Parameters missing when creating a managed host if not present/inheritable from host group

[paulgration]

SUMMARY

Similar to #696 when creating a host in foreman (1.24.2) using the latest foreman-ansbile-modules (0.6.0) the host creation fails if all required parameters aren't present and some of these appear to be missing. With foreman-ansible-modules to add a managed host, the host needs to be part of a host group[1]. A host group created by the foreman web UI or foreman-ansible-modules can contain no settings other than a name, so when subsequently creating a host as part of this host group it doesn't inherit the following attributes and these aren't available in foreman_host of foreman-ansible-modules to specify them:

• architecture_id
• operatingsystem_id

I believe it's reasonable to expect that multiple hosts in the same host group could have differing architectures/operating systems so it appears that both of these are missing from the foreman_host.

To make the host buildable, also requires:

• medium_id
• ptable_id

So these are both missing from foreman_host too.

For info, adding the host to the same host group using the Foreman web UI also requires the Media, Partition Table and Root Password fields to be completed/valid (this is enforced by the web UI).

Generally there appears to be a bit of a mismatch between the required parameters for the foreman host creation API and the list of valid attributes in foreman-ansible-modules so the host creation attempt fails at the API with a 422 (Unprocessable Entity) HTTP response code when attributes are missing.

Foreman 1.24.2 API required attributes for host creation:

• name
• location_id
• organization_id
• environment_id (if managed)
• ip (not required if using subnet with DHCP proxy)
• mac (not required for virtual machine)
• architecture_id (if managed and not inherited from host group)
• domain_id (if managed and not inherited from host group)
• operatingsystem_id (if managed and not inherited from host group)
• medium_id (required if not imaged based on provision and managed and not inherited from host group)
• ptable_id (required if managed and custom partition not defined)
• subnet_id (required if managed and not inherited from host group)
• root_pass (required if managed and value not inherited from host group or default password set)

[1] This restriction doesn't seem to exist when using the Foreman web UI, it's possible to create a managed host without it being assigned to a host group (managed hosts shouldn't have to belong to a host group) and there are other, non-required, attributes missing in foreman-ansible-modules related to this.

ISSUE TYPE

• Bug Report

ANSIBLE VERSION

ansible 2.9.6

KATELLO/FOREMAN VERSION

package tfm-rubygem-katello is not installed
foreman-1.24.2-1.el7.noarch

APYPIE VERSION

0.2.1

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

---
- name: "Foreman configuration"
  hosts: localhost
  connection: local
  become: false
  vars:
    username: API_USERNAME_HERE
    password: API_PASSWORD_HERE
    server_url: https://SERVER_ADDRESS
  module_defaults:
    theforeman.foreman.foreman_domain:
      username: '{{ username }}'
      password: '{{ password }}'
      server_url: '{{ server_url }}'
    theforeman.foreman.foreman_host:
      username: '{{ username }}'
      password: '{{ password }}'
      server_url: '{{ server_url }}'
    theforeman.foreman.foreman_hostgroup:
      username: '{{ username }}'
      password: '{{ password }}'
      server_url: '{{ server_url }}'
    theforeman.foreman.foreman_subnet:
      username: '{{ username }}'
      password: '{{ password }}'
      server_url: '{{ server_url }}'

  tasks:
    - name: Create domain
      theforeman.foreman.foreman_domain:
        name: example.com
        state: present

    - name: Create subnet
      theforeman.foreman.foreman_subnet:
        name: Example_subnet
        network: 192.168.1.0
        mask: 255.255.255.0
        domains:
        - example.com
        state: present

    - name: Create hostgroups
      theforeman.foreman.foreman_hostgroup:
        name: Example_hostgroup
        state: present

    - name: Create hosts
      theforeman.foreman.foreman_host:
        domain: example.com
        hostgroup: Example_hostgroup
        ip: 192.168.1.10
        location: Default Location
        mac: "005056a1b2c3"
        name: host.example.com
        organization: Default Organization
        state: present
        subnet: Example_subnet

EXPECTED RESULTS

Domain, subnet, host group and host expected to be created

ACTUAL RESULTS

PLAY [Foreman configuration] ************************************************************************

TASK [Gathering Facts] ******************************************************************************
ok: [localhost]

TASK [Create domain] ********************************************************************************
changed: [localhost]

TASK [Create subnet] ********************************************************************************
changed: [localhost]

TASK [Create hostgroups] ****************************************************************************
changed: [localhost]

TASK [Create hosts] *********************************************************************************
fatal: [localhost]: FAILED! => {"changed": false, "error": {"errors": {"architecture_id": ["can't be blank"], "operatingsystem_id": ["can't be blank"]}, "full_messages": ["Operatingsystem can't be blank", "Architecture can't be blank"], "id": null}, "msg": "Error while performing create on hosts: 422 Client Error: Unprocessable Entity for url: https://{SERVER_ADDRESS}/api/hosts"}

PLAY RECAP ******************************************************************************************
localhost                  : ok=4    changed=3    unreachable=0    failed=1    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0   

Domain, subnet, host group are created but the host isn't created, unless the Architecture and Operating system are updated using Foreman web UI (or API) and the playbook is run again - not possible via foreman-ansbile-modules alone. To make the host buildable, also requires setting the Media and Partition Table fields of the web UI.

[paulgration]

Related to #256 and #647

[evgeni]

Do the changes in https://github.com/theforeman/foreman-ansible-modules/pull/745 help you?

[evgeni]

we've merged that branch now, could you have a look if that's sufficient for your usecase or not?

[paulgration]

@evgeni this is great! I've tested the playbook in the original description above with the additional attributes (architecture, operatingsystem, media and ptable) and all seems to be working.

I haven't tried creating a host without assigning it to a host group as part of it's creation but it looks like everything is there now to support this?

[evgeni]

Yes, you should be able to create a host completely without a hostgroup now.

[evgeni]

Hey @pmgration wanted to check in if you had time to test without defining a hostgroup? I'd like to close this issue with "everything works for the user" ;)

[paulgration]

Hi @evgeni yeah I've been able to add hostgroups, and hosts assigned to those hostgroups - I haven't tried adding hosts that aren't assigned to a hostgroup yet but from our discussion and the changes in #745 that should all be possible too - I'll check that later today but happy to have the issue closed

[paulgration]

@evgeni I've tested creating a buildable host without it being assigned to a hostgroup so everything appears to be working as expected. Thanks!

[evgeni]

Perfect, closing as happy customer then ;)