Use variable from another host

Question

I have a playbook that executes a script on a Windows box that returns a value that I have to re-use later on in my playbook after switching to localhost.
How can I access this value after switching back to localhost?

Here is an example:

- hosts: windows
  gather_facts: no
  
  tasks:
    - name: Call PowerShell script
      win_command: "c:\\windows\\system32\\WindowsPowerShell\\v1.0\\powershell.exe c:\\psl_scripts\\getData.ps1"
      register: value_to_reuse

- hosts: localhost
  gather_facts: no
  
  tasks:
    - name: debug store_name from windows host
      debug:
        var: "{{ hostvars[windows][value_to_reuse][stdout_lines] }}"

What is the correct syntax accessing a variable from another host? I'm receiving error message:

"msg": "The task includes an option with an undefined variable. The error was: 'windows' is undefined

β.εηοιτ.βε · Accepted Answer · 2022-12-01 13:46:22Z

11

Here is the code that works for a group in a loop:

- name: print value_to_reuse
  debug:
    var: hostvars[item].value_to_reuse.stdout_lines
  loop: "{{ groups['windows'] }}"

Same code works without iterations:

- name: print value_to_reuse
 debug:
   var: hostvars[groups['windows'].0].value_to_reuse.stdout_lines

edited Dec 1, 2022 at 13:46

β.εηοιτ.βε

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answered Feb 23, 2018 at 16:00

larrybg

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1 Comment

Luke Pafford Over a year ago

This is a common need, yet I don't see this use case anywhere but here, even in the docs. For example, if you want to create a specific user on a single host, and access that users public SSH key so you can add it to all the rest of the hosts in the play, you would have to use this technique.

techraf · Accepted Answer · 2018-02-26 18:30:07Z

2

The syntax is:

- debug:
    var: hostvars['windows']['value_to_reuse']['stdout_lines']

Three mistakes:

you should quote string values
var parameter takes the variable name, not a template (which should be an msg-parameter value)
windows in the given example should be the host name as all facts are bound to hosts, not group of hosts

edited Feb 26, 2018 at 18:30

answered Feb 22, 2018 at 20:27

techraf

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7 Comments

larrybg Over a year ago

Hi @techraf. With your changes no red color in the output anymore, but still doesn't show any value: "hostvars['windows']['value_to_reuse']['stdout_lines']": "VARIABLE IS NOT DEFINED!"

larrybg Over a year ago

I've executed script like this: hostvars['windows'] and got back only empty string: "hostvars['windows']": "", meaning there is no variables registered for "windows" host. How is this possible if I do register it?

techraf Over a year ago

Is your host names windows or a host group?

larrybg Over a year ago

I'm connecting to a Windows Server, and do have a hosts file: [windows] 1.1.1.1 and groups_vars/windows.yml file with defined inventory variables as described here: docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/intro_windows.html

larrybg Over a year ago

Hi @techraf, this code works with with_items:

- name: print value_to_reuse    debug:      var: hostvars[item]['value_to_reuse']['stdout_lines']    with_items: "{{ groups['windows'] }}"

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