Testing role behaviour when variables are changed after initial run #3574

SRv6d · 2022-06-05T19:14:56Z

SRv6d
Jun 5, 2022

I would like to be able to test how my roles behave if variables are changed after initial run. I've tried to use set_facts within side effects using a custom test sequence, but overriding role variables this way doesn't seem to work.

zhan9san · 2022-06-06T07:09:11Z

zhan9san
Jun 6, 2022

Hi @SRv6d

Could you please provide a minimal reproducible example?

0 replies

SRv6d · 2022-06-07T13:31:42Z

SRv6d
Jun 7, 2022
Author

Hi @zhan9san

Sure.

Creating a minimal role molecule_test, that just debugs a variable.

.
├── molecule
│   └── default
│       ├── converge.yml
│       ├── molecule.yml
│       └── side_effect.yml
└── tasks
    └── main.yml

molecule/default/converge.yml

---
- name: Converge
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: "Include molecule_test"
      include_role:
        name: "molecule_test"

tasks/main.yml

- name: debug example_variable
  debug:
    var: example_variable

molecule/default/molecule.yml, where I'm setting example_variable for the first time:

---
scenario:
  test_sequence:
    - lint
    - destroy
    - dependency
    - syntax
    - create
    - prepare
    - converge
    - idempotence
    - verify
    - side_effect
    - converge
    - idempotence
    - verify
    - destroy
dependency:
  name: galaxy
  options:
    role-file: requirements.yml
    requirements-file: requirements.yml
driver:
  name: docker
platforms:
  - name: ubuntu-20.04
    image: srv6d/ubuntu-systemd:20.04
    tmpfs:
      - /run
      - /tmp
    volumes:
      - /sys/fs/cgroup:/sys/fs/cgroup:ro
    capabilities:
      - SYS_ADMIN
    privileged: true
    command: "/sbin/init"
    pre_build_image: true
provisioner:
  name: ansible
  playbooks:
    side_effect: side_effect.yml
  inventory:
    group_vars:
      all:
        example_variable: "init"
verifier:
  name: testinfra

molecule/default/side_effect.yml, where I tried to change the variable:

---
- hosts: all
  become: true
  tasks:
    - name: change example variable
      ansible.builtin.set_fact:
        example_variable: "after_side_effect"

molecule test output:

INFO     default scenario test matrix: lint, destroy, dependency, syntax, create, prepare, converge, idempotence, verify, side_effect, converge, idempotence, verify, destroy
INFO     Performing prerun...
INFO     Set ANSIBLE_LIBRARY=/Users/marvin/.cache/ansible-compat/6147c9/modules:/Users/marvin/.ansible/plugins/modules:/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules
INFO     Set ANSIBLE_COLLECTIONS_PATH=/Users/marvin/.cache/ansible-compat/6147c9/collections:/Users/marvin/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections
INFO     Set ANSIBLE_ROLES_PATH=/Users/marvin/.cache/ansible-compat/6147c9/roles:/Users/marvin/.ansible/roles:/usr/share/ansible/roles:/etc/ansible/roles
INFO     Running default > lint
INFO     Lint is disabled.
INFO     Running default > destroy
INFO     Sanity checks: 'docker'

PLAY [Destroy] *****************************************************************

TASK [Destroy molecule instance(s)] ********************************************
changed: [localhost] => (item=ubuntu-20.04)

TASK [Wait for instance(s) deletion to complete] *******************************
FAILED - RETRYING: [localhost]: Wait for instance(s) deletion to complete (300 retries left).
ok: [localhost] => (item=ubuntu-20.04)

TASK [Delete docker networks(s)] ***********************************************

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

INFO     Running default > dependency
INFO     Running ansible-galaxy collection install -v community.docker:>=1.9.1
WARNING  Skipping, missing the requirements file.
WARNING  Skipping, missing the requirements file.
INFO     Running default > syntax

playbook: /private/tmp/molecule_test/molecule/default/converge.yml
INFO     Running default > create

PLAY [Create] ******************************************************************

TASK [Log into a Docker registry] **********************************************
skipping: [localhost] => (item=None)
skipping: [localhost]

TASK [Check presence of custom Dockerfiles] ************************************
ok: [localhost] => (item={'capabilities': ['SYS_ADMIN'], 'command': '/sbin/init', 'image': 'srv6d/ubuntu-systemd:20.04', 'name': 'ubuntu-20.04', 'pre_build_image': True, 'privileged': True, 'tmpfs': ['/run', '/tmp'], 'volumes': ['/sys/fs/cgroup:/sys/fs/cgroup:ro']})

TASK [Create Dockerfiles from image names] *************************************
skipping: [localhost] => (item={'capabilities': ['SYS_ADMIN'], 'command': '/sbin/init', 'image': 'srv6d/ubuntu-systemd:20.04', 'name': 'ubuntu-20.04', 'pre_build_image': True, 'privileged': True, 'tmpfs': ['/run', '/tmp'], 'volumes': ['/sys/fs/cgroup:/sys/fs/cgroup:ro']})

TASK [Discover local Docker images] ********************************************
ok: [localhost] => (item={'changed': False, 'skipped': True, 'skip_reason': 'Conditional result was False', 'item': {'capabilities': ['SYS_ADMIN'], 'command': '/sbin/init', 'image': 'srv6d/ubuntu-systemd:20.04', 'name': 'ubuntu-20.04', 'pre_build_image': True, 'privileged': True, 'tmpfs': ['/run', '/tmp'], 'volumes': ['/sys/fs/cgroup:/sys/fs/cgroup:ro']}, 'ansible_loop_var': 'item', 'i': 0, 'ansible_index_var': 'i'})

