Module result deserialization failed: No start of json char

palani_b
Fri, 12 Dec 2025 06:03:31 +0000
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Team, am getting the below error for windows vm only This playbook is invoked by terraform from gitlab runner - Ubuntu. Linux VM provision works absolutely fine from gitlab runner.

However, Linux and Windows provisions both are working absolutely fine from my laptop - Ubuntu. Not sure whats missing.

Ansible playbook connection plugin is aws_ssm.

ansible --version

ansible [core 2.20.1]
config file = /builds/gitlab/it-operation/continuity-disaster/commvault_automations/user-infra-backup-commvault-access-node/.terraform/modules/access_node_windows1/ansible/ansible.cfg
configured module search path = [‘/root/.ansible/plugins/modules’, ‘/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules’]
ansible python module location = /opt/venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/ansible
ansible collection location = /root/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections
executable location = /opt/venv/bin/ansible
python version = 3.12.3 (main, Jun 18 2025, 17:59:45) [GCC 13.3.0] (/opt/venv/bin/python3)
jinja version = 3.1.6
pyyaml version = 6.0.3 (with libyaml v0.2.5)

=================

[ERROR]: Task failed: Action failed: Module result deserialization failed: No start of json char found

Task failed: Action failed.
Origin: /builds/gitlab/automations/user-infra-backup-node/.terraform/modules/access_node_windows1/ansible/windows_main.yml:11:7

9
10 tasks:
11 - name: Install commvault access node software.
^ column 7

<<< caused by >>>

Module result deserialization failed: No start of json char found See stdout/stderr for the returned output.

fatal: [windows_vm]: FAILED! => {
“changed”: false,
“module_stderr”: “”,
“module_stdout”: “ConvertFrom-Json : Cannot bind argument to parameter ‘InputObject’ because it is null.\nAt line:14 char:39\n+ $code = ConvertFrom-Json -InputObject $codeJson\n+ ~~~~~~~~~\n + CategoryInfo : InvalidData: ( [ConvertFrom-Json], ParameterBindingValidationException\n + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentValidationErrorNullNotAllowed,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.ConvertFromJsonCommand\n \n”,
“msg”: “Module result deserialization failed: No start of json char found”,
“rc”: 0
}

PLAY RECAP *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
windows_vm : ok=0 changed=0 unreachable=0 failed=1 skipped=0 rescued=0 ignored=0

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