# When does ansible refresh the variables from the host\_vars directory? **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [February 7, 2017, 8:55pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/when-does-ansible-refresh-the-variables-from-the-host-vars-directory/23675 "2017-02-07T20:55:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**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 7, 2017, 8:55pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/when-does-ansible-refresh-the-variables-from-the-host-vars-directory/23675/1 "2017-02-07T20:55:24Z")
Hi all, I have a play that adds a line to a file in the host\_vars directory on the host running the play. I have a very sporadic error, that the contents of the file are not being re-read afterwards. I'll explain with a mock-up playbook containing three plays: - hosts: foo   gather\_facts: true   tasks:     - name: "do something on foo"     ... - hosts: localhost   gather\_facts: true   tasks:     - name: "Change the line in host\_vars on the host running the play"     ... - hosts: localhost   gather\_facts: true   tasks:     - name: "Do something that involves using this variable" The third task does see the variable defined in the change file in the host\_vars, but not always. And not reproducibly. Is there a way to trigger re-reading the host\_vars files? I'll try using set\_fact next, but as this is only valid til the end of the play IIRC, I'll have to combine the plays 2 and 3 (which I only separeted because I hoped this would trigger the re-read...). And I am not sure if the syntax allows setting hostvars for another host... Any ideas? Johannes ---
**Author:** ![Kai\_Stian\_Olstad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kai\_Stian\_Olstad](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Kai_Stian_Olstad)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 9:02pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/when-does-ansible-refresh-the-variables-from-the-host-vars-directory/23675/2 "2017-02-07T21:02:40Z")
With set\_fact the facts is available for all subsequent plays in a playbook, it only get lost after the playbook is finished. ---
**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 7, 2017, 9:19pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/when-does-ansible-refresh-the-variables-from-the-host-vars-directory/23675/3 "2017-02-07T21:19:14Z")
Good Evening Kai, ---
**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 8, 2017, 10:51am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/when-does-ansible-refresh-the-variables-from-the-host-vars-directory/23675/4 "2017-02-08T10:51:50Z")
Hi guys, > Yeah, I just found out, too. But now I have to see how to set a > variable for a host, that can not be reached at this point in time. > Delegate\_to with set\_fact? I'll try... I can't get the syntax right for setting a hostvar with set\_fact. The newly created file in the host\_vars directory is apparently not read during a playbook run, even if there are multiple plays inside it. I tried to include the file with include\_vars, but can't get the namespace right, so the variable foobar inside the yml file is put into the hostvars of host xyz. Also, set\_fact with delegate\_to does not set the variable. The background is that I am creating a new lxc container on a machine, whose ssh host pubkey I want to have in my known\_hosts to avoid unknown-hostkey-prompt durinng an ansible run... So my workflow is - creating the container - ssh-keyscan from the host - write the results into a file in host\_vars/xyz/ - update my known\_hosts which uses a for-loop for all containers on the lxc host - connect to the container without prompt - and bootstrap it Maybe I am abusing ansible right now, but at the moment this seems to be the easiest approach without blindly accepting ssh host keys... Johannes ---
**Author:** ![Kai\_Stian\_Olstad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kai\_Stian\_Olstad](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Kai_Stian_Olstad)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2017, 2:49pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/when-does-ansible-refresh-the-variables-from-the-host-vars-directory/23675/5 "2017-02-08T14:49:40Z")
> Hi guys, Hi Johannes > Also, set\_fact with delegate\_to does not set the variable. Have you tried setting "delegate\_facts: true"? [https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/playbooks\_delegation.html#delegated-facts](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/playbooks_delegation.html#delegated-facts) It might work on set\_fact to. ---
**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 8, 2017, 3:05pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/when-does-ansible-refresh-the-variables-from-the-host-vars-directory/23675/6 "2017-02-08T15:05:38Z")
Hi Kai, ---
**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 8, 2017, 3:52pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/when-does-ansible-refresh-the-variables-from-the-host-vars-directory/23675/7 "2017-02-08T15:52:00Z")
Yay! This did the trick. Thanks Kai, I would not have thought of trying that. If I got some minutes I'll update the docs to include this. Johannes