topic Remove all members from object in Ansible

Remove all members from object

User1234 — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 10:35:19 GMT

Hi!

I want to remove all members of an object and I could really need some help atm.

To create the object I have the following task (example application site groups)

- name: set application groups check_point.mgmt.cp_mgmt_application_site_group: name: "{{ item.Name }}" comments: "{{ item.Comments }}" members: "{{ item.Members }}" with_items: "{{ cp_application_groups }}" loop: "{{ cp_application_groups if cp_application_groups is iterable else []}}"

A creation was made with the following object

- Name: custom-group Comments: Custom test Members: - File Storage and Sharing

When removing the entry of the members or replace it with an "- []", I get the following error message "Requested object [] not found"

- Name: custom-group Comments: Custom test Members: - [] # or remove it entirely

Can someone help me on this?

Re: Remove all members from object

PhoneBoy — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 15:34:43 GMT

In general, with Ansible, you describe the desired state, not the steps required to get to that state.
This creates a few issues when you're trying to manage objects with Ansible that were not created via Ansible.

The only way to use Ansible to remove items from an existing group is:

Describe the group as it exists now in an Ansible playbook and run it
Describe the group as you would like it to be in the Ansible playbook and run it

Otherwise, you will need to use a different mechanism to remove items from the group (e.g. SmartConsole, the API).

Re: Remove all members from object

User1234 — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 15:39:46 GMT

Hey!

The objects have been created via ansible and I want to change them now. Therefore I have an object which had members, and I just wanna clear out all members now.

Desired state yesterday:

- Name: custom-group Comments: Custom test Members: - File Storage and Sharing

Desired state today:

- Name: custom-group Comments: Custom test

The problem is, not mentioning "Members" does not delete them, but does not touch any members in the group. Is there no way to remove all members from a group via ansible?

Re: Remove all members from object

PhoneBoy — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 15:44:42 GMT

Was the group itself created via Ansible? Yes or no.
If the group wasn't created by Ansible, then it may not be possible to remove items from it even if the items were added via Ansible later.
Paging @chkp-royl to clarify.

Re: Remove all members from object

User1234 — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 16:03:19 GMT

Yes, the group itself was created via ansible

Re: Remove all members from object

PhoneBoy — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 18:10:42 GMT

Has the group been modified by anything outside of Ansible?

Re: Remove all members from object

User1234 — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 06:58:35 GMT

No. I am only refering to ansible created and modified, and system objects. No "manual" objects via Smart Console.