error is not reported in nim module

[aklyachkin]

Describe the bug
A small playbook is run (code see below) and returns "OK", but nothing happens. If it is run with -vvv (very verbose), there is an error in meta information:

    "meta": {
        "nimclient": {
            "messages": [
                "Cannot get oslevel from lpp source name: 7200-02-02-1832_current"
            ]
        },
        "messages": []
    },
    "msg": "NIM update operation successfull. See status and meta for details.",

To Reproduce
Code:

- hosts: localhost
  collections:
  - ibm.power_aix

  tasks:
  - name: update AIX server
    ibm.power_aix.nim:
      action: update
      targets: nimclient
      lpp_source: 7200-02-02-1832_current

Expected behavior
The task should fail and the error message should be shown.

Environment (please complete the following information):

• OS: AIX 7.3 TL0 SP1
• Python Version: 3.7.12
• OpenSSH Version: 8.1.102.2104
• Ansible Version: 2.9.14
• AIX Collection Version: 1.4.0

[josesantosgit]

Hello,

Any update about that??
i have the same error.

thank you

[raeyacld]

Hello, the lpp_source name needs to follow "7xxx-xx-xx-xxxx-lpp_source" format
Please change 7200-02-02-1832_current to "7200-02-02-1832-lpp_source" and try again

[aklyachkin]

The issue is not about lpp_source name format, but about error reporting. If it doesn't work with the lpp_source provided, it MUST report the error and set the task to failed.

[raeyacld]

If you use "async=yes" flag in "nim -o cust" command, ansible will move on to next task without return an error
please provide the log of "nim -o cust" command that is triggered by Ansible nim update task.

[aklyachkin]

Sorry, I don't use any flags in any commands. I use IBM's provided ansible module. E.g. as for now I see another error message on another server:

    "meta": {
        "nimclient": {
            "messages": [
                "Invalid oslevel got: 'timedout'."
            ]
        },
        "messages": [
            "Failed to get oslevel on nimclient. Command '/usr/bin/oslevel -s' failed, stderr: '0042-008 nimsh: Request denied - nimclient'"
        ]
    },
    "msg": "NIM update operation successfull. See status and meta for details.",

But still the task was successful and didn't return any error/failure.

[raeyacld]

can you post your playbook? or use -vvv flag for ansible run?

[aklyachkin]

The whole playbook is posted in the first message.

[raeyacld]

oh, missed that... did you run with a set of nim clients? your nim client nimsh seens inoperative according to the last error

[raeyacld]

please re-create problem with -vvv so I can see what flags are being executed.

[aklyachkin]

Please provide information what you want to see in the output. There is no NIM command in the verbose output and the only error information I posted above. I can't post the whole output because of security considerations.

[raeyacld]

[raeyacld]

please check if you can find any details under meta

[aklyachkin]

I posted above the whole meta section. I post it again:

    "meta": {
        "nimclient": {
            "messages": [
                "Cannot get oslevel from lpp source name: 7200-05-03_current"
            ]
        },
        "messages": []
    },
    "msg": "NIM update operation successfull. See status and meta for details.",

[raeyacld]

what is your local host? is it a group of clients or a single client, can you share you inventory file?
what is your ansible command you just run?

[raeyacld]

the lpp_source name does not follow the required format based on the current design. please change to:
xxxx-xx-xx-xxxx-lpp_source

You would keep hitting the same message without changing the lpp_source name.

[aklyachkin]

The localhost is NIM server where the playbook is. There is no inventory, because I don't need it for the example and we don't have many NIM servers, where NIM module could be run.

The command I run is always the same (see the first message):

#/opt/freeware/bin/ansible-playbook -i localhost, -c local -vvv update.yml

The difference is only in -vvv if I want to get additional information.

[aklyachkin]

the lpp_source name does not follow the required format based on the current design. please change to: xxxx-xx-xx-xxxx-lpp_source

You would keep hitting the same message without changing the lpp_source name.

Again - the problem is not lpp source naming, but your ignorance regarding error messages. I just did the test with the "correct" naming, it fails the same way.

If you look in YOUR source code, in file plugins/modules/nim.py, in the function nim_update you ignore all the possible errors.

[raeyacld]

understand. what is the log when you use the correct name? your last log does not show it.
"meta": {
"nimclient": {
"messages": [
"Cannot get oslevel from lpp source name: 7200-05-03_current" <---- wrong format.

[aklyachkin]

Here was wrong info from my side. With the lpp_source named according to your undocumented rules, the server is being updated. Still the issue with ignoring errors persist.

[raeyacld]

thanks for the feedback. We will document the rules.

[aklyachkin]

and what about errors? how do you plan to handle them?

[raeyacld]

we will evaluate the current design and come up with a solution.

[mccharlton]

Hello Raeyacld

So I run into an issue when patching AIX lpar using ansible when updating AIX from 7200-05-03-2135 to 7200-05-04-2220 . Playbook runs and does not update the nim client. No errors are displayed after the playbook run. The only way to see any significant output is to add -vvv (verbose) option.

Here is the meta information.

},
"meta": {
"messages": [],
"nimclient": {
"messages": [
"Already at same or higher level: 7200-05-03-2136, got: ['7200', '05', '03', '2135']"

Here is the playbook info.

---

• name: AIX Patching Playbook
  hosts: nimclient
  vars:
  nim_lpp_source: 7200-05-03-2136-lpp_source
  nim_master: nimmaster
  collections:

  • ibm.power_aix
    tasks:

  • name: Run AIX Update
    nim:
    action: update
    lpp_source: "{{ nim_lpp_source }}"
    targets: "{{ ansible_hostname }}"
    delegate_to: "{{ nim_master }}"

Any help will be really appreciated.