Include vars from a file for multiple import_playbooks - ansible

Question

This is an error using Ansible 2.7
I am trying to include a files with vars in it into my playbook that has multiple import_playbooks.
I have 3 files.
one with all the vars
one with a playbook and a task
one with an import_playbook
My playbook:
---
- name: Create CPG
hosts: localhost
tasks:
- name: Create CPG "{{ cpg_name }}"
hpe3par_cpg:
storage_system_ip: "{{ storage_system_ip }}"
storage_system_username: "{{ storage_system_username }}"
storage_system_password: "{{ storage_system_password }}"
state: present
cpg_name: "{{ cpg_name }}"
#domain: "{{ domain }}"
growth_increment: "{{ growth_increment }}"
growth_increment_unit: "{{ growth_increment_unit }}"
growth_limit: "{{ growth_limit }}"
growth_limit_unit: "{{ growth_limit_unit }}"
growth_warning: "{{ growth_warning }}"
growth_warning_unit: "{{ growth_warning_unit }}"
raid_type: "{{ raid_type }}"
set_size: "{{ set_size }}"
high_availability: "{{ high_availability }}"
disk_type: "{{ disk_type }}"
The playbook where I will call my tasks and my variables:
---
- name: master
hosts: localhost
- import_playbook: create_CPG.yml
include_vars: properties/variables.yml
I get this error when running "ansible-playbook create_master.yml"
ERROR! Syntax Error while loading YAML.
mapping values are not allowed in this context
The error appears to have been in '/home/simon/Documents/Ansible/create_MasterPlaybook.yml': line 6, column 16, but may
be elsewhere in the file depending on the exact syntax problem.
The offending line appears to be:
- import_playbook: create_CPG.yml
include_vars: properties/variables.yml
^ here
Is there a way to call a file with variables for only this import_playbook.
thank you

