Unable to clone template using customvalues

[ddreggors]

SUMMARY

Deploying the rhcos (CoreOS) ova template we require setting the ignition file for the OS to key off of. We use the cusomvalues key to accomplish this. However, when the play completes we do not see these values in the cloned vm as expected. It does not give error and does not update vm values.

We can easily use GOVC to apply these settings but isn't this ideal as we are already using the vmware_guest task to accomplish this.

ISSUE TYPE

• Bug Report

COMPONENT NAME

vmware_guest

ANSIBLE VERSION

ansible [core 2.13.4]
  config file = None
  configured module search path = ['/home/ddreggors/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /home/ddreggors/.local/lib/python3.10/site-packages/ansible
  ansible collection location = /home/ddreggors/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections
  executable location = /home/ddreggors/.local/bin/ansible
  python version = 3.10.6 (main, Aug  2 2022, 00:00:00) [GCC 12.1.1 20220507 (Red Hat 12.1.1-1)]
  jinja version = 3.0.3
  libyaml = True

COLLECTION VERSION

Collection       Version
---------------- -------
community.vmware 2.8.0 

CONFIGURATION

No output 

OS / ENVIRONMENT

Fedora 36 Workstation

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

1. Download rhcos ova (https://mirror.openshift.com/pub/openshift-v4/x86_64/dependencies/rhcos/4.10/4.10.16/rhcos-4.10.16-x86_64-vmware.x86_64.ova)
2. Upload ova to folder in vcenter (or in playbook)
3. Clone ova using vmware_guest and set customvalues to add keys and values
4. Run playbook

EXPECTED RESULTS

VM is created with new custom keys and values under Edit Settings->VM Options-Advanced->Edit Configuration

ACTUAL RESULTS

VM is created with no custom keys or values

TASK [Create bootstrap VM from the template] ********************************************************************************************************************************
changed: [localhost] => (item={'name': 'bootstrap', 'macaddr': '00:50:56:a8:aa:a1', 'ipaddr': '192.168.86.181', 'cpu': 4, 'ram': 16384})

PLAY RECAP ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************
localhost                  : ok=3    changed=2    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=1    rescued=0    ignored=0   

[ddreggors]

For clarity...

    - name: Create bootstrap VM from the template
      vmware_guest:
        hostname: "{{ vcenter.ip }}"
        username: "{{ vcenter.admin_username }}"
        password: "{{ vcenter.admin_password }}"
        datacenter: "{{ vcenter.datacenter }}"
        validate_certs: no
        folder: "{{ vcenter.folder_absolute_path }}"
        name: "{{ item.name }}"
        state: poweredoff
        template: "{{ vcenter.template_name }}"
        disk:
        - size_gb: 120
          type: thin
          datastore: "{{ vcenter.datastore }}"
        hardware:
          memory_mb: "{{ item.ram }}"
          num_cpus: "{{ item.cpu }}"
          memory_reservation_lock: True
          version: "{{ vcenter.hw_version }}"
        wait_for_ip_address: no
        customvalues:
         - key: guestinfo.ignition.config.data
           value: "{{ BootstrapContent }}"
         - key: guestinfo.ignition.config.data.encoding
           value: base64
         - key: guestinfo.afterburn.initrd.network-kargs
           value: "ip={{ item.ipaddr }}::{{ static_ip.gateway }}:{{ static_ip.netmask }}:{{ item.name }}:ens192:off:{{ static_ip.dns }}"
      loop: "{{ bootstrap_vms }}"

[ddreggors]

Everything under customvalues is ignored without any error, not one of these keys or values is added

[yo000]

I had the same problem, using "guestinfo.metadata" and "guestinfo.userdata" customvalues to deploy VM via cloud-init.
Reading commits, I discovered "customvalues" key in playbook is now replaced by "advanced_settings" (d5d00e3)

The fact "customvalues" still exist in vmware_guest.py did not help. I think some light could be thrown on these 2 parameters in documentation.

[sky-joker]

Thanks, @ddreggors, for reporting this issue.
Could you please provide your version of which VCSA?

