Скачать или смотреть How to Declare Two Prompt Variables for Hosts in an Ansible Playbook

Learn how to effectively declare two prompt variables for hosts in an Ansible playbook to streamline your automation process.
---
This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/63867809/ asked by the user 'Mamoun' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/13538522/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/63868179/ provided by the user 'Vladimir Botka' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/6482561/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: How declare two prompt variables for hosts in ansible playbook

Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/l...
The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license.

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
How to Declare Two Prompt Variables for Hosts in an Ansible Playbook

Ansible is a powerful automation tool widely used for configuration management, application deployment, and task automation. One of the features it offers is the ability to prompt users for input during playbook execution. This can be particularly useful for specifying variable information like hostnames dynamically. In this guide, we will explore how to declare two prompt variables for hosts in an Ansible playbook and ensure that you can gather necessary information efficiently.

The Problem

A common challenge faced by users is how to correctly set host variables when you want to prompt for them at runtime. You might find that your attempts to declare these variables in your playbook don't yield the expected results, which can be frustrating. For instance, you might start by declaring two variables for hostnames, but due to improper syntax or configurations, they may not function as intended.

In the example below, the initial attempt to declare host variables looks promising but fails to execute properly. Let’s break it down and fix it.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

The Solution

To declare two prompt variables for hosts effectively, use the following structured approach:

Step 1: Use vars_prompt to Collect Input

The vars_prompt section allows you to collect input from the user. In our case, we define prompts for the hostnames and file names, ensuring they are easily accessible throughout the playbook.

Step 2: Correctly Reference the Host Variables

The proper way to reference host variables in the hosts section of the playbook should utilize the all keyword or specify the group containing the hosts instead of trying to construct the hosts line dynamically. Instead, you can run tasks on localhost and delegate accordingly.

Revised Example

Here's a working version of how the playbook would look:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 3: Running the Playbook

When you run the revised playbook using ansible-playbook playbook.yml, it prompts you for the file name and hostnames, retrieving the necessary information as expected:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

The output will verify the checksum for the files on both specified hosts.

Conclusion

By following these steps and employing the solutions outlined in this guide, you can efficiently declare and utilize prompt variables for hosts in your Ansible playbooks. This allows for dynamic execution and improved adaptability in your automation tasks.

Feel free to experiment with your own configurations, and don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions or need further assistance. Happy automating!