F5 Programmability Training > Automation Mini Classes > Mini Class 1 - F5 Architectures with Ansible > Module 2 – Working with Ansible variables Source | Edit on

Lab 3 - Sending Arguments to your Playbook¶

You need to specify “vars” values automatically, such as via a command line. Passing variables using extra-vars will override playbook variables. Use the -e, or --extra-vars argument of ansible-playbook

Task 1 - Create pool member forced offline playbook¶

Create a playbook pmoff.yaml.

Type nano playbooks/pmoff.yaml

Type the following into the playbooks/pmoff.yaml file.

---

- name: "Pool member offline"
  hosts: bigips
  gather_facts: False
  connection: local

  vars:
    pools: ""
    pmhost: ""
    pmport: ""
    sstate: "disabled"
    mstate: "disabled"

  environment: "{{ bigip_env }}"

  tasks:
    - name: Modify pool member state
      bigip_pool_member:
        state: present
        session_state: "{{ sstate }}"
        monitor_state: "{{ mstate }}"
        host: "{{ pmhost }}"
        port: "{{ pmport }}"
        pool: "{{ pool }}"

Run this playbook enable pool member.
- Type ansible-playbook playbooks/pmoff.yaml -e @creds.yaml --ask-vault-pass -e pool="app1_pl" -e pmhost="10.1.20.12" -e pmport="80"
  
  You will be prompted to enter username and password before executing the playbook.
Verify if pool member 10.1.20.12 is forced offline
- Select Local Traffic ‣ Pools ‣ app1_pl ‣ Pool Members

Task 2 - Create pool member enable playbook¶

Create a playbook pmena.yaml.

Type nano playbooks/pmena.yaml

Type the following into the playbooks/pmena.yaml file.

---

- name: "Pool member enable"
  hosts: bigips
  gather_facts: False
  connection: local

  vars:
    pools: ""
    pmhost: ""
    pmport: ""
    sstate: "enabled"
    mstate: "enabled"

  environment: "{{ bigip_env }}"

  tasks:
    - name: Modify pool member state
      bigip_pool_member:
        state: present
        session_state: "{{ sstate }}"
        monitor_state: "{{ mstate }}"
        host: "{{ pmhost }}"
        port: "{{ pmport }}"
        pool: "{{ pool }}"

Run this playbook enable pool member.
- Type ansible-playbook playbooks/pmena.yaml -e @creds.yaml --ask-vault-pass -e pool="app1_pl" -e pmhost="10.1.20.12" -e pmport="80"
  
  You will be prompted to enter username and password before executing the playbook.
Verify if pool member 10.1.20.12 is enabled
- Select Local Traffic ‣ Pools ‣ app1_pl ‣ Pool Members
Note

This method of specifying values is not reserved for credentials.

In most cases, it should not be used for credentials in fact. This is because the Ansible command (including the extra arguments) will show in the running process list of your Ansible controller.

The more common situations are when you are prompting for specific configuration related to something on your network. For example, your Playbook may be flexible enough to take a given region or cell.

Bonus playbook: - modify sstate and mstate to “” and pass the variables via cli to achieve various states.
```
$ ansible-playbook playbooks/pmena.yaml -e @creds.yaml --ask-vault-pass -e pool="app1_pl" -e pmhost="10.1.20.12" -e pmport="80" -e mstate="enabled" -e sstate="disabled"
```
The Playbook would not need to change, but you could continually provide values to variables in the Playbook to keep from writing them into the actual Playbook itself.

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