[Enhancement] Add implicit deletion function

[flkhndlr]

Description

You currently need to explicitly state the Icinga Director Objects you want to delete. We encountered several situations, where a object was deleted as code, but not removed. The reason is, that you need to state them as a deletion office. A solution could be to implicitly delete the Objects when removed in Ansible

We came up with following solution as a playbook:

---
- hosts: localhost
  gather_facts: false
  collections:
    - t_systems_mms.icinga_director
  tasks:
    - name: include Vars
      ansible.builtin.include_vars:
        file: vars/icinga_service.yml

    - name: get all object configs
      telekom_mms.icinga_director.icinga_service_info:
        url: "{{ icinga_host }}"
        url_username: "{{ icinga_user }}"
        url_password: "{{ icinga_pass }}"
        query: "*"
        force_basic_auth: true
      register: result

    - name: create objects scheduled for deletion
      set_fact:
        icinga_services: "{{ icinga_services + [{'service_object': [item.object_name], 'state': 'absent' }] }}"
      when: not icinga_services|selectattr('service_object', 'contains', item.object_name)
      loop: "{{ result.objects }}"

  roles:
    - ansible_icinga
  vars:
    icinga_force_basic_auth: true

Is there a way to include this either into the collection as an example or create a solution in the role or modules itself? Thanks in advance!

Additional information

No response

[schurzi]

Your code shows how to select all objects for deletion, but it does not actually delete them, if I understand right. Can you extend this to also delete them with our collection?

I am thinkging how we can document this, since this shows an important part of the usage, that is hard to get right. My first thought was to add it in playbooks/ to offer a ready to use implementation where one is only expected to add their variables and everything else is ready to use.

Another approach might be to add further documentation in docs/ to illustrate all kinds of usage patterns and also describe tradeoffs and offer help to decide on specific implementations. (covering tutorials or how-tos as described in https://diataxis.fr/)

[rndmh3ro]

Is there a way to include this either into the collection as an example or create a solution in the role or modules itself?

I don't think this should be part of a module, but I like the idea of creating a new role that does exactly this for all resources. Or alternatively document it like @schurzi described.

Your code shows how to select all objects for deletion, but it does not actually delete them, if I understand right. Can you extend this to also delete them with our collection?

It already does in the set_fact step. There's the state: absent part.

My first thought was to add it in playbooks/ to offer a ready to use implementation where one is only expected to add their variables and everything else is ready to use.

I'm not sure this will work. vars_files doesn't work for import_playbook (see), so you'd have to do some workaround like described here.

[schurzi]

I don't think this should be part of a module, but I like the idea of creating a new role that does exactly this for all resources.

I like the idea of a separate "cleanup" role. (Or maybe an additional flag for the existing role?)

It already does in the set_fact step. There's the state: absent part.

Yeah, I missed that part. All good.