Ansilbe Playbook Tasks Running Twice

Question

I've spent an obscene amount of time trying to get this playbook/role to work correctly. When I use the tags I've assigned the tasks in the playbook it runs the tagged task and then all the tasks. I added the "never" tag and it still runs all the tasks in the role but if I don't use any tags it only runs the task I had assigned "always" for testing. I just don't know what I'm missing here since I have other roles/playbooks with tags that run as expected. I should also mention that I'm fairly new to using roles...I have a couple of playbooks I converted to a role with no issues..This one is just giving me fits.

The tasks in the role

---
- setup:
    filter: "{{ item }}"
  loop:
    - 'ansible_distribution*'
    - 'ansible_hostname'
  tags:
    - always

- name: Register to Satellite
  command: "subscription-manager register --org={{ org }} --activationkey={{ reg_key }}"
  tags: [ never, register ]

- name: Unregister to Satellite
  command: "subscription-manager unregister"
  tags: [ never, unregister ]

The playbook I'm using to call the role

---
- hosts: all
  gather_facts: false
  become: true
  roles:
    - role: roles/satellite_tasks
      tags: register
    - role: roles/satellite_tasks
      tags: unregister

The command I'm using to run everything below, using the register and unregister tag

ansible-playbook -i inventory/homelab-inventory playbooks/satellite-tasks.yml --limit all_lab --extra-vars "org=99999999" --extra-vars "reg_key=notmykey"

The output using the register tag

PLAY [all] *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

TASK [satellite_tasks : setup] *****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [rhel9-02] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel9-01] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel7-02] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel8-01] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel7-01] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel8-02] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel9-02] => (item=ansible_hostname)
ok: [rhel9-01] => (item=ansible_hostname)
ok: [rhel7-02] => (item=ansible_hostname)
ok: [rhel7-01] => (item=ansible_hostname)
ok: [rhel8-01] => (item=ansible_hostname)
ok: [rhel8-02] => (item=ansible_hostname)

TASK [satellite_tasks : Register to Satellite] *************************************************************************************************************************************************************
changed: [rhel9-02]
changed: [rhel9-01]
changed: [rhel8-02]
changed: [rhel7-02]
changed: [rhel7-01]
changed: [rhel8-01]

TASK [satellite_tasks : Unregister to Satellite] ***********************************************************************************************************************************************************
changed: [rhel9-02]
changed: [rhel9-01]
changed: [rhel7-02]
changed: [rhel8-02]
changed: [rhel7-01]
changed: [rhel8-01]

TASK [satellite_tasks : Register to Satellite] *************************************************************************************************************************************************************
changed: [rhel9-02]
changed: [rhel9-01]
changed: [rhel7-01]
changed: [rhel8-01]
changed: [rhel7-02]
changed: [rhel8-02]

PLAY RECAP *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
rhel7-01                   : ok=4    changed=3    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0   
rhel7-02                   : ok=4    changed=3    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0   
rhel8-01                   : ok=4    changed=3    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0   
rhel8-02                   : ok=4    changed=3    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0   
rhel9-01                   : ok=4    changed=3    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0   
rhel9-02                   : ok=4    changed=3    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0

Output running the unregister tag

PLAY [all] *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

TASK [satellite_tasks : Unregister to Satellite] ***********************************************************************************************************************************************************
changed: [rhel9-02]
changed: [rhel9-01]
changed: [rhel7-02]
changed: [rhel8-02]
changed: [rhel8-01]
changed: [rhel7-01]

TASK [satellite_tasks : setup] *****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [rhel7-01] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel7-02] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel8-01] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel9-01] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel9-02] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel7-02] => (item=ansible_hostname)
ok: [rhel7-01] => (item=ansible_hostname)
ok: [rhel8-01] => (item=ansible_hostname)
ok: [rhel9-02] => (item=ansible_hostname)
ok: [rhel9-01] => (item=ansible_hostname)
ok: [rhel8-02] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel8-02] => (item=ansible_hostname)