[ddreggors]

VCSA version is 6.7u3 and customer also tested on another cluster with VCSA at 7.0

…

On Mon, Sep 26, 2022 at 8:20 AM sky-joker ***@***.***> wrote: Thanks, @ddreggors <https://github.com/ddreggors>, for reporting this issue. Could you please provide your version of which VCSA? — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#1462 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AOH2Z3XROHKTCEUQSLP3IBDWAGIJ5ANCNFSM6AAAAAAQOMH3KU> . You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[sky-joker]

I also confirmed the same issue in my environment when using the customvalues option.
But, I could not find out for causing the thing, soon.

I think I need more time to find out the cause of the issue because the module is complex.
So, please use the vmware_guest_custom_attributes module as an alternative.

e.g.

---
- name: Example Playbook
  hosts: localhost
  gather_facts: false
  vars:
    vcenter_hostname: ''
    vcenter_username: administrator@vsphere.local
    vcenter_password: ''
    datacenter_name: DC
    esxi_hostname: esxi-test03.homelab
    folder_name: vm
    vm_name: test-vm1
    template_name: EXAMPLE
  tasks:
    - name: Update the custom values for virtual machine
      community.vmware.vmware_guest_custom_attributes:
        hostname: "{{ vcenter_hostname }}"
        username: "{{ vcenter_username }}"
        password: "{{ vcenter_password }}"
        validate_certs: false
        name: "{{ vm_name }}"
        attributes:
          - name: guestinfo.ignition.config.data
            value: 12345
        state: present

[sky-joker]

FYI

Just in case, I explain as a supplement that customvalues and advanced_settings are different purposes.

The following are each expectation behavior.

If using advanced_settings option, the key and value add to the vmx file.
If using customvalues option, the key and value add to the custom attribute object for the virtual machine.

[ddreggors]

Yes, and we are trying to add these to the virtual machine (Right click on VM -> Edit Settings -> VM Options -> Advanced -> Configuration Parameters) so advanced_settings are not what we need.

[ddreggors]

ok, I tested with both vmware_guest->advanced_settings and vmware_guest_custom_attributes and the custom attributes is not what I am looking for either but the advanced_settings does place these keys and values properly under VM Configuration Parameters

So it looks like I do actually need this in vmx file

[ddreggors]

So the question is... is advanced_settings meant to replace customvalues or is customvalues still meant to be working?

If advanced_settings is the path forward and customvalues is to be replaced I guess we can close this bug report. Maybe with an action item to update docs to reflect this change.

[sky-joker]

Sorry, I reply so late.
advanced_settings does not replace customvalues.
customevalues can not set probably is a bug in vmware_guest module, but I have not been examined it yet, sorry.

[ddreggors]

That is odd, because it does seem to work to replace it. We used to deploy coreos from the ova template using the customvalues to set attributes that coreos uses (like passing ignition data). Now that this fails, we use advanced_settings and it behaves the same way (coreos gets the ignition data as expected).

To be clear we tried vmware_gues_custom_attributes and that did not work to pass these settings.

[sky-joker]

The value of customevalues and advanced_settings will be set on separate vSphere objects.
advanced_settings value does set to extraConfig object.
https://vdc-download.vmware.com/vmwb-repository/dcr-public/bf660c0a-f060-46e8-a94d-4b5e6ffc77ad/208bc706-e281-49b6-a0ce-b402ec19ef82/SDK/vsphere-ws/docs/ReferenceGuide/vim.vm.ConfigSpec.html#extraConfig

customevalues value does set to availableField.
https://vdc-download.vmware.com/vmwb-repository/dcr-public/bf660c0a-f060-46e8-a94d-4b5e6ffc77ad/208bc706-e281-49b6-a0ce-b402ec19ef82/SDK/vsphere-ws/docs/ReferenceGuide/vim.ExtensibleManagedObject.html#availableField

We used to deploy coreos from the ova template using the customvalues to set attributes that coreos uses (like passing ignition data). Now that this fails, we use advanced_settings and it behaves the same way (coreos gets the ignition data as expected).

I also remember using customvalues for OCP deployment before, but I didn’t know that requires using advanced_settings now, not customevalues.

[ddreggors]

we only started testing (and using) advanced_settings after customvalues stopped working. So I would say it only requires it due to the issue with customvalues? Our playbooks always used customvalues before now.