# Problem connecting to host behind jump server when host set dynamically

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/problem-connecting-to-host-behind-jump-server-when-host-set-dynamically/23647>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Tags:** ubuntu\
**Created:** [February 6, 2017, 2:34pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/problem-connecting-to-host-behind-jump-server-when-host-set-dynamically/23647 "2017-02-06T14:34:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Linus\_Sunde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9fc29f/32.png) [@Linus\_Sunde](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Linus_Sunde)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2017, 2:34pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/problem-connecting-to-host-behind-jump-server-when-host-set-dynamically/23647/1 "2017-02-06T14:34:24Z")

</div>

I have a problem where a playbook using add\_host fails unless the host (which sits behind a jump server) has already been connected to by running another playbook.  
Can anyone explain to me why the following happens, and hopefully how to fix it?

I have two playbooks and a hosts file:

dynamic-host.yml:

- hosts: localhost  
tasks:

- name: add remote host  
add\_host: name=remote groups=hosts

- hosts: hosts  
name: hello world  
tasks:

- shell: echo “hello world!”

static-host.yml:

- hosts: remote  
name: hello world  
tasks:
- shell: echo “hello world!”

hosts:

[remote]  
remote ansible\_host=10.0.0.1 ansible\_port=22 ansible\_ssh\_common\_args=‘-o ProxyCommand=“ssh -W %h:%p -q 10.1.0.1”’

If I run the dynamic playbook, it fails:

ansible-playbook dynamic-host.yml -i hosts -vvvv

…

fatal: [remote]: UNREACHABLE! =\> {“changed”: false, “msg”: “ERROR! SSH encountered an unknown error. The output was:\nOpenSSH\_7.2p2 Ubuntu-4ubuntu2.1, OpenSSL 1.0.2g 1 Mar 2016\r\ndebug1: Reading configuration data /home/lsunde/.ssh/config\r\ndebug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh/ssh\_config\r\ndebug1: /etc/ssh/ssh\_config line 19: Applying options for \*\r\ndebug1: auto-mux: Trying existing master\r\ndebug1: Control socket "/home/lsunde/.ansible/cp/ansible-ssh-10.0.0.1-22-lsunde" does not exist\r\ndebug2: resolving "10.0.0.1" port 22\r\ndebug2: ssh\_connect\_direct: needpriv 0\r\ndebug1: Connecting to 10.0.0.1 [10.0.0.1] port 22.\r\ndebug2: fd 3 setting O\_NONBLOCK\r\ndebug1: connect to address 10.0.0.1 port 22: Connection timed out\r\nssh: connect to host 10.0.0.1 port 22: Connection timed out\r\n”, “unreachable”: true}

PLAY RECAP \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*  
localhost : ok=2 changed=1 unreachable=0 failed=0  
remote : ok=0 changed=0 unreachable=1 failed=0

If I then run the static playbook, it succeeds:

ansible-playbook static-host.yml -i hosts -vvvv

…

PLAY RECAP \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*  
remote : ok=2 changed=1 unreachable=0 failed=0

If t then run the dynamic playbook again (after running the static one), it also succeeds:

ansible-playbook dynamic-host.yml -i hosts -vvvv

…

PLAY RECAP \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*  
localhost : ok=2 changed=1 unreachable=0 failed=0  
remote : ok=2 changed=1 unreachable=0 failed=0

Any ideas why this is happening?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johannes\_Kastl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Johannes\_Kastl](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Johannes_Kastl)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2017, 3:13pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/problem-connecting-to-host-behind-jump-server-when-host-set-dynamically/23647/2 "2017-02-06T15:13:47Z")

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I am not sure if this is related, but apparently the socket, by which  
the multiplexing of the ssh connection should work, does not exist.

