need help in passing external variables using vars_prompt

[Kenady Inampudi]

need help in passing external variables using vars_prompt

working example i have a list of servers in a vars_file lparlist.yml

i need to use vars_prompt so i can provide the server name without editing the playbook every time


working example

inventory
cat inventory
[hmc]
hmc1
hmc2


vars_file
cat lparlist.yml

---
- lpar1:
    hmc: hmc1
    ms: ms1
- lpar2:
    hmc: hmc2
    ms: ms2

actual playbook:

---
- name: Start a logical partition
  hosts: "{{ lpar1.hmc }}"
  collections:
      - ibm.power_hmc
  connection: local
  vars_files:
    - lparlist.yml
  vars:
    curr_hmc_auth:
      username: username
      password: password
  tasks:
    - name: Start a logical partition.
      powervm_lpar_instance:
        hmc_host: "{{ lpar1.hmc }}"
        hmc_auth: "{{ curr_hmc_auth }}"
        system_name: "{{ lpar1.ms }}"
        vm_name: lpar1
        action: poweron



output

PLAY [Start a logical partition] *******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

TASK [Gathering Facts] ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [hmc1]

TASK [Start a logical partition.] ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
changed: [hmc1]

PLAY RECAP ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
hmc1               : ok=2    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0



not working playbook


---
- name: Start a logical partition
  hosts: "{{ lpar1.hmc }}"
  vars_prompt:
    - name: target
      prompt: Enter Server Name
      private: false
  collections:
      - ibm.power_hmc
  connection: local
  vars_files:
    - lparlist.yml
  vars:
    curr_hmc_auth:
      username: username
      password: password
  tasks:
    - name: Start a logical partition.
      powervm_lpar_instance:
        hmc_host: "{{ target.hmc }}"
        hmc_auth: "{{ curr_hmc_auth }}"
        system_name: "{{ target.ms }}"
        vm_name: "{{ target }}"
        action: poweron


output

PLAY [Start a logical partition] *******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

TASK [Gathering Facts] ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [hmc1]

TASK [Start a logical partition.] ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
fatal: [hmc1]: FAILED! => {"msg": "The task includes an option with an undefined variable. The error was: 'unicode object' has no attribute 'ms'\n\nThe error appears to be in '/home/inampk48/hmc/p3/poweron.yml': line 17, column 7, but may\nbe elsewhere in the file depending on the exact syntax problem.\n\nThe offending line appears to be:"\n    - name: Start a logical partition.\n      ^ here\n"}


PLAY RECAP ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
hmc1               : ok=1    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=1    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0

[Todd Lewis]

You're getting your "target" variable from vars_prompt just fine. It's a 'unicode object' (i.e. a string), so you can't use its non-existent 'ms' attribute. If you really want to pull in the "target" host interactively, the easiest fix is to restructure your "lparlist.yml" file like this:

---

lpars:

  lpar1:
      hmc: hmc1
      ms: ms1

  lpar2:
      hmc: hmc2
      ms: ms2

Note: it's no longer a list, so "lparlist.yml" may not be a great name.

Then you use "target" (which would be either "lpar1" or "lpar2") like so:

    - name: Start a logical partition.
      powervm_lpar_instance:

        hmc_host: "{{ lpars[target].hmc }}"
        hmc_auth: "{{ curr_hmc_auth }}"
        system_name: "{{ lpars[target].ms }}"
        vm_name: "{{ target }}"
        action: poweron

But if you do it that way, you've inadvertently re-implements the "hosts:" functionality. Given your inventory, I think you should hard-code the group in hosts:

hosts: hmc

and drop "vars_prompt" and "target" altogether. Limit the hosts on the command line when necessary:

ansible-playbook playbookname.yml --limit=hmc1

Then your playbook becomes

    - name: Start a logical partition.
      powervm_lpar_instance:

        hmc_host: "{{ inventory_hostname }}" # either 'hmc1' or 'hmc2'
        hmc_auth: "{{ curr_hmc_auth }}"
        system_name: "{{ item.value.ms }}" # either 'ms1' or 'ms2'
        vm_name: "{{ item.key }}"  # either 'lpar1' or 'lpar2'
        action: poweron

      loop: "{{ lpars | dict2items }}"

      where: item.value.hmc == inventory_hostname

[Todd Lewis]

Another solution is to use the "vars" lookup with your vars_prompt for "target" as you showed them above.

    - name: Start a logical partition.
      powervm_lpar_instance:

        hmc_host: "{{ lookup('vars',target).hmc }}"
        hmc_auth: "{{ curr_hmc_auth }}"
        system_name: "{{ lookup('vars',target).ms }}"
        vm_name: "{{ target }}"
        action: poweron

On Monday, February 20, 2023 at 12:29:45 PM UTC-5 Kenady Inampudi wrote: