# Generating a config file with data from other servers **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [August 22, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-config-file-with-data-from-other-servers/11820 "2012-08-22T19:57:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![James8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@James8](https://forum.ansible.com/u/James8)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-config-file-with-data-from-other-servers/11820/1 "2012-08-22T19:57:43Z")
Hi, I'm not sure if I have missed the way to do this, but essentially I want to generate parts of my config file with Ansible. This is due in part because often I'm working late into the night and making mistakes when half asleep. Here is what I need to generate:         datacenter VXNY {                 dc-node-address-port cl201.domainname.net 3000                 dc-node-address-port cl202.domainname.net 3000                 dc-node-address-port cl203.domainname.net 3000                 dc-node-address-port cl204.domainname.net 3000                 dc-node-address-port cl205.domainname.net 3000                 dc-node-address-port cl206.domainname.net 3000                 dc-node-address-port cl207.domainname.net 3000                 dc-node-address-port cl208.domainname.net 3000                 dc-int-ext-ipmap 172.30.17.162 170.6.108.162                 dc-int-ext-ipmap 172.30.17.163 170.6.108.163                 dc-int-ext-ipmap 172.30.17.164 170.6.108.164                 dc-int-ext-ipmap 172.30.17.165 170.6.108.165                 dc-int-ext-ipmap 172.30.17.166 170.6.108.166                 dc-int-ext-ipmap 172.30.17.167 170.6.108.167                 dc-int-ext-ipmap 172.30.17.14 170.6.108.168                 dc-int-ext-ipmap 172.30.17.15 170.6.108.169 the variables are the hostnames and eth0 and eth1. I understand how to call these with discovery, but how do I tell Ansible to check 8 machines for this information? Thanks, James ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_DeHaan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Michael\_DeHaan](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-config-file-with-data-from-other-servers/11820/2 "2012-08-22T20:01:48Z")
When using a template, in Jinja2 syntax, you can iterate through the variable groups in a loop, which is a hash of all machine names in a group, keyed off the name of the group, and then with each group name access something like {{ hostvars[systemName][“ansible\_some\_fact”] }}. So getting facts for other machines is pretty easy. ---
**Author:** ![James8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@James8](https://forum.ansible.com/u/James8)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 8:43pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-config-file-with-data-from-other-servers/11820/3 "2012-08-22T20:43:46Z")
Reading the advanced playbooks section on accessing information about other hosts So I have been able to set this easily. ${ansible\_eth1.ipv4.address} But when you say group, am I access my hosts file? is my hostvars the group in the hosts file? is this closer? ${CL800.cl801.domain.net.ansible\_eth1.ipv4.address) Feel like I'm not getting it. James ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_DeHaan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Michael\_DeHaan](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 11:50pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-config-file-with-data-from-other-servers/11820/4 "2012-08-22T23:50:03Z")
Here's a simple example that shows the first IP address of every machine in the webservers group: {% for host in groups['webservers'] %}   HOST: {{ host }} IP: {{ hostvars[host]['ansible\_all\_ipv4\_addresses'][0] }} {% endfor %} > From this, the JInja2 reference documentation, and the output of "ansible hostname -m setup" you should be able to get the facts you want. ---
**Author:** ![James8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@James8](https://forum.ansible.com/u/James8)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 6:15pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-config-file-with-data-from-other-servers/11820/5 "2012-08-23T18:15:28Z")
What is the easiest way to test this on the command line? Is this code supposed to be in the .j2 template or in vars/somevariable.yml? When I understand the answers to those questions, how then do I reference the generated list? is it: ${{{ hostvars[groups['CL000']]['ansible\_all\_ipv4\_addresses'][0] }} CL000 is a group in the hosts file with FQDNs ansible-playbook deploy.smart.citrusleaf.config.yml -u jmarcus -K -vvvvvv sheepchase:tasks jmarcus$ ansible --version ansible 0.7 Thanks, James ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_DeHaan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Michael\_DeHaan](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 6:21pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-config-file-with-data-from-other-servers/11820/6 "2012-08-23T18:21:43Z")
> What is the easiest way to test this on the command line? Make a template, test it in a minimal playbook that writes something to /tmp/somefile.txt > Is this code supposed to be in the .j2 template or in vars/somevariable.yml? It's a template. > When I understand the answers to those questions, how then do I > reference the generated list? is it: > ${{{ hostvars[groups['CL000']]['ansible\_all\_ipv4\_addresses'][0] }} I kind of answered your template problem for you already. ---
**Author:** ![James8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@James8](https://forum.ansible.com/u/James8)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 1:34pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-config-file-with-data-from-other-servers/11820/7 "2012-08-24T13:34:11Z")
Here is what I have tried: sheepchase:tasks jmarcus$ cat deploy.smart.citrusleaf.config.yml - hosts: CL801   user: jmarcus   sudo: True   gather\_facts: True   tasks:    - name: Create the CitrusLeaf config file      action: template src=/Users/jmarcus/ServerConfig/IT/CitrusLeaf/Sites/CL800/templates/citrusleaf.conf.j2 dest=/etc/citrusleaf/citrusleaf.test.conf      tags: sheepchase:templates jmarcus$ cat citrusleaf.conf.j2 dc-node-address-port [CL000] {% for host in groups['CL000'] %}   HOST: {{ host }} IP: {{ hostvars[host]['ansible\_all\_ipv4\_addresses'][0] }} {% endfor %} ${{{ hostvars[groups['CL000']]['ansible\_all\_ipv4\_addresses'][0] }}} Here is what I get: sheepchase:tasks jmarcus$ ansible-playbook deploy.smart.citrusleaf.config.yml -u jmarcus -K -vvvvvv sudo password: PLAY [CL801] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* GATHERING FACTS \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* \ ESTABLISH CONNECTION FOR USER: jmarcus \ EXEC "$SHELL" -c 'mkdir -p $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-1345815117.08-219950512120727 && chmod a+rx $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-1345815117.08-219950512120727 && echo $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-1345815117.08-219950512120727' \ REMOTE\_MODULE setup \ PUT /var/folders/\_s/lmr53wfd0xz81v8\_0x317x4h0000gn/T/tmpfV8h3w TO /home/jmarcus/.ansible/tmp/ansible-1345815117.08-219950512120727/setup \ EXEC "$SHELL" -c 'chmod u+x /home/jmarcus/.ansible/tmp/ansible-1345815117.08-219950512120727/setup' \ EXEC sudo -k && sudo -p "[sudo via ansible, key=xriwjqswerornwtwqhlrfbwzasdfoqqmji] password: " -u root "$SHELL" -c /home/jmarcus/.ansible/tmp/ansible-1345815117.08-219950512120727/setup \ EXEC "$SHELL" -c 'rm -rf /home/jmarcus/.ansible/tmp/ansible-1345815117.08-219950512120727/' ok: [cl801.domain.net] TASK: [Create the CitrusLeaf config file] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* \ ESTABLISH CONNECTION FOR USER: jmarcus \ EXEC "$SHELL" -c 'mkdir -p $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-1345815120.45-88585705088006 && chmod a+rx $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-1345815120.45-88585705088006 && echo $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-1345815120.45-88585705088006' \ EXEC "$SHELL" -c 'rm -rf /home/jmarcus/.ansible/tmp/ansible-1345815120.45-88585705088006/' fatal: [cl801.domain.net] =\> {'msg': "expected token ':', got '}'", 'failed': True, 'module': 'template'} fatal: [cl801.domain.net] =\> {'msg': "expected token ':', got '}'", 'failed': True, 'module': 'template'} PLAY RECAP \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* cl801.domain.net : ok=1 changed=0 unreachable=1 failed=0 I hope this will shed some more light on the problem I'm having. Sorry if this seems obvious to everyone else, but it doesn't to me. Thanks, James ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_DeHaan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Michael\_DeHaan](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 1:38pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-config-file-with-data-from-other-servers/11820/8 "2012-08-24T13:38:55Z")
