Variables are not shared between plays in the converge stage

[anstrom]

We use molecule with Docker to test a collection used in a production environment, and wanted to update the converge.yml playbook to reflect a recent change in the way we apply the roles to our hosts.

We used to apply the roles like this:

- name: Install and configure
  hosts: all
  become: true
  roles:
    - role: collection.install
    - role: collection.configure

We have changed the playbook to use separate plays for the different roles, and I'm not able to do the same in the converge stage in molecule:

- name: Install
  hosts: all
  become: true
  roles:
    - role: collection.install

- name: Configure
  hosts: all
  become: true
  roles:
    - role: collection.configure

The problem is that the collection.configure role uses a variable that is set in collection.install, and the variable is undefined in molecule when the playbook starts the second play.

I have tried using ansible.builtin.import_role and ansible.builtin.inclued_role with the option public: true. The result is the same; the variable is not accessible in the Configure play.

Ideally, I would like to use the same playbook statements in molecule as we use with ansible-playbook in our real environment.

Is there a way to achieve this? Or is there a workaround?

[isuftin]

When you use public: true, could you run a debug module for the variable's value before diving into the second role? I'd like to see if the variable at least surfaces to your playbook

[isuftin]

Sorry, I was thinking more along the lines of what do you get when you do

---
- name: Install
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Include role foo
      ansible.builtin.include_role:
        name: foo.bar.foo
        public: true

- name: debug
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: debug
       ansible.builtin.debug:
         msg: '{{ foo_var }}'

- name: Configure
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Include role bar
      ansible.builtin.include_role:
        name: foo.bar.bar
        public: true

[anstrom]

I get the same error - the variable is undefined. Do you get a different result?

[isuftin]

For whatever reason for me, it does work. I hacked up some starter playbook project we have to get the very basics going...

molecule's converge.yml:

- name: Run Playbook
  import_playbook: "{{ lookup('env', 'MOLECULE_PROJECT_DIRECTORY') }}/site.yml"

site.yml

- name: Starter Playbook | Common Entrypoint
  hosts: all
  gather_facts: false

- name: Starter Role
  ansible.builtin.import_playbook: starter_role.yml
  tags:
    - starter_role

starter_role.yml

- hosts: all
  name: Starter Playbook | Starter Role
  tasks:
    - name: Starter Role
      ansible.builtin.include_role:
        name: my_test
        public: true

- name: debug
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: debug
      ansible.builtin.debug:
        msg: '{{ derp }}'

roles/my_test/tasks/main.yml

- name: Starter Playbook | My Test
  ansible.builtin.debug:
    msg: 'registering'
  register: derp

Output..

PLAYBOOK: converge.yml *********************************************************

PLAY [Starter Playbook | Common Entrypoint] ************************************

PLAY [Starter Playbook | Starter Role] *****************************************

TASK [Gathering Facts ] ********************************************************
task path: /my_path/starter-playbook/starter_role.yml:4
Thursday 02 November 2023  12:49:14 -0500 (0:00:00.051)       0:00:00.051 *****
ok: [starter-playbook-localtest]

TASK [Starter Role name=my_test, public=True] ****************************
task path:  /my_path/starter-playbook/starter_role.yml:7
Thursday 02 November 2023  12:49:18 -0500 (0:00:04.157)       0:00:04.208 *****

TASK [my_test : Starter Playbook | My Test msg=registering] ********
task path:  /my_path/starter-playbook/roles/my_test/tasks/main.yml:3
Thursday 02 November 2023  12:49:18 -0500 (0:00:00.027)       0:00:04.235 *****
ok: [starter-playbook-localtest] =>
  msg: registering
PLAY [debug] *******************************************************************

TASK [Gathering Facts ] ********************************************************
task path:  /my_path/starter-playbook/starter_role.yml:16
Thursday 02 November 2023  12:49:18 -0500 (0:00:00.040)       0:00:04.276 *****
ok: [starter-playbook-localtest]

TASK [debug msg={{ derp }}] ****************************************************
task path: /my_path/starter-playbook/starter_role.yml:19
Thursday 02 November 2023  12:49:20 -0500 (0:00:02.124)       0:00:06.400 *****
ok: [starter-playbook-localtest] =>                                                                                                                                                                                                 msg:
    changed: false
    failed: false
    msg: registering

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
starter-playbook-localtest : ok=4    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0

I've edited out some identiidying content so some of this may look hacked together but the point being that my converge.yml kicks off site.yml playbook which kicks off another playbook which is a sibling to site.yml (this shouldn't effect the test, just how the initial playbook was constructed). starter_role.yml includes my_role.yml whch is a role within the playbook I'm testing (so not external). my_role.yml registers a variable which then does end up floating back up to starter_role.yml where I am able to print the variable name.

• edited to add public: true in the code snippet since I accidentally removed it in my copy/pasting

[anstrom]

Thanks for your effort @isuftin I have tried with ansible.builtin.import_playbook as well, but this remains a mystery to me. I get the same behavior in our Ci environment and my local dev environment. I have tried with different combinations of molecule and ansible-core versions, and the result is still the same.

[isuftin]

I should have mentioned my versions of things for completeness:

ansible --version
ansible [core 2.15.5]
  config file = None
  configured module search path = ['/Users/isuftin/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /Users/isuftin/.pyenv/versions/3.11.4/lib/python3.11/site-packages/ansible
  ansible collection location = /Users/isuftin/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections
  executable location = /Users/isuftin/.pyenv/versions/3.11.4/bin/ansible
  python version = 3.11.4 (main, Aug  9 2023, 13:20:32) [Clang 13.1.6 (clang-1316.0.21.2.5)] (/Users/isuftin/.pyenv/versions/3.11.4/bin/python3.11)
  jinja version = 3.1.2
  libyaml = True

molecule --version
molecule 5.1.0 using python 3.11
    ansible:2.15.5
    azure:23.5.0 from molecule_plugins
    containers:23.5.0 from molecule_plugins requiring collections: ansible.posix>=1.3.0 community.docker>=1.9.1 containers.podman>=1.8.1
    delegated:5.1.0 from molecule
    docker:23.5.0 from molecule_plugins requiring collections: community.docker>=3.0.2 ansible.posix>=1.4.0
    ec2:23.5.0 from molecule_plugins
    gce:23.5.0 from molecule_plugins requiring collections: google.cloud>=1.0.2 community.crypto>=1.8.0
    podman:23.5.0 from molecule_plugins requiring collections: containers.podman>=1.7.0 ansible.posix>=1.3.0
    vagrant:23.5.0 from molecule_plugins

[anstrom]

Is this expected behavior, or should I create an issue? @ssbarnea