how do we read a set_fact variable of a dynamic host into different play localhost ?

[Shifa Shaikh]

Here is my requirement:

• I have a playbook where I add the dynamic host to group "desthosts" in [Play 1]

• In [Play 2] desthosts group I append a set_fact variable "storerecords".

• In [Play 3] I try to read set_fact "storerecords" of Play 2 however, I get undefined 'storerecords' variable error.

Below is my playbook.

---
- name: Play 1
  hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - add_host:
      name: "{{ item }}"
      group: desthosts
      with_items:
        - "{{ SourceHost.split(',') }}" 

- name: Play 2
  hosts: desthosts
  tasks: 
    - set_fact:
        storerec: "{{storerec | default('') + 'Hello ' + inventory_hostname + '\n'}}"
      with_fileglob:
        - "{{ playbook_dir }}/tmpfiles/*"

- name: Play 3
  hosts: localhost
  tasks:
   - local_action: lineinfile line="{{ hostvars['dest_nodes']['storerec'] }}" path="{{ playbook_dir }}/files/tricky.txt" create=yes

Playbook run command:

ansible-playbook test.yml -e SourceHost="10.9.9.56,10.9.9.63,10.9.9.33" 

Error running the playbook is:

TASK [lineinfile] **************************************************************************************************************************************** fatal: [localhost]: FAILED! => {"msg": "The task includes an option with an undefined variable. The error was: \"hostvars['desthosts']\" is undefined\n\nThe error appears to be in '/app/test.yml': line 28, column 7, but may\nbe elsewhere in the file depending on the exact syntax problem.\n\nThe offending line appears to be:\n\n tasks:\n - local_action: lineinfile line=\"{{ hostvars['desthosts']['storerec'] }}\" path=\"{{ playbook_dir }}/files/tricky.txt\" create=yes\n ^ here\nWe could be wrong, but this one looks like it might be an issue with\nmissing quotes. Always quote template expression brackets when they\nstart a value. For instance:\n\n with_items:\n - {{ foo }}\n\nShould be written as:\n\n with_items:\n - \"{{ foo }}\"\n"}

Can you please suggest how I can get the value of storerecords from desthost to Play 3?

[Vladimir Botka]

On Sun, 24 Nov 2019 04:01:16 -0800 (PST)
Shifa Shaikh <shif...@gmail.com> wrote:

> - name: Play 2
> hosts: desthosts
> tasks:
> - set_fact:
> storerec: "{{storerec | default('') + 'Hello ' + inventory_hostname + '\n'}}"
> with_fileglob:
> - "{{ playbook_dir }}/tmpfiles/*"
>
> - name: Play 3
> hosts: localhost
> tasks:
> - local_action: lineinfile line="{{ hostvars['dest_nodes']['storerec'] }}" path="{{ playbook_dir }}/files/tricky.txt" create=yes

> [...]

> fatal: [localhost]: FAILED! => {"msg": "The task includes an option with an
> undefined variable. The error was: \"hostvars['desthosts']\" is
> undefined\n

"To get the value of storerecords from desthost" use the *extract* filter. For
example

storerecords: "{{ groups['desthosts'] |
map('extract', hostvars, 'storerec') |
list }}"

Cheers,

-vlado