> ${{{ hostvars[groups[‘CL000’]][‘ansible\_all\_ipv4\_addresses’][0] }}} This above line is basically nonsense Print out what groups[‘CL000’] and it should become more clear. The value is a list of hostnames, not a string. ---
**Author:** ![James8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@James8](https://forum.ansible.com/u/James8)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 1:45pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-config-file-with-data-from-other-servers/11820/9 "2012-08-24T13:45:16Z")
[CL000] cl001.domain.net cl002.domain.net cl003.domain.net cl004.domain.net cl005.domain.net cl006.domain.net cl007.domain.net cl008.domain.net cl009.domain.net cl010.domain.net When you say print, what is in CL000 is this something I do with Jinja2? James ---
**Author:** ![James8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@James8](https://forum.ansible.com/u/James8)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 2:59pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-config-file-with-data-from-other-servers/11820/10 "2012-08-24T14:59:48Z")
So I have been working with a coworker on this issue. I can get the hosts to print with {% for host in groups['CL000'] %}   HOST: {{ host }} IP: {{ hostvars[host] }} {% endfor %} but when we get hostvars, they are the hostvars of the servers in the CL000 group, they are the hostvars or "setup" of the target system.. How do we get the hostvars of the servers in the group CL000? Thanks James ---
**Author:** ![James8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@James8](https://forum.ansible.com/u/James8)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-config-file-with-data-from-other-servers/11820/11 "2012-08-24T15:31:11Z")
So in working through this issue we now have a play that looks like this: - hosts: CL000   user: jmarcus   gather\_facts: True   tasks:    - name: Create the CitrusLeaf config file      action: template src=/Users/jmarcus/ServerConfig/IT/CitrusLeaf/Sites/CL800/templates/citrusleaf.conf.j2 dest=/home/jmarcus/citrusleaf.test.conf      tags:         - clconfigfile      delegate\_to: cl801.domain.net But I'm guessing this isn't the way to do things, because it presents authentication problems. This is the only way we have been able to get "setup" information in citrusleaf.test.conf from the hosts in CL000. James ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_DeHaan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Michael\_DeHaan](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:49pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-config-file-with-data-from-other-servers/11820/12 "2012-08-24T16:49:28Z")
There's no reason to use delegate\_to here. Step 1) run a play on all your hosts to gather facts, it doesn't even need any tasks. Step 2) run a play just against cl801.domain.net Any time you are using delegate\_to without a variable you are doing it wrong. You could quite literally be executing that 200 times if you had 200 hosts. Just do 2 plays. ---
**Author:** ![James8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@James8](https://forum.ansible.com/u/James8)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 5:27pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-config-file-with-data-from-other-servers/11820/13 "2012-08-24T17:27:54Z")
So I have done this, to gather facts, normally I do this in the play. ansible all -m setup I may have missed it in the documentation, does this get stored somewhere? James ---
**Author:** ![James8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@James8](https://forum.ansible.com/u/James8)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-config-file-with-data-from-other-servers/11820/14 "2012-08-24T17:53:54Z")
I dont' need this last question answered ---