Maybe try this in ansible.cfg and see if it fixes your problem:

[ssh\_connection]  
control\_path = %(directory)s/%%C

Johannes

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Linus\_Sunde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9fc29f/32.png) [@Linus\_Sunde](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Linus_Sunde)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2017, 3:43pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/problem-connecting-to-host-behind-jump-server-when-host-set-dynamically/23647/3 "2017-02-06T15:43:42Z")

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/home/lsunde/temp/ansible-dynamic-host/ansible.cfg:

[defaults]  
timeout = 60

[ssh\_connection]  
control\_path = %(directory)s/%%C

output:

$ ansible-playbook dynamic-host.yml -i hosts -vvvv  
Using /home/lsunde/temp/ansible-dynamic-host/ansible.cfg as config file  
…

TASK [setup] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*  
\<10.0.0.1\> ESTABLISH SSH CONNECTION FOR USER: None  
\<10.0.0.1\> SSH: EXEC ssh -C -vvv -o ControlMaster=auto -o ControlPersist=60s -o KbdInteractiveAuthentication=no -o PreferredAuthentications=gssapi-with-mic,gssapi-keyex,hostbased,publickey -o PasswordAuthentication=no -o ConnectTimeout=10 -o ControlPath=/home/lsunde/.ansible/cp/%C -tt 10.0.0.1 ‘( umask 22 && mkdir -p “$( echo $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1486395620.34-123337012460348 )” && echo “$( echo $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1486395620.34-123337012460348 )” )’  
fatal: [remote]: UNREACHABLE! =\> {“changed”: false, “msg”: “ERROR! SSH encountered an unknown error. The output was:\nOpenSSH\_7.2p2 Ubuntu-4ubuntu2.1, OpenSSL 1.0.2g 1 Mar 2016\r\ndebug1: Reading configuration data /home/lsunde/.ssh/config\r\ndebug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh/ssh\_config\r\ndebug1: /etc/ssh/ssh\_config line 19: Applying options for \*\r\ndebug1: auto-mux: Trying existing master\r\ndebug1: Control socket "/home/lsunde/.ansible/cp/c6f5791e0e44a3064cdd690f21bcbf0f354fc3a4" does not exist\r\ndebug2: resolving "10.0.0.1" port 22\r\ndebug2: ssh\_connect\_direct: needpriv 0\r\ndebug1: Connecting to 10.0.0.1 [10.0.0.1] port 22.\r\ndebug2: fd 3 setting O\_NONBLOCK\r\ndebug1: connect to address 10.0.0.1 port 22: Connection timed out\r\nssh: connect to host 10.0.0.1 port 22: Connection timed out\r\n”, “unreachable”: true}

PLAY RECAP \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*  
localhost : ok=2 changed=1 unreachable=0 failed=0  
remote : ok=0 changed=0 unreachable=1 failed=0

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johannes\_Kastl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Johannes\_Kastl](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Johannes_Kastl)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2017, 3:50pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/problem-connecting-to-host-behind-jump-server-when-host-set-dynamically/23647/4 "2017-02-06T15:50:43Z")

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Second guess:  
By adding the hosts via add\_hosts you overwrite your definition in the  
hosts file. And thus none of your options are set anymore. Note that  
this is just in memory, so your hosts file wont get changed.

If you call the static play, it uses the hosts file with parameters.

Solution:

A) Move the parameters to the host\_vars for this host.

B) Call add\_hosts with the parameters.

Johannes

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Linus\_Sunde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9fc29f/32.png) [@Linus\_Sunde](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Linus_Sunde)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 11:38am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/problem-connecting-to-host-behind-jump-server-when-host-set-dynamically/23647/5 "2017-02-07T11:38:07Z")

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Ah! That seems to be it. The following works:

ansible-playbook dynamic-host2.yml -i /dev/null -vvvv

dynamic-host2.yml:

- hosts: localhost  
tasks:

- name: add remote host  
add\_host:  
name: remote  
ansible\_host: 10.0.0.1  
ansible\_port: 22  
ansible\_ssh\_common\_args: ‘-o ProxyCommand=“ssh -o ForwardAgent=yes -p 22022 -W %h:%p -q 10.1.0.1”’

- hosts: remote  
name: hello world  
tasks:

- shell: echo “hello world!”