Some paths are showing as changed

[radokristof]

The path ip dns and tool netwatch shows changed every time I run the playbook. --diff shows the following: ip dns:

--- before
+++ after
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
     "allow-remote-requests": true,
     "cache-max-ttl": "3d",
-    "cache-size": 4883,
+    "cache-size": "4883KiB",
     "doh-max-concurrent-queries": 2500,
     "doh-max-server-connections": 20,
     "doh-timeout": "10s",
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
     "max-udp-packet-size": 4096,
     "query-server-timeout": "2s",
     "query-total-timeout": "10s",
-    "servers": "1.1.1.1,8.8.8.8",
+    "servers": "1.1.1.1, 8.8.8.8",
     "use-doh-server": "",
     "verify-doh-cert": false
 }

tool netwatch:

--- before
+++ after
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
             "start-delay": "30s",
             "thr-avg": "10s",
             "thr-jitter": "20s",
-            "thr-loss-percent": 95,
+            "thr-loss-percent": "95%",
             "thr-max": "20s",
             "thr-stdev": "10s",
             "timeout": "5s",

So I have units added to values in the task, router accepts it and in the response it is showing the unit, but next time, it responds without units...

[derdeagle]

Could you please also show the data you are injecting? I know that there is sometimes as different in what RouterOS displays and handles in the API.

E.g. for ports. "443" is not the same as 443 (str vs. int).

[radokristof]

Sure, this is what I was using which was problematic:

---
  - name: Configure DNS
    community.routeros.api_modify:
      path: ip dns
      handle_entries_content: "{{ handle_entries_content }}"
      data:
        - allow-remote-requests: yes
          cache-max-ttl: 3d
          cache-size: 4883KiB
          doh-max-concurrent-queries: 2500
          doh-max-server-connections: 20
          doh-timeout: 10s
          max-concurrent-queries: 5000
          max-concurrent-tcp-sessions: 200
          max-udp-packet-size: 4096
          query-server-timeout: 2s
          query-total-timeout: 10s
          servers: 1.1.1.1, 8.8.8.8
          use-doh-server: "{{ use_doh_server }}"
          verify-doh-cert: "{{ verify_doh_cert }}"
---
  - name: Configure Netwatch addresses
    community.routeros.api_modify:
      path: tool netwatch
      handle_absent_entries: "{{ handle_absent_entries }}"
      handle_entries_content: "{{ handle_entries_content }}"
      data:
        - disabled: no
          name: "vpn_check"
          comment: "VPN connection check"
          host: 172.16.8.1
          interval: 10s
          packet-count: 5
          packet-interval: 100ms
          start-delay: 30s
          thr-avg: 10s
          thr-jitter: 20s
          thr-loss-percent: 95%
          thr-max: 20s
          thr-stdev: 10s
          timeout: 5s
          type: icmp
          down-script: "/system leds set [find where leds={{ user_led }}] type=off"
          up-script: "/system leds set [find where leds={{ user_led }}] type=on"

Currently correctly working ones:

---
  - name: Configure DNS
    community.routeros.api_modify:
      path: ip dns
      handle_entries_content: "{{ handle_entries_content }}"
      data:
        - allow-remote-requests: yes
          cache-max-ttl: 3d
          cache-size: 4883
          doh-max-concurrent-queries: 2500
          doh-max-server-connections: 20
          doh-timeout: 10s
          max-concurrent-queries: 5000
          max-concurrent-tcp-sessions: 200
          max-udp-packet-size: 4096
          query-server-timeout: 2s
          query-total-timeout: 10s
          servers: 1.1.1.1,8.8.8.8
          use-doh-server: "{{ use_doh_server }}"
          verify-doh-cert: "{{ verify_doh_cert }}"
---
  - name: Configure Netwatch addresses
    community.routeros.api_modify:
      path: tool netwatch
      handle_absent_entries: "{{ handle_absent_entries }}"
      handle_entries_content: "{{ handle_entries_content }}"
      data:
        - disabled: no
          name: "vpn_check"
          comment: "VPN connection check"
          host: 172.16.8.1
          interval: 10s
          packet-count: 5
          packet-interval: 100ms
          start-delay: 30s
          thr-avg: 10s
          thr-jitter: 20s
          thr-loss-percent: 95
          thr-max: 20s
          thr-stdev: 10s
          timeout: 5s
          type: icmp
          down-script: "/system leds set [find where leds={{ user_led }}] type=off"
          up-script: "/system leds set [find where leds={{ user_led }}] type=on"

[derdeagle]

Yes, IMHO this is the way to go here. If the API return an int and you want to set a str the comparator will say it differs. RouterOS seems to also strip whitespaces in comma-separated lists. 1.1.1.1, 8.8.8.8 will be changed to 1.1.1.1,8.8.8.8 (without the space after the comma).

For the cache-size in the ip dns path the documentation even says it is an integer. For thr-loss-percent in the tool netwatch path the documentation says the default was 85.0%. It looks like a string but I think it is a flaw in the documentation, so either int or float I'd say.

From my very own point of view I don't think it would make sense to change anything in the collection code.

[radokristof]

Yes, I was not sure about this, because handling all these different cases seems a little out of scope for this project. However for me it is still a little bit weird that it accepts and casts other types to their correct one instead of throwing an error. Anyway, I will close this then. Thank you for your help!