TASK [satellite_tasks : Register to Satellite] *************************************************************************************************************************************************************
changed: [rhel9-02]
changed: [rhel9-01]
changed: [rhel7-01]
changed: [rhel7-02]
changed: [rhel8-01]
changed: [rhel8-02]

TASK [satellite_tasks : Unregister to Satellite] ***********************************************************************************************************************************************************
changed: [rhel9-02]
changed: [rhel9-01]
changed: [rhel7-02]
changed: [rhel7-01]
changed: [rhel8-01]
changed: [rhel8-02]

PLAY RECAP *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
rhel7-01                   : ok=4    changed=3    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0   
rhel7-02                   : ok=4    changed=3    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0   
rhel8-01                   : ok=4    changed=3    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0   
rhel8-02                   : ok=4    changed=3    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0   
rhel9-01                   : ok=4    changed=3    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0   
rhel9-02                   : ok=4    changed=3    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0

Output when I run the command with no tags

PLAY [all] *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

TASK [satellite_tasks : setup] *****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [rhel7-01] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel7-02] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel8-02] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel9-01] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel9-02] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel8-01] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel7-01] => (item=ansible_hostname)
ok: [rhel7-02] => (item=ansible_hostname)
ok: [rhel9-01] => (item=ansible_hostname)
ok: [rhel8-01] => (item=ansible_hostname)
ok: [rhel9-02] => (item=ansible_hostname)
ok: [rhel8-02] => (item=ansible_hostname)

TASK [satellite_tasks : setup] *****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [rhel7-01] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel7-02] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel8-01] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel9-02] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel9-01] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel7-02] => (item=ansible_hostname)
ok: [rhel7-01] => (item=ansible_hostname)
ok: [rhel9-02] => (item=ansible_hostname)
ok: [rhel9-01] => (item=ansible_hostname)
ok: [rhel8-02] => (item=ansible_distribution*)
ok: [rhel8-02] => (item=ansible_hostname)
ok: [rhel8-01] => (item=ansible_hostname)

PLAY RECAP *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
rhel7-01                   : ok=2    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0   
rhel7-02                   : ok=2    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0   
rhel8-01                   : ok=2    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0   
rhel8-02                   : ok=2    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0   
rhel9-01                   : ok=2    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0   
rhel9-02                   : ok=2    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0

I've tried various things in the role like import_role, include_role with the tag placement and I still get the same result every single time. I know I'm missing something obvious but I've spent so much time messing with this I'm just not seeing it. Appreciate any help.

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 24 '23 at 14:30

I haven't tried to simulate your scenario, but looking at ansible documentation, when you apply tag to a role, all tasks within the role inherit the tags applied to the role. https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/playbook_guide/playbooks_tags.html#tag-inheritance-adding-tags-to-multiple-tasks

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 25 '23 at 04:38

The tasks are running twice because you've included the role twice. Tags are a way to select, from the command line, a subset of tasks to run. You've already applied the tags to the individual tasks in the role, so in your playbook you should just include the role once without adding additional tags.

- hosts: all
  gather_facts: false
  become: true
  roles:
    - role: satellite_tasks

Also, the way you are calling setup is very inefficient. filter does not change how fact gathering is done, it just throws away some of the data that is gathered. You're gathering the full set of facts twice, then throwing most of it away. You should instead use gather_subset:

- setup:
    gather_subset: min
  tags: always

If you really want to throw away some of the gathered data (and are using a supported version of Ansible), you can pass a list to filter instead of calling setup twice:

- setup:
    gather_subset: min
    filter:
      - ansible_distribution*
      - ansible_hostname
  tags: always

Thank you! that makes perfect sense and thank you for pointing out the setup task, I knew there was a better way to do that! — cubezombie, Feb 26 '23 at 15:47

Ansilbe Playbook Tasks Running Twice

2 Answers2