Answer 1

(Update 14 Jun 2022 for Ansible 2.12)
Q: "Is there a way to call a file with variables for only this import_playbook?"
A: No. It is not. The variables included in a task are visible in the whole playbook to the affected hosts. include_vars is a task. The correct syntax would be
- name: master
hosts: localhost
tasks:
- include_vars: properties/variables.yml
- import_playbook: create_CPG.yml
import_playbook is not a tasks. It is a module that "Includes a file with a list of plays to be executed". You can declare vars in the scope of the imported plays. For example,
- import_playbook: create_CPG.yml
vars:
var1: value of var1
But, you can't declare vars_files at the moment. The import below
- import_playbook: create_CPG.yml
vars_files:
- properties/variables.yml
will fail with the error:
ERROR! 'vars_files' is not a valid attribute for a PlaybookInclude
See Ansible issue Support vars_files when using import_playbook #36806. This will solve your problem when implemented.
Workaround
Put the name of the file into a variable and use vars. For example, given the inventory
shell> cat hosts
host1 var1=1
host2 var1=2
, the file with the play
shell> cat pb-import.yml
- hosts: host1,host2
gather_facts: false
vars_files:
- "{{ my_vars_file|default('vars_file_default.yml') }}"
tasks:
- debug:
msg: |-
var1: {{ var1|d('undef') }}
var2: {{ var2|d('undef') }}
, the playbook
shell> cat pb.yml
- import_playbook: pb-import.yml
- import_playbook: pb-import.yml
vars:
my_vars_file: vars_file_play_A.yml
- import_playbook: pb-import.yml
vars:
my_vars_file: vars_file_play_B.yml
, and the files with the variables for various playbooks
shell> cat vars_file_default.yml
var2: play default
shell> cat vars_file_play_A.yml
var2: play A
shell> cat vars_file_play_B.yml
var2: play B
gives
shell> ansible-playbook pb.yml
PLAY [host1,host2] ***************************************************************************
TASK [debug] *********************************************************************************
ok: [host1] =>
msg: |-
var1: 1
var2: play default
ok: [host2] =>
msg: |-
var1: 2
var2: play default
PLAY [host1,host2] ***************************************************************************
TASK [debug] *********************************************************************************
ok: [host1] =>
msg: |-
var1: 1
var2: play A
ok: [host2] =>
msg: |-
var1: 2
var2: play A
PLAY [host1,host2] ***************************************************************************
TASK [debug] *********************************************************************************
ok: [host1] =>
msg: |-
var1: 1
var2: play B
ok: [host2] =>
msg: |-
var1: 2
var2: play B
PLAY RECAP ***********************************************************************************
host1: ok=3 changed=0 unreachable=0 failed=0 skipped=0 rescued=0 ignored=0
host2: ok=3 changed=0 unreachable=0 failed=0 skipped=0 rescued=0 ignored=0
Scope of the variables
The scope of the variables is more complex. See Scoping variables. There are three main scopes: global, play, and host. For example, given the inventory
shell> cat hosts
host1 var1=1
host2 var1=2
host3 var1=3
, the file
shell> cat my_vars.yml
var4: included in a task
, and the playbook
shell> cat pb.yml
- hosts: host1,host2
gather_facts: false
vars:
var2: play
tasks:
- include_vars: my_vars.yml
- debug:
msg: |-
var1: {{ var1|d('undef') }}
var2: {{ var2|d('undef') }}
var3: {{ var3|d('undef') }}
var4: {{ var4|d('undef') }}
- hosts: host1,host2,host3
gather_facts: false
tasks:
- debug:
msg: |-
var1: {{ var1|d('undef') }}
var2: {{ var2|d('undef') }}
var3: {{ var3|d('undef') }}
var4: {{ var4|d('undef') }}
gives the results below:
Host scope. The variable var1 declared in the inventory is available to the host in the whole playbook
Play scope: The variable var2 declared in the first play is available to all hosts in the first play only. The variable is undefined in the second play.
Global scope. The variable var3 declared as an extra variable at the command line is available globally to all hosts in all plays.
The variable var4* declared in the - include_vars: my_vars.yml is available to the affected hosts only, i.e. hosts in the first play host1,host2. The variable is undefined to host3.
shell> ansible-playbook pb.yml -e var3=global
PLAY [host1,host2] ***************************************************************************
TASK [include_vars] **************************************************************************
ok: [host1]
ok: [host2]
TASK [debug] *********************************************************************************
ok: [host1] =>
msg: |-
var1: 1
var2: play
var3: global
var4: included in a task
ok: [host2] =>
msg: |-
var1: 2
var2: play
var3: global
var4: included in a task
PLAY [host1,host2,host3] *********************************************************************
TASK [debug] *********************************************************************************
ok: [host1] =>
msg: |-
var1: 1
var2: undef
var3: global
var4: included in a task
ok: [host2] =>
msg: |-
var1: 2
var2: undef
var3: global
var4: included in a task
ok: [host3] =>
msg: |-
var1: 3
var2: undef
var3: global
var4: undef
PLAY RECAP ***********************************************************************************
host1: ok=3 changed=0 unreachable=0 failed=0 skipped=0 rescued=0 ignored=0
host2: ok=3 changed=0 unreachable=0 failed=0 skipped=0 rescued=0 ignored=0
host3: ok=1 changed=0 unreachable=0 failed=0 skipped=0 rescued=0 ignored=0
The results are the same if the playbooks are imported. For example, given the file
shell> cat pb-import.yml
- hosts: host1,host2,host3
gather_facts: false
tasks:
- debug:
msg: |-
var1: {{ var1|d('undef') }}
var2: {{ var2|d('undef') }}
var3: {{ var3|d('undef') }}
var4: {{ var4|d('undef') }}
and the imports added to the previous playbook
- import_playbook: pb-import.yml
vars:
var2: play3
- import_playbook: pb-import.yml
give
PLAY [host1,host2,host3] *********************************************************************
TASK [debug] *********************************************************************************
ok: [host1] =>
msg: |-
var1: 1
var2: play3
var3: global
var4: included in a task
ok: [host2] =>
msg: |-
var1: 2
var2: play3
var3: global
var4: included in a task
ok: [host3] =>
msg: |-
var1: 3
var2: play3
var3: global
var4: undef
PLAY [host1,host2,host3] *********************************************************************
TASK [debug] *********************************************************************************
ok: [host1] =>
msg: |-
var1: 1
var2: undef
var3: global
var4: included in a task
ok: [host2] =>
msg: |-
var1: 2
var2: undef
var3: global
var4: included in a task
ok: [host3] =>
msg: |-
var1: 3
var2: undef
var3: global
var4: undef

Answer 2

The import_playbook module doesn't accept - include_vars as an argument.
- import_playbook: create_CPG.yml
- include_vars: properties/variables.yml
For calling include_vars specific you can use the include_vars module inside that playbook

Answer 3

this will be the ideal solution if you want to run import playbook with when condition. where system_ip can defined in properties/variables.yml
- hosts: all
gather_facts: yes
vars_files:
- properties/variables.yml
tasks:
- set_fact:
storage_system_ip: "{{ system_ip }}"
- import_playbook: create_CPG.yml
when: "storage_system_ip == '192.168.0.2' and ansible_architecture == 'x86_64'"