Скачать или смотреть How to Save Output from Multiple Hosts in Ansible Playbook

A comprehensive guide to saving outputs from multiple hosts in Ansible, featuring actionable steps and best practices.
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Introduction

Ansible is a powerful automation tool used for configuration management, application deployment, and orchestration of systems. However, users often encounter challenges when trying to collect output from multiple hosts. One typical issue arises when attempting to gather system inventory information and save it in a single file. Many users face the frustration of only retrieving data from a single host. In this guide, we will explore an effective method to collect data from all specified hosts and consolidate it into one output file.

The Problem

Consider the following scenario: you have an Ansible playbook that interacts with multiple servers, but upon execution, your output file only contains JSON data from one server. This limits your ability to have a comprehensive view of the system inventory across all your devices. Your task is to modify the playbook so that it collects system information from every server listed in your hosts file and writes it into a single output file.

The Solution

To achieve the desired output, you will create two plays in your Ansible playbook. The first play will collect the system inventory from each server, while the second play will compile this data and write it to a local file. Below is a detailed breakdown of how to implement this solution.

Step 1: Collect System Inventory

In the first play, you will use the dellemc_get_system_inventory module to collect the inventory data from all specified hosts. Here’s how to set up this play:

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

Explanation:

The dellemc_get_system_inventory module is invoked to obtain the system information from each server listing in the idrac group.

The output of this task is registered into a variable called system_inventory for later use.

Step 2: Write Results to a Local Output File

In the second play, you will write the collected data into a single output file stored on your localhost. This play will utilize the copy module to create the final output. Below is the configuration for this:

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

Explanation:

In this play, you target the localhost rather than the idrac hosts because you are working with local resources.

The copy module is used to write to the specified file path ./output/system_inventory_output.json.

A Jinja2 template iterates over the idrac group hosts, outputting the JSON data for each host.

Additional Note

You can opt to use the template module instead of embedding the template directly in the content parameter. This method allows you better flexibility in managing complex templates and separating your logic from playbook files.

Conclusion

By implementing the steps detailed in this guide, you can effectively save the output from multiple hosts in Ansible. This approach not only consolidates your data into one file but also enhances your ability to monitor and manage system inventories across multiple servers efficiently. Following these best practices will help you overcome the challenges associated with data collection in Ansible and improve your automation processes.