TASK [Build an Ansible compatible image (new)] *********************************
skipping: [localhost] => (item=molecule_local/srv6d/ubuntu-systemd:20.04)

TASK [Create docker network(s)] ************************************************

TASK [Determine the CMD directives] ********************************************
ok: [localhost] => (item={'capabilities': ['SYS_ADMIN'], 'command': '/sbin/init', 'image': 'srv6d/ubuntu-systemd:20.04', 'name': 'ubuntu-20.04', 'pre_build_image': True, 'privileged': True, 'tmpfs': ['/run', '/tmp'], 'volumes': ['/sys/fs/cgroup:/sys/fs/cgroup:ro']})

TASK [Create molecule instance(s)] *********************************************
changed: [localhost] => (item=ubuntu-20.04)

TASK [Wait for instance(s) creation to complete] *******************************
FAILED - RETRYING: [localhost]: Wait for instance(s) creation to complete (300 retries left).
changed: [localhost] => (item={'failed': 0, 'started': 1, 'finished': 0, 'ansible_job_id': '655973914856.36842', 'results_file': '/Users/marvin/.ansible_async/655973914856.36842', 'changed': True, 'item': {'capabilities': ['SYS_ADMIN'], 'command': '/sbin/init', 'image': 'srv6d/ubuntu-systemd:20.04', 'name': 'ubuntu-20.04', 'pre_build_image': True, 'privileged': True, 'tmpfs': ['/run', '/tmp'], 'volumes': ['/sys/fs/cgroup:/sys/fs/cgroup:ro']}, 'ansible_loop_var': 'item'})

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
localhost                  : ok=5    changed=2    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=4    rescued=0    ignored=0

INFO     Running default > prepare
WARNING  Skipping, prepare playbook not configured.
INFO     Running default > converge

PLAY [Converge] ****************************************************************

TASK [Gathering Facts] *********************************************************
ok: [ubuntu-20.04]

TASK [Include molecule_test] ***************************************************

TASK [molecule_test : debug example_variable] **********************************
ok: [ubuntu-20.04] => {
    "example_variable": "init"
}

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
ubuntu-20.04               : ok=2    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0

INFO     Running default > idempotence

PLAY [Converge] ****************************************************************

TASK [Gathering Facts] *********************************************************
ok: [ubuntu-20.04]

TASK [Include molecule_test] ***************************************************

TASK [molecule_test : debug example_variable] **********************************
ok: [ubuntu-20.04] => {
    "example_variable": "init"
}

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
ubuntu-20.04               : ok=2    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0

INFO     Idempotence completed successfully.
INFO     Running default > verify
WARNING  Skipping, no tests found.
INFO     Running default > side_effect

PLAY [all] *********************************************************************

TASK [Gathering Facts] *********************************************************
ok: [ubuntu-20.04]

TASK [change example variable] *************************************************
ok: [ubuntu-20.04]

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
ubuntu-20.04               : ok=2    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0

INFO     Running default > converge

PLAY [Converge] ****************************************************************

TASK [Gathering Facts] *********************************************************
ok: [ubuntu-20.04]

TASK [Include molecule_test] ***************************************************

TASK [molecule_test : debug example_variable] **********************************
ok: [ubuntu-20.04] => {
    "example_variable": "init"
}

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
ubuntu-20.04               : ok=2    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0

INFO     Running default > idempotence

PLAY [Converge] ****************************************************************

TASK [Gathering Facts] *********************************************************
ok: [ubuntu-20.04]

TASK [Include molecule_test] ***************************************************

TASK [molecule_test : debug example_variable] **********************************
ok: [ubuntu-20.04] => {
    "example_variable": "init"
}

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
ubuntu-20.04               : ok=2    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0

INFO     Idempotence completed successfully.
INFO     Running default > verify
WARNING  Skipping, no tests found.
INFO     Running default > destroy

PLAY [Destroy] *****************************************************************

TASK [Destroy molecule instance(s)] ********************************************
changed: [localhost] => (item=ubuntu-20.04)

TASK [Wait for instance(s) deletion to complete] *******************************
FAILED - RETRYING: [localhost]: Wait for instance(s) deletion to complete (300 retries left).
changed: [localhost] => (item=ubuntu-20.04)

TASK [Delete docker networks(s)] ***********************************************

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

INFO     Pruning extra files from scenario ephemeral directory

As you can see the set_fact task does get run, but it doesn't actually change the variable. What I would like to do is change the variable, converge again and then test that the changes are reflected successfully.

2 replies

apatard Jun 7, 2022

Either your example is bad or you may not have understood how things are working. side_effect.yml and converge.yml are different runs and playbooks, so the set_fact inside the first won't affect the second one. If you want to re-run the converge playbook with a different variable value, a possible untested way would be to write a side_effect.yml file like this:

---
- name: Side Effect
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: "Include molecule_test"
      include_role:
        name: "molecule_test"
  vars:
    example_variable: "after_side_effect"

Of course, if you run again the converge step after the side_effect.yml, the converge step will restore things in previous state.

SRv6d Jun 7, 2022
Author

Makes sense. It would be nice if this could be supported by molecule "natively". Am I right to assume that there are no plans to implement this type of functionality anytime soon ?

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Testing role behaviour when variables are changed after initial run #3574

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SRv6d Jun 5, 2022

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zhan9san Jun 6, 2022

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SRv6d Jun 7, 2022 Author

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apatard Jun 7, 2022

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SRv6d
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zhan9san
Jun 6, 2022

SRv6d
Jun 7, 2022
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SRv6d Jun 7, 2022
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