I am trying to create an Alive Server Inventory that will reference a types in a text file
example Zebr5%xx%
it will iterate these type zebr501 to zebr599, by method insert, or maybe replace.
it will then do a pingit and save the result to a text file with corresponding IP when its alive.

This will allow me to know which boxes are alive based on types everyday, it will also help if this could be done multi-threaded.

We have a person who did this in vbscript and I've been trying to convert it but I am hitting a wall.

Any help to get this going will be appreciated, I think this is great in a big environment were you have over 500 boxes of windows servers, our case are all windows 2003.
Thanks
 

I would start by breaking the task into parts then work your way through implementing the parts. Fo instance, start by making a loop that just generates the strings:

Zebr501
.
.
.
Zebr599

foreach ($strhost in gc \\server\share\hosttype.txt # i.e. hostype maybe zebr5%xx% for windows and maybe zebr3%xx% for Linux boxes, how do I generate a for loop and repl zebr5%xx% 1 to 99. need dynamic because its boxes and agent are being rebuilt and re-profiled.
::For Loop to generate zebra501 to zebr599 then zebr301 zebr399
then
::Pingit
$query = "select * from win32_pingstatus where address = '$strhostr'"
$result = gwmi -query $query
if ($result.protocoladdress)
::Here add the pingable server to a list maybe a separate list windows will be zebr501 to 599 then Linux list Zebr301 to 399

any ideas

Ok, here is a start for you. I'm doing this off the cuff so there may be issues, but it should get you started:
foreach ($host in (gc \\server\share\hosttype.txt))
{
    foreach ($number in (1..99))
    {
        $padded = "{0:0#}" -f $number
        $specificServer = $host.Replace('%xx%', $padded)
        Write-Host $specificServer
    }
}

Eb Trying to figure what this does, or what method is this?
$padded = "{0:0#}" -f $number

It is there so that 1 gets formatted as 01 and 2 as 02, etc.

I think what I would do is write a ping function that you can pass the server name to in the loop.

This works and generates the list..will it better for this to be a function so I can maybe pass it to a pingit routine.
Foreach ($hosttype in (gc C:\Powershell\Study\HostList\hosttypes.txt))
{
foreach ($number in (1..99))
{
$itr = "{0:0#}" -f $number
$strServer = $hosttype.Replace('%xx%', $itr)
Write-Host $strServer
}
}

this is what I have right now still need to add a logic that will create different group of host names csv, by All Servers, then separate them with windows and Linux. 500 600 3000 boxes are windows while the 700 and 800 boxes are Linux.

Also the 3000 box will be 1...199, need to translate this
in $itr = "{0:0#}" -f $number
******************************
foreach ($hosttype in (gc C:\Powershell\Study\HostList\hosttypes.txt))
{
foreach ($number in (1..99))
{
$itr = "{0:0#}" -f $number
$strServer = $hosttype.Replace('%xx%', $itr)

$query = "select * from win32_pingstatus where address = '$strserver'"
$result = gwmi -query $query

if ($result.protocoladdress)

{Write-Host $strServer" --"($result.protocoladdress)is Alive}
Else
{Write-Host $strServer is Down}
}

}

this works for 3000 type box
foreach ($hosttype in (gc C:\Powershell\Study\HostList\hosttypes.txt))
{
foreach ($number in (1..199))
{
$itr = "{0:00#}" -f $number
$strServer = $hosttype.Replace('%xx%', $itr)
Write-Host $strServer
}
}

This is how I got the script right now. EB Thanks for the lead
It still need some work but will serve as it is. I still need to grep out (all windows 500 600's) (All Linux 700 800's)
I also thought about just creating a hash array? (dictionary) - not really sure how to do it
I also need to eventually save this to a csv and create a Diff between today and yesterday so I know which box was removed or added. EB or anybody can give me a start on this.  I have an excel Macro that does this and need to do it in PS against CSV or Excel file.
We have over a 1200 servers Linux and Windows and this will be a great help.
Also need to have a way of multi-threading it so it does not take that long, not sure if PS in W2k3 is capable, I read that Vista can.  My solution right now maybe is break the hosttypes.txt by OS then run them at the same time and at the end just combine the whole output into one file..any thoughts. 
If there's anything else that will improve this, I will appreciate it.
*************************************************************

$erroractionpreference = "SilentlyContinue"
$VerbosePreference = "Continue"

$Share = "\\network\shares"
# Just my odd way of backing up the file
copy-Item ("$Share\allpts.txt") ("$Share\allpts2.txt") -Force -Verbose
copy-Item ("$Share\allpts2.txt") ("$Share\allpts3.txt") -Force -Verbose
Remove-Item -Path ("$Share\allpts.txt") -Force -verbose

foreach ($hosttype in (gc $Share\hosttypes.txt))
{
If ($hosttype -like "*3*")
{
foreach ($number in (1..199))
{
$itr = "{0:00#}" -f $number
$strServer = $hosttype.Replace('%xx%', $itr)
$query = "select * from win32_pingstatus where address = '$strserver'"
$result = gwmi -query $query

if ($result.protocoladdress)

{Write-Host $strServer" --"($result.protocoladdress)is Alive
Write-Output $strServer | Out-File -filepath $Share\allpts.txt -append -force -verbose
}
Else
{Write-Host $strServer is Down}
}
}
Else
{
foreach ($number in (1..99))
{
$itr = "{0:0#}" -f $number
$strServer = $hosttype.Replace('%xx%', $itr)

$query = "select * from win32_pingstatus where address = '$strserver'"
$result = gwmi -query $query

if ($result.protocoladdress)

{Write-Host $strServer" --"($result.protocoladdress)is Alive
Write-Output $strServer | Out-File -filepath $Share\allpts.txt -append -force -verbose }
Else
{Write-Host $strServer is Down}
}
}

}

Here are some pointers to get you started. For saving it out to a CSV:

Get-Help Export-CSV

For Comparing the CSV from one day to the next:

Get-Help Compare-Object