now inventory plugin cannot return ip_address field

[miyuk]

SUMMARY

When using now inventory to get inventory from cmdb_ci_server, ip_addres is empty because ip_address is stored in other table(cmdb_ci_ip_address).

https://docs.servicenow.com/bundle/tokyo-servicenow-platform/page/product/configuration-management/concept/class-server.html#d707944e556

ISSUE TYPE

• Bug Report

COMPONENT NAME

servicenow.itsm.now

ANSIBLE VERSION

ansible [core 2.16.6]
  config file = None
  configured module search path = ['/home/x/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /home/x/.local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/ansible
  ansible collection location = /home/x/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections
  executable location = /home/x/.local/bin/ansible
  python version = 3.11.7 (main, Jan 22 2024, 00:00:00) [GCC 11.4.1 20231218 (Red Hat 11.4.1-3.0.1)] (/usr/bin/python3.11)
  jinja version = 3.1.4
  libyaml = True

COLLECTION VERSION

# /home/x/.ansible/collections/ansible_collections
Collection                               Version
---------------------------------------- -------
servicenow.itsm                          2.5.0

CONFIGURATION

CONFIG_FILE() = None

OS / ENVIRONMENT

Oracle Linux 9.3

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

1. Add server info to cmdb_ci_server
2. Add ip_address and network_adapter and related to server
3. Run ansible-inventory -i now.yml --list

# now.yml
---
plugin: servicenow.itsm.now
strict: true
instance:
  host: https://devxxxxx.service-now.com/
  grant_type: password
  username: xxxxx
  password: xxxxx
table: cmdb_ci_server

inventory_hostname_source: name
columns:
  - name
  - sys_id
  - fqdn
  - serial_number
  - ip_address
  - os
  - os_version

EXPECTED RESULTS

return empty ip_address

ACTUAL RESULTS

return not empty ip_address

[tupyy]

Hello.
I can't reproduce your problem.
This is working fine for me:

- name: Test constructed options
  hosts: localhost
  gather_facts: false

  tasks:
    - block:
        - name: Create imaginary VMs
          servicenow.itsm.configuration_item:
            name: server_{{ item }}
            sys_class_name: cmdb_ci_linux_server
            ip_address: 10.1.0.{{ item }}
          loop: "{{ range(1, 3) | list }}"
          register: vms

        - name: Reload inventory
          ansible.builtin.meta: refresh_inventory

        - ansible.builtin.assert: 
            that: 
              - item is defined
              - item is string
              - item | length > 0
          loop: "{{ vms | community.general.json_query('results[*].record.ip_address') }}"

      always:
        - name: Delete VMs
          servicenow.itsm.configuration_item:
            state: absent
            sys_id: "{{ item.record.sys_id }}"
          loop: "{{ vms.results }}"
          loop_control:
            label: "{{ item.record.name }}"

Result:

PLAY [Test constructed options] **********************************************************************************************

TASK [Create imaginary VMs] **************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => (item=1)
ok: [localhost] => (item=2)

TASK [Reload inventory] ******************************************************************************************************

TASK [ansible.builtin.assert] ************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => (item=10.1.0.1) => {
    "ansible_loop_var": "item",
    "changed": false,
    "item": "10.1.0.1",
    "msg": "All assertions passed"
}
ok: [localhost] => (item=10.1.0.2) => {
    "ansible_loop_var": "item",
    "changed": false,
    "item": "10.1.0.2",
    "msg": "All assertions passed"
}

TASK [Delete VMs] ************************************************************************************************************
changed: [localhost] => (item=server_1)
changed: [localhost] => (item=server_2)

PLAY RECAP *******************************************************************************************************************
localhost                  : ok=3    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0   

[miyuk]

@tupyy
In ServiceNow document, ip_address field couldn't use at cmdb_ci_server.

Do not store the MAC address or the IP address in the Server [cmdb_ci_server] class.​

https://docs.servicenow.com/bundle/tokyo-servicenow-platform/page/product/configuration-management/concept/class-server.html#d707944e556

so, this inventory plugin have to reference other table(cmdb_ci_ip_address or cmdb_ci_network_adapter)

[tupyy]

To do what the doc says the plugin needs to make another request to snow.
The worst-case scenario is when the inventory makes 3 requests: one for the table itself, one for referenced columns, and one for ip_address. This will slow even more the inventory which is already slow. Some users wait 45min for 15k hosts with no reference column request.

Therefore, out of the box, we'll not be able to support what you need. First of all, it needs to be backward compatibility (implementing this will break existing inventory for a lot of users) and second, we need to make the inventory usable (users cannot wait 30min for 10-15k hosts).

What I propose to you is to make a reference of ip_address to the table of you choice and use that in your inventory.
This means you need to change your data model.

[miyuk]

I understood that.
current now inventory couldn't use in latest SNOW to get address.

We will develop custom script to get address.

thanks.

[tupyy]

Thank you. I'll go ahead and close this issue now. Please reopen if you think it is relevant.