# host variables in hosts file versus host variables in files within host\_vars inventory directory **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [December 12, 2017, 1:29am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/host-variables-in-hosts-file-versus-host-variables-in-files-within-host-vars-inventory-directory/26254 "2017-12-12T01:29:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jason\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ab097/32.png) [@Jason\_S](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Jason_S)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2017, 1:29am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/host-variables-in-hosts-file-versus-host-variables-in-files-within-host-vars-inventory-directory/26254/1 "2017-12-12T01:29:40Z")
The inventory documentation describes setting some variables for a single host in a hosts file [http://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/intro\_inventory.html#host-variables](http://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/intro_inventory.html#host-variables) ```auto [atlanta] host1 http_port=80 maxRequestsPerChild=808 host2 http_port=303 maxRequestsPerChild=909 ``` Continuing with that example, how do you access the variable? If I use hostvars[inventory\_hostname][‘{{ inventory\_hostname }} http\_port’] the value I get is80 maxRequestsPerChild=808 and I’d have to do some further splitting of the string to get the values. Otherwise I can use a new line, but the example in Ansible docs puts them on one line, so I was curious as to how to access them simply. If, however I use an inventory structure such as – inventories > – group\_vars > > > – atlanta > > – host\_vars > > – host1 > > – host2 > > – hosts And in the host1 file I have http\_port: 80 maxRequestsPerChild: 808 Then I can access the variable values with hostvars[inventory\_hostname][‘http\_port’] hostvars[inventory\_hostname][‘maxRequestsPerChild’] The questions are then 1. How do I access the variables as in the first example of host variables in the hosts file as described at [http://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/intro\_inventory.html#host-variables](http://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/intro_inventory.html#host-variables) ? 2. Why are the variables not consistent whether defined in a host file or host\_vars subdirectory? Is this intentional? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/original/1X/1882d9a01da5d8996a862359b0913cc568a39b84.svg) [@system](https://forum.ansible.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2017, 1:57am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/host-variables-in-hosts-file-versus-host-variables-in-files-within-host-vars-inventory-directory/26254/2 "2017-12-12T01:57:28Z")
I'm not sure where you got `hostvars[inventory\_hostname]['{{ inventory\_hostname }} http\_port']` but that does not look like a valid construct In any case, using: hostvars[inventory\_hostname]['http\_port'] hostvars[inventory\_hostname]['maxRequestsPerChild'] you should be able to access the vars no matter if defined inline in the inventory or in a host/group-vars file, but just use `http_port` and `maxRequestsPerChild` directly, you really only need hostvars when accessing other hosts or trying to compose variable names. ---
**Author:** ![Jason\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ab097/32.png) [@Jason\_S](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Jason_S)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2017, 2:33am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/host-variables-in-hosts-file-versus-host-variables-in-files-within-host-vars-inventory-directory/26254/3 "2017-12-12T02:33:27Z")
Hi Brian, I got that via trial and error I’m using ansible 2.4.2.0 In my case I have an inventory setup like this inventories/uat/hosts inventories/uat/host\_vars/stable-1 inventories/uat/host\_vars/stable-2 inventories/uat/group\_vars/stable in inventories/uat/hosts [stable] stable-1 stable-2 [stable:vars] stable-1 http\_port=80 maxRequestsPerChild=808 stable-2 http\_port=303 maxRequestsPerChild=909 If I run a simply play-book like this ---
**Author:** ![Jason\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ab097/32.png) [@Jason\_S](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Jason_S)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2017, 2:37am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/host-variables-in-hosts-file-versus-host-variables-in-files-within-host-vars-inventory-directory/26254/4 "2017-12-12T02:37:19Z")
I should have mentioned I have inventory = inventories/uat defined in my ansible.cfg or I’m running the playbook with -i inventories/uat (or both) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/original/1X/1882d9a01da5d8996a862359b0913cc568a39b84.svg) [@system](https://forum.ansible.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2017, 2:40am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/host-variables-in-hosts-file-versus-host-variables-in-files-within-host-vars-inventory-directory/26254/5 "2017-12-12T02:40:09Z")
[stable:vars] stable-1 http\_port=80 maxRequestsPerChild=808 ^ this is defining a var named 'stable-1 http\_port' , not http\_port for stable-1 the format is: [groupname:vars] varname=value then you can use simply with: debug:    var: varname or debug:   var: hostvars[inventory\_hostname]['varname'] If you want to define a variable PER host do it in the host definition [groupname] hostname varname=value ---
**Author:** ![Jason\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ab097/32.png) [@Jason\_S](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Jason_S)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2017, 3:19am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/host-variables-in-hosts-file-versus-host-variables-in-files-within-host-vars-inventory-directory/26254/6 "2017-12-12T03:19:24Z")
Ah, thank-you Brian. Now I have the variables next to the host definition (within the group definition) it works fine, as expected. I’m trying to think why I missed this even though it was staring me in the face on the documentation page. I guess I was thinking that all variables would have to be defined with [:vars] I had actually tried [stable-1:vars] var=value that is [hostname:vars] var=value And if you can do [groupname] hostname var=value Why not [groupname] groupvar=groupvalue groupvar2=groupvalue2 hostname var1=value1 var2=value2 Anyway it is all working for me now so thanks again.