# \[HOSTVARS\]\[MERGED\] Unexpected behavior with merge variables of different host which are in several groups **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [April 14, 2020, 9:39am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/hostvars-merged-unexpected-behavior-with-merge-variables-of-different-host-which-are-in-several-groups/32675 "2020-04-14T09:39:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Baptiste\_Doublet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b77776/32.png) [@Baptiste\_Doublet](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Baptiste_Doublet)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 9:39am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/hostvars-merged-unexpected-behavior-with-merge-variables-of-different-host-which-are-in-several-groups/32675/1 "2020-04-14T09:39:36Z")
Hi Everybody, I have a problem that I can’t resolve on my own. I want to deploy an etcd cluster with postgresql on the same servers I have three servers and this is my inventory file: ```auto all: children: etcd_cluster: # recommendation: 3 or 5-7 nodes hosts: demo_postgres1: vars: etcd_ip: '***' demo_postgres2: vars: etcd_ip: '***' demo_postgres3: vars: etcd_ip: '***' master: hosts: demo_postgres1: vars: postgres_ip: '***' postgresql_exists: 'false' replica: hosts: demo_postgres2: vars: postgres_ip: '***' postgresql_exists: 'false' demo_postgres3: vars: postgres_ip: '***' postgresql_exists: 'false' balancers: hosts: demo_haproxy1: vars: haproxy_ip: '***' demo_haproxy2: vars: haproxy_ip: '***' demo: vars: ansible_ssh_common_args: "-F ../../ssh_config/demo_config" children: balancers: etcd_cluster: postgres_cluster: children: master: replica: ``` I have the demo\_postgres[0-3] servers that run etcd and postgres. Just to prepare an external instance for etcd cluster, I have separated its in two distinct groups: etcd\_cluster and postgres\_cluster. I have etcd\_ip vars and postgres\_ip vars respectively on these groups. My problem is when I run my playbook with hosts: etcd\_cluster and I print hostvars, I get the hostvars of postgres\_cluster: ```auto PLAY [etcd_cluster] *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** TASK [Gathering Facts] ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************ ok: [demo_postgres1] ok: [demo_postgres3] ok: [demo_postgres2] TASK [Ansible | List all known variables and facts] ******************************************************************************************************************************************* ok: [demo_postgres1] => { "hostvars[inventory_hostname]['vars']": { "postgres_ip": "***", "postgresql_exists": "false" } } ok: [demo_postgres2] => { "hostvars[inventory_hostname]['vars']": { "postgres_ip": "***", "postgresql_exists": "false" } } ok: [demo_postgres3] => { "hostvars[inventory_hostname]['vars']": { "postgres_ip": "***", "postgresql_exists": "false" } } ``` I didn’t find any information about the merging of hostvars when the host is in multiple groups and when I have tested to remove the postgres\_cluster group, I get the correct hostvars: ```auto PLAY [etcd_cluster] *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** TASK [Gathering Facts] ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************ ok: [demo_postgres1] ok: [demo_postgres3] ok: [demo_postgres2] TASK [Ansible | List all known variables and facts] ******************************************************************************************************************************************* ok: [demo_postgres1] => { "hostvars[inventory_hostname]['vars']": { "etcd_ip": "***" } } ok: [demo_postgres2] => { "hostvars[inventory_hostname]['vars']": { "etcd_ip": "***" } } ok: [demo_postgres3] => { "hostvars[inventory_hostname]['vars']": { "etcd_ip": "***" } } ``` I would expect that my etcd\_ip was merged with postgres\_ip ? I can resolve this by adding the etcd\_ip in postgres\_cluster hostvars but I want to understand why merge is not working. If you need more information, feel free to ask. Best regards, BDO ---
