vsphere wait for vm powered off

[Mathias Waack]

We use cloning to create new VMs in our vsphere cluster. The template is usually powered on (to receive regular updates), so we power it off before we create a clone: 

  - name: power off the template

    vsphere_guest: 

      vcenter_hostname: "{{ vcenter }}"

      username: "{{ user }}"

      password: "{{ pass }}"

      guest: "{{ template }}"

      validate_certs: False

      state: powered_off

      force: yes       

  - debug: msg="template state is {{ hw_power_status }}."

  - name: ensure the template is powered off

    assert: { that: hw_power_status == "POWERED OFF" }

 This used to work for VSphere 5.x, since the upgrade to VSphere 6.0 the assert fails:

TASK [debug] *******************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
   "msg": "template state is POWERED ON."                                                                                                                               
}                                                                                                                                                                        

TASK [ensure the template is powered off] **************************************
fatal: [localhost]: FAILED! => {
   "assertion": "hw_power_status == \"POWERED OFF\"",                                                                                                                   
   "changed": false,                                                                                                                                                    
   "evaluated_to": false,                                                                                                                                               
   "failed": true                                                                                                                                                       
}                                                                                                                                                                        

VSphere shuts down the VM as requested, so maybe it is just a timing problem? 

So how can I ensure the VM is really powered off before the next task starts? Is there a way to wait till hw_power_status changes? 

Mathias

[Kai Stian Olstad]

On 11. nov. 2016 11:36, Mathias Waack wrote:
> We use cloning to create new VMs in our vsphere cluster. The template is
> usually powered on (to receive regular updates), so we power it off before
> we create a clone:
>
> - name: power off the template
> vsphere_guest:
> vcenter_hostname: "{{ vcenter }}"
> username: "{{ user }}"
> password: "{{ pass }}"
> guest: "{{ template }}"
> validate_certs: False
> state: powered_off
> force: yes
>
> - debug: msg="template state is {{ hw_power_status }}."
>
> - name: ensure the template is powered off
> assert: { that: hw_power_status == "POWERED OFF" }
>
> This used to work for VSphere 5.x, since the upgrade to VSphere 6.0 the
> assert fails:
>

> So how can I ensure the VM is really powered off before the next task
> starts? Is there a way to wait till hw_power_status changes?

Something like this.

- name: Check if {{ template }} is down

vsphere_guest:
vcenter_hostname: "{{ vcenter }}"
username: "{{ user }}"
password: "{{ pass }}"
guest: "{{ template }}"

vmware_guest_facts: yes
register: result
until: result.hw_power_status == "POWERED OFF"
reties: 10
delay: 5

--
Kai Stian Olstad

[Dylan Silva]

@Mathias,  as an aside, what version of Ansible are you running?  I ask because the vmware_guest module is available as of 2.2 as a replacement of this module.  

[Mathias Waack]

Hi Kai, 

thank you, this works for me (with a very small modification:

  - name: wait till {{ template }} is powered off

    vsphere_guest: 

      vcenter_hostname: "{{vcenter}}"

      username: "{{user}}"

      password: "{{passw}}"

      guest: "{{template}}"

      validate_certs: False

      vmware_guest_facts: yes

    register: result 

    until: result.ansible_facts.hw_power_status == "POWERED OFF" 

    retries: 10 

    delay: 5 

 ). 

Mathias

[Mathias Waack]

Hi Dylan, 

I am using 2.2. Thanks for pointing me at vmware_guest, but vsphere_guest works for me (at moment). 

[Dylan Silva]

Thanks for that info!  

Just a heads up, we're deprecating the vsphere_guest module in a couple of releases.  Please take a look at this post for more information. 

~@thaumos

[Zeljko Dokman]

Hi, I am trying to use this code to check VM power state and its failing for me with this error..

 "msg": "The conditional check 'result.hw_power_status == \"POWERED OFF\"' failed. The error was: error while evaluating conditional (result.hw_power_status == \"POWERED OFF\"): 'dict object' has no attribute 'hw_power_status'"

My playbook..

Enter code here...   - name: Wait till {{ target }} is powered off
     vsphere_guest:
      vcenter_hostname="{{ vcenter_server }}"
      username=ansible@mbu.local
      password="{{ vc_passwd }}"
      guest=mbu-zabbix-ccp
      validate_certs=False
      vmware_guest_facts=yes
     register: result
     until: result.hw_power_status == "POWERED OFF"
     retries: 10
     delay: 5

i tried with
result.hw_power_status == "POWERED OFF"
and
result.ansible_facts.hw_power_status == "POWERED OFF"

both fail with a same error..

Regards


[robert sanders]

change result to vm_state if youre using vsphere_guest

register: vm_state

      until: vm_state.ansible_facts.hw_power_status == 'POWERED OFF'

      retries: 10

      delay: 5

[Zeljko Dokman]

Hi, thank you, your suggestion works. 

I am wondering are this options documented some where? or how can I list this option for a module?

Ansible documentation is not covering all this options or I haven't been able to find it.  

here is a working code 

   - name: Wait till {{ target }} is powered off

     vsphere_guest:

      vcenter_hostname="{{ vcenter_server }}"

      username=ans...@local.domain

      password="{{ vc_passwd }}"

      guest="{{ ansible_hostname }}"

      validate_certs=False

      vmware_guest_facts=yes

     register: vm_state

     until: vm_state.ansible_facts.hw_power_status == 'POWERED OFF'

     retries: 10

     delay: 5

     delegate_to: localhost

  

Best regards

[Kai Stian Olstad]

On Wednesday, 11 April 2018 11.05.42 CEST Zeljko Dokman wrote:
> Hi, thank you, your suggestion works.
> I am wondering are this options documented some where? or how can I list
> this option for a module?
> Ansible documentation is not covering all this options or I haven't been
> able to find it.

The directives one the same level as vsphere_guest is not part of the module they are part of the task.
The directive you can use and where is documented here
https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/reference_appendices/playbooks_keywords.html

The documentation for until you'll find here
https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/user_guide/playbooks_loops.html#do-until-loops


--
Kai Stian Olstad

[Zeljko Dokman]

Hi,

thank you for the info.

one more question, for vsphere_guest module, how to know that "state" parameter should be referenced as 

"vm_state.ansible_facts.hw_power_status", this part a have not find in the documentation.? how is this contracted for all other parameters for particular module?

Best regards

[Kai Stian Olstad]

On 12.04.2018 14:11, Zeljko Dokman wrote:
> Hi,

> thank you for the info.
> one more question, for vsphere_guest module, how to know that "state"
> parameter should be referenced as
> "vm_state.ansible_facts.hw_power_status", this part a have not find in
> the
> documentation.? how is this contracted for all other parameters for
> particular module?

Some module has this documented, but most of them don't unfortunately.
So you are left with finding it yourself.

To do that you run the module with "register: ..." directive and print
the content of the variable.
The content you print like this

- debug: var=vm_state


--
Kai Stian Olstad

[Zeljko Dokman]

Hi, thank you for your replay

Do you know is it possible to list all undocumented parameters of a module and its states?

Regards

[Kai Stian Olstad]

On Friday, 13 April 2018 09.14.36 CEST Zeljko Dokman wrote:
> Do you know is it possible to list all undocumented parameters of a module
> and its states?

I don't think there are any undocumented parameters so in that regard the module documentation is very good.
But the output they generate is lacking on many of them, and the only way to find this is to read the code or run it and print out the result as I described in previous post.


--
Kai Stian Olstad