Unable to run ansible tasks on ESXi hosts - ansible

Question

I am trying to run an ansible job targeting en ESXi host.
My playbook is simple. Setup a cronjob/Replace a cronjob.
I am 2 different approached ::
Approach 1 :
---
- hosts: esxi
tasks:
- name: Deploy cronjobs for CAC 2.0 nodes.
cron: name="Deploy cronjobs" minute="1" hour="*"
job="/opt/test/test.sh" disabled=no
Approach 2 :
---
-
gather_facts: false
hosts: esxi
tasks:
- lineinfile: dest=/var/spool/cron/crontabs/root
regexp='^.*\/vmfs\/volumes\/datastore1\/scripts\/backup.sh$'
line='test'
When I run the playbook, both approaches fail stating:
fatal: [5.232.57.150]: FAILED! => {"changed": false, "failed": true,
"module_stderr": "", "module_stdout": "Traceback (most recent call
last):\r\n File \"/tmp/ansible_GvDGZb/ansible_module_lineinfile.py\", line
412, in <module>\r\n from ansible.module_utils.basic import *\r\n File
\"/tmp/ansible_GvDGZb/ansible_modlib.zip/ansible/module_utils/basic.py\",
line 52, in <module>\r\nImportError: No module named grp\r\n", "msg":
"MODULE FAILURE", "parsed": false}
Main ERROR ::
ImportError: No module named grp
In Debug mode :
fatal: [5.232.57.150]: FAILED! => {"changed": false, "failed": true,
"invocation": {"module_name": "setup"}, "module_stderr": "OpenSSH_5.3p1,
OpenSSL 1.0.1e-fips 11 Feb 2013\ndebug1: Reading configuration data
/etc/ssh/ssh_config\r\ndebug1: Applying options for *\r\ndebug1: auto-mux:
Trying existing master\r\ndebug2: fd 3 setting O_NONBLOCK\r\ndebug2:
mux_client_hello_exchange: master version 4\r\ndebug3:
mux_client_request_forwards: requesting forwardings: 0 local, 0
remote\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_session: entering\r\ndebug3:
mux_client_request_alive: entering\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_alive: done
pid = 12018\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_session: session request
sent\r\ndebug1: mux_client_request_session: master session id: 2\r\ndebug1:
mux_client_request_session: master session id: 2\r\ndebug3:
mux_client_read_packet: read header failed: Broken pipe\r\ndebug2: Received
exit
status from master 0\r\nShared connection to 5.232.57.150 closed.\r\n",
"module_stdout": "Traceback (most recent call last):\r\n File
\"/tmp/ansible_XhPWuX/ansible_module_setup.py\", line 123, in <module>\r\n
from ansible.module_utils.basic import *\r\n File
\"/tmp/ansible_XhPWuX/ansible_modlib.zip/ansible/module_utils/basic.py\",
line
52, in <module>\r\nImportError: No module named grp\r\n", "msg": "MODULE
FAILURE", "parsed": false}
Would I need to install some python packages on ESXi host ?

Answer 1

You are correct that the Python grp module (at least) is missing on the ESXi host, based on that error. If you can easily get the right python modules installed via the ansible shell or pip modules, that may fix this.
This Serverfault answer used the Ansible raw module to work around the lack of this Python module.
See also this thread which indicates this module is present on at least some ESXi versions.