallvms | grep $name | grep vmx | grep -v "^$" | awk '{print $1}'>> listid
done

for id in `cat listid`;do
        ###### suspending vms##########
        echo "Suspending the running machines"
        vim-cmd vmsvc/power.suspend $id

## Example: for name in `cat /vmfs/volumes/yourDatastore/list`;do

        vim-cmd vmsvc/getallvms | grep $name | grep vmx | grep -v "^$" | awk '{print $1}'>> listid
done

for id in `cat listid`;do
        ###### suspending vms##########
        echo "Suspending the running machines"
        vim-cmd vmsvc/power.suspend $id

done

echo "done."
echo "shutting down the host now.."
#/bin/poweroff
vim-cmd hostsvc/maintenance_mode_enter
#excli system maintenanceMode set --enable true
#done