Command timeout adjustment in 2.5 with new network modules?

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Hello,

I have a number of network tasks that take a long time to run, for example firmware update tasks. In Ansible 2.4 I extended the command_timeout by using the timeout variable on an individual task basis per https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/2.5/network/user_guide/network_debug_troubleshooting.html

Option 2: Increase command timeout per task basis. All network modules support a timeout value that can be set on a per task basis. The timeout value controls the amount of time in seconds before the task will fail if the command has not returned.

This doesn’t seem to be the case in Ansible 2.5 once you move to the new network_cli connection type as the provider options go away and Ansible throws an error that you’re trying to set the timeout variable, but can’t.

I don’t want to globally adjust the command_timeout in ansible.cfg as that has other implications when I’m hitting several hundred devices at once and they aren’t always available, so timing out quickly is a correct outcome.

I can workaround the issue by using export ANSIBLE_PERSISTENT_COMMAND_TIMEOUT=xxx prior to running the playbooks I know need additional time, but what’s the correct way to adjust the command timeout on a per task basis in Ansible 2.5?

-Scott

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For network_cli connections, we do not support a per command timeout today. This is something we are looking at adding but as of 2.5, there is only the global timeout parameter.