**Author:** ![James8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@James8](https://forum.ansible.com/u/James8)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 10:14pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-config-file-with-data-from-other-servers/11820/15 "2012-08-24T22:14:56Z")
Thanks for the help. I had lots of help from someone at my office too and now I'm getting some where: sheepchase:tasks jmarcus$ cat deploy.smart.citrusleaf.config.yml - hosts: CL000   user: jmarcus   gather\_facts: True - hosts: CL801   user: jmarcus   gather\_facts: False   tasks:    - name: Create the CitrusLeaf config file      action: template src=/Users/jmarcus/ServerConfig/IT/CitrusLeaf/Sites/CL800/templates/citrusleaf.conf.j2 dest=/home/jmarcus/citrusleaf.test.conf      tags:         - clconfigfile sheepchase:templates jmarcus$ cat citrusleaf.conf.j2 {% for host in groups['CL000'] %}     dc-node-address-port {{ hostvars[host]['ansible\_eth0']['ipv4']['address'] }} 3000 {% endfor %} {% for host in groups['CL000'] %}     dc-int-ext-ipmap {{ hostvars[host]['ansible\_eth1']['ipv4']['address'] }} {{ hostvars[host]['ansible\_eth0']['ipv4']['address'] }} {% endfor %} [jmarcus@cl801 ~]$ cat citrusleaf.test.conf     dc-node-address-port 143.48.118.70 3000     dc-node-address-port 143.48.118.72 3000     dc-node-address-port 143.48.118.74 3000     dc-node-address-port 143.48.118.76 3000     dc-node-address-port 143.48.118.78 3000     dc-node-address-port 143.48.118.80 3000     dc-node-address-port 143.48.118.82 3000     dc-node-address-port 143.48.118.84 3000     dc-node-address-port 143.48.118.86 3000     dc-node-address-port 143.48.118.88 3000     dc-int-ext-ipmap 10.1.0.170 143.48.118.70     dc-int-ext-ipmap 10.1.0.172 143.48.118.72     dc-int-ext-ipmap 10.1.0.174 143.48.118.74     dc-int-ext-ipmap 10.1.0.176 143.48.118.76     dc-int-ext-ipmap 10.1.0.178 143.48.118.78     dc-int-ext-ipmap 10.1.0.180 143.48.118.80     dc-int-ext-ipmap 10.1.0.82 143.48.118.82     dc-int-ext-ipmap 10.1.0.84 143.48.118.84     dc-int-ext-ipmap 10.1.0.86 143.48.118.86     dc-int-ext-ipmap 10.1.0.88 143.48.118.88 ---
**Author:** ![James8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@James8](https://forum.ansible.com/u/James8)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 12:10am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-config-file-with-data-from-other-servers/11820/16 "2012-08-25T00:10:44Z")
- hosts: CL000   user: jmarcus   gather\_facts: True - hosts: CL300   user: jmarcus   gather\_facts: True - hosts: CL801   user: jmarcus   gather\_facts: False   tasks:    - name: Create the CitrusLeaf config file      action: template src=/Users/jmarcus/ServerConfig/IT/CitrusLeaf/Sites/CL800/templates/citrusleaf.conf.j2 dest=/home/jmarcus/citrusleaf.test.conf      tags:         - clconfigfile citrusleaf.conf.j2 {% for host in groups['CL000'] %}                 dc-node-address-port {{ hostvars[host]['ansible\_eth0']['ipv4']['address'] }} 3000 {% endfor %} {% for host in groups['CL000'] %}                 dc-int-ext-ipmap {{ hostvars[host]['ansible\_eth1']['ipv4']['address'] }} {{ hostvars[host]['ansible\_eth0']['ipv4']['address'] }} {% endfor %}         }         datacenter AM { {% for host in groups['CL300'] %}                 dc-node-address-port {{ hostvars[host]['ansible\_eth0']['ipv4']['address'] }} 3000 {% endfor %} But I'm getting this error when running the play: TASK: [Create the CitrusLeaf config file] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* fatal: [cl801.domain.net] =\> {'msg': "'dict object' has no attribute 'ansible\_eth0'", 'failed': True} fatal: [cl801.domain.net] =\> {'msg': "'dict object' has no attribute 'ansible\_eth0'", 'failed': True} Does this have to do with how I setup the playbook? James ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_DeHaan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Michael\_DeHaan](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 12:51pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-config-file-with-data-from-other-servers/11820/17 "2012-08-25T12:51:28Z")
James, A few questions are ok, but I need you do some investigation of your own too, else I'm going to start charging you 🙂 Think about why that host might not have that attribute, print out the dictionaries (don't paste them back here, but read them and try to understand them), and so on. You can easily also test what facts a host supplies by: ansible hostname -m setup You clearly got the interface information for most of the hosts, but perhaps this one doesn't have an eth0, and you were trying it on other hosts before. There are other facts to choose from, like the ipv4 address list, that may be more appropriate. --Michael ---
**Author:** ![James8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@James8](https://forum.ansible.com/u/James8)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 1:48pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-config-file-with-data-from-other-servers/11820/18 "2012-08-25T13:48:15Z")
okay thanks