**Author:** ![jean-yves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@jean-yves](https://forum.ansible.com/u/jean-yves)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 10:14am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/hostvars-merged-unexpected-behavior-with-merge-variables-of-different-host-which-are-in-several-groups/32675/2 "2020-04-14T10:14:08Z")
Hi, As I understand etc\_ip and postgresql\_ip are variable specific for each host, and so they should be in hosts parts of your inventory file (Here you are doing a mix). postgresql\_exists can be setup in a your postgresql group, but I’m not sure if it is really necessary to have it See there for example : [https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/plugins/inventory/yaml.html](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/plugins/inventory/yaml.html) If you want further help, please provide your playbooks used for your outputs. And for the record, no needs to use a playbook to list variables, command “ansible-inventory” can be used successfully for this Regards, ---
**Author:** ![Baptiste\_Doublet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b77776/32.png) [@Baptiste\_Doublet](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Baptiste_Doublet)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 6:41pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/hostvars-merged-unexpected-behavior-with-merge-variables-of-different-host-which-are-in-several-groups/32675/3 "2020-04-15T18:41:51Z")
Hi, thanks for your reply. Yeah that’s it. etcd\_ip and postgresql\_ip are in separate host. But I don’t understand, there are already on the host part, aren’t it ? what is the syntax you think of ? This is the playbook which should get the etcd\_ip ```auto - hosts: etcd_cluster become: true become_method: sudo any_errors_fatal: true gather_facts: true vars_files: - vars/main.yml - vars/system.yml - "vars/{{ ansible_os_family }}.yml" tasks: - meta: flush_handlers - import_tasks: tasks/sysctl.yml tags: [sysctl, kernel] - import_tasks: tasks/timezone.yml when: timezone is defined and timezone | length > 0 ignore_errors: yes tags: [timezone, configure] - import_tasks: tasks/ntp.yml when: ntp_enabled is defined and ntp_enabled == "true" ignore_errors: yes tags: [ntp, configure] - import_tasks: tasks/etcd.yml when: dcs_exists == "false" and dcs_type == "etcd" tags: [etcd, etcd_cluster] ``` ---
**Author:** ![racke](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/racke/32/4767_2.png) [@racke](https://forum.ansible.com/u/racke)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 6:54pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/hostvars-merged-unexpected-behavior-with-merge-variables-of-different-host-which-are-in-several-groups/32675/4 "2020-04-15T18:54:16Z")
> Hi, > > thanks for your reply. > > Yeah that's it. etcd\_ip and postgresql\_ip are in separate host. But I don't understand, there are already on the host > part, aren't it ? > what is the syntax you think of ? Try to remove vars: from your inventory when you specify host variables, e.g. etcd\_cluster: # recommendation: 3 or 5-7 nodes       hosts:         demo\_postgres1:             etcd\_ip: '\*\*\*' Regards          Racke ---
**Author:** ![Baptiste\_Doublet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b77776/32.png) [@Baptiste\_Doublet](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Baptiste_Doublet)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 2:54pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/hostvars-merged-unexpected-behavior-with-merge-variables-of-different-host-which-are-in-several-groups/32675/5 "2020-04-17T14:54:36Z")
Hi, That did the job: etcd\_cluster: # recommendation: 3 or 5-7 nodes hosts: demo\_postgres1: etcd\_ip: ‘\*\*\*’ I don’t know why I used vars, maybe because I read a lot of ansible documentation like How to build your inventory and that cursed my brain ^^ ```auto atlanta: hosts: host1: host2: vars: ntp_server: ntp.atlanta.example.com proxy: proxy.atlanta.example.com ``` Thanks again Racke ! ---
**Author:** ![racke](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/racke/32/4767_2.png) [@racke](https://forum.ansible.com/u/racke)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 3:00pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/hostvars-merged-unexpected-behavior-with-merge-variables-of-different-host-which-are-in-several-groups/32675/6 "2020-04-17T15:00:30Z")
> Hi, > > That did the job: > etcd\_cluster: # recommendation: 3 or 5-7 nodes > hosts: > demo\_postgres1: > etcd\_ip: '\*\*\*' > > I don't know why I used vars, maybe because I read a lot of ansible documentation like How to build your inventory and > that cursed my brain ^^ While the documentation covers a lot of good thing, it doesn't note the differences between group variables (with vars: ) and host vars (without vars:). In order to avoid confusion, you can use separate files for the host variables. Regards          Racke