Ansible winrm Read timed out when running win_update - intermittent

[Robert Rozek]

Hello, 

I have this intermittent issue where, when Windows Server servers are patching or rebooting I would get WinRM -Read Timed out. This is occruing intermittently so I cannot freely replicate it. 

Normally this wouldn't be an issue with normal servers, however the applications that we are running on the servers are quite critical. eg. When this happens the db is left in recovery state, what then breaks the resiliency.

The output that I am getting when the job fails

TASK [Installing Windows Updates on Primary DB Server && reboot] ***************

20:14:07

1040

task path: /tmp/awx_66642_qb953vkg/project/ITLIB_dbserver_patch.yml:421

1041

win_updates: running win_updates module

1042

Using module file /usr/lib/python3.6/site-packages/ansible/modules/windows/win_updates.ps1

1043

Pipelining is enabled.

1044

<172.22.65.202> ESTABLISH WINRM CONNECTION FOR USER: support on PORT 5986 TO 172.22.65.202

1045

EXEC (via pipeline wrapper)

1046

fatal: [172.22.65.202]: UNREACHABLE! => {

1047

"changed": false,

1048

"msg": "winrm connection error: HTTPSConnectionPool(host='172.22.65.202', port=5986): Read timed out. (read timeout=3600)",

1049

"unreachable": true

1050

}

1051

1052

The task that is being run:

    

#----------- Running Windows updates on Primary Server and reboot. ----#       

  - name: Installing Windows Updates on Primary DB Server && reboot

    win_updates:

      category_names:

        - SecurityUpdates

        - CritialUpdates

        - UpdateRollups

        - Updates

        - Drivers

        - DefinitionUpdates

        - WindowsDefender

      blacklist:

        - KB3061064

      reboot: yes

      reboot_timeout: 3600

    when: 

    - inventory_hostname in primary.db

    - updates1.found_update_count > 0

    register: wu3

    ignore_errors: yes 

Hosts file connection vars:

  ansible_port: 5986

      ansible_connection: winrm

      ansible_winrm_scheme: HTTPS

      ansible_winrm_server_cert_validation: ignore

      ansible_winrm_read_timeout_sec: 3600

please help as I am pulling my hair out trying to resolve it.