Can't enable vmtools timesync

[rkbennett]

SUMMARY

When attempting to set the tools.timeSync value for enabling vmware tools time synchronization changes are never actually made
When using the vmware_guest module placing the configuration in advanced_settings makes no change:

advanced_settings:
  - key: tools.syncTime
    value: 'TRUE'

I've also tried adding it under customvalue, which causes the task to fail from an unknown key

ISSUE TYPE

• Bug Report

COMPONENT NAME

community.vmware.vmware_guest

ANSIBLE VERSION

ansible [core 2.12.1]
  config file = None
  configured module search path = ['/home/pcte_admin/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /usr/local/lib/python3.8/dist-packages/ansible
  ansible collection location = /home/pcte_admin/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections
  executable location = /usr/local/bin/ansible
  python version = 3.8.10 (default, Mar 15 2022, 12:22:08) [GCC 9.4.0]
  jinja version = 2.10.1
  libyaml = True

COLLECTION VERSION

Collection       Version
---------------- -------
community.vmware 1.17.0

# /usr/local/lib/python3.8/dist-packages/ansible_collections
Collection       Version
---------------- -------
community.vmware 1.17.0

CONFIGURATION

OS / ENVIRONMENT

Kubernetes 1.20

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

- name: Adjust resources
  community.vmware.vmware_guest:
    hostname: "{{ VMWARE_HOST }}"
    username: "{{ VMWARE_USER }}"
    password: "{{ VMWARE_PASSWORD }}"
    validate_certs: False
    folder: "{{ vc_datacenter }}/vm/{{ folder }}"
    cluster: "{{ vc_cluster }}"
    datacenter: "{{ vc_datacenter }}"
    name: "{{ vm_prefix.stdout }}-{{ control_machine }}-{{ item.item | string }}"
    state: "present"
    hardware:
      memory_mb: "{{ control_memory }}"
      num_cpus: "{{ control_cpu }}"
    advanced_settings:
      - key: tools.syncTime
        value: 'TRUE'
    disk:
      - size_gb: 50

EXPECTED RESULTS

vmtools timesync gets enabled

ACTUAL RESULTS

vmtools time sync remains disabled

[ansibullbot]

Files identified in the description:
None

If these files are inaccurate, please update the component name section of the description or use the !component bot command.

click here for bot help

[mariolenz]

Does the module report a change that doesn't happen, or doesn't it even do that and report that everything's OK?

[rkbennett]

It shows it in the invocation, and the task completes fine, but it doesn't actually get set on the vm.

[mariolenz]

Is this some kind of "magic" or "protected" setting? I can neither see nor set it through the UI (vCenter 7.0.3d). The same with PowerCLI:

PS C:\Users\mario> $vm = Get-VM -Name "synctest"
PS C:\Users\mario> Get-AdvancedSetting -Entity $vm -Name "tools.syncTime"
PS C:\Users\mario> New-AdvancedSetting -Entity $vm -Name "tools.syncTime" -Value "TRUE" -Confirm:$false -Force:$true

Name                 Value                Type                 Description
----                 -----                ----                 -----------
tools.syncTime       TRUE                 VM


PS C:\Users\mario> New-AdvancedSetting -Entity $vm -Name "tools.syncTime" -Value $true -Confirm:$false -Force:$true

Name                 Value                Type                 Description
----                 -----                ----                 -----------
tools.syncTime       True                 VM


PS C:\Users\mario> New-AdvancedSetting -Entity $vm -Name "tools.syncTime" -Value 1 -Confirm:$false -Force:$true

Name                 Value                Type                 Description
----                 -----                ----                 -----------
tools.syncTime       1                    VM


PS C:\Users\mario> New-AdvancedSetting -Entity $vm -Name "tools.syncTime" -Value "1" -Confirm:$false -Force:$true

Name                 Value                Type                 Description
----                 -----                ----                 -----------
tools.syncTime       1                    VM


PS C:\Users\mario>

I always see a task in vCenter that completes just fine, but the time synchronization isn't changed at all. So I think this isn't really a problem of the vmware_guest module, you just can't configure this advanced setting directly imho.

[rkbennett]

Well, reading the description of advanced_settings, IIRC it says that it can set values within the vmx file, which tools.syncTime is located in. That is why I was attempting it through that method

[mariolenz]

Well, reading the description of advanced_settings, IIRC it says that it can set values within the vmx file, which tools.syncTime is located in. That is why I was attempting it through that method

You're right, advanced_settings should be able to set an advanced setting like tools.syncTime. However, it looks like the vSphere API doesn't allow this. The module can add or change other advanced settings without any problems.

That said, I don't think this is a bug in the module. But I think it's a valid feature request to be able to enable timesync via VMware Tools somehow.

[msilveirabr]

Indeed, it looks like a "magic setting".
I don't know how Hashicorp Packer deals with advanced/custom settings, but it has a dedicated config param for timesync in vsphere-iso plugin.

For now, I'm managing to enable timesync using vm_shell:

---
# timesync_action: enable / disable ( default = enable )
- name: Check communication with vmware-tools
  community.vmware.vmware_guest_tools_wait:
    validate_certs: "{{ vsphere_validate_certs }}"
    hostname: "{{ vsphere_hostname }}"
    username: "{{ vsphere_username }}"
    password: "{{ vsphere_password }}"
    datacenter: "{{ vsphere_datacenter }}"
    folder: "{{ vsphere_vm_folder }}"
    name: "{{ vm_name }}"
  delegate_to: localhost
  register: tools_wait
  until: tools_wait.instance.hw_guest_id is not none
  retries: 6
  delay: 10

- name: Gather VM info to guess OS
  delegate_to: localhost
  community.vmware.vmware_guest_info:
    validate_certs: "{{ vsphere_validate_certs }}"
    hostname: "{{ vsphere_hostname }}"
    username: "{{ vsphere_username }}"
    password: "{{ vsphere_password }}"
    datacenter: "{{ vsphere_datacenter }}"
    name: "{{ vm_name }}"
  register: local_vm_info

#Assume default is SSH/*nix
- set_fact:
    #vm_os: unix
    vm_shell: /bin/bash
    vm_shell_cwd: /tmp
    vm_shell_args: '-c "/usr/bin/vmware-toolbox-cmd timesync {{ timesync_action | default("enable") }}"'

- set_fact:
    #vm_os: "{{ local_vm_info.instance.hw_guest_id }}"
    vm_shell: C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Tools\VMwareToolboxCmd.exe
    vm_shell_cwd: C:\Windows\Temp
    vm_shell_args: "timesync {{ timesync_action | default('enable') }}"
  when: local_vm_info.instance.hw_guest_id|lower|regex_search('^windows')

- name: Run timesync command inside the virtual machine
  delegate_to: localhost
  community.vmware.vmware_vm_shell:
    validate_certs: "{{ vsphere_validate_certs }}"
    hostname: "{{ vsphere_hostname }}"
    username: "{{ vsphere_username }}"
    password: "{{ vsphere_password }}"
    datacenter: "{{ vsphere_datacenter }}"
    folder: "{{ vsphere_vm_folder }}"
    vm_id: "{{ vm_name }}"
    vm_username: "{{ winrm_ansible_user }}"
    vm_password: "{{ winrm_ansible_password }}"
    vm_shell: "{{ vm_shell }}"
    vm_shell_args: "{{ vm_shell_args }}"
    vm_shell_cwd: "{{ vm_shell_cwd }}"
    wait_for_process: true
  register: vm_shell_synctime_result

[mariolenz]

I don't think we should implement this in vmware_guest, the module is already far too complicated.

Maybe a new module vmware_tools_config? We could start with implementing syncTimeWithHost and syncTimeWithHostAllowed, but could also add other settings from ToolsConfigInfo there when the need arises.

cc @ihumster @max-carnage