[WIP] Docs: Ansible Control Node #74164

gundalow · 2021-04-06T19:36:03Z

SUMMARY

[ ] Move from remote node to target node (as sometimes it isn't remote)
[ ] Drop Ansible from control node?
[ ] Case insensitive search to find other instances

FIXME: More places to review
This will need backporting.

ISSUE TYPE

Docs Pull Request

Correct terminology.

gundalow · 2021-04-06T19:37:04Z

docs/docsite/rst/reference_appendices/glossary.rst

@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@ when a term comes up on the mailing list.
    ansible-base
        Used only for 2.10. The installable package (RPM/Python/Deb package) generated from the `ansible/ansible repository <https://github.com/ansible/ansible>`_. See ``ansible-core``.

+    Ansible control node
+        FIXME. Also make it clear that "local" plugins (lookups, etc) run here.


Could someone please help provide a detailed description of what's the control node is and what does and doesn't run on it.

Different types of plugins, local_actions, etc

@gundalow see https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/network/getting_started/basic_concepts.html#control-node - the text there is a shared snippet, and we can certainly use the same description here

gundalow · 2021-04-06T19:37:41Z

docs/docsite/rst/reference_appendices/glossary.rst

@@ -396,6 +402,13 @@ when a term comes up on the mailing list.
        Ansible will never feel like assembly programming).  There are an
        infinite number of variable names you can use for registration.

+    Remote node


Could someone please help provide a detailed description of what's the remote node is and what does and doesn't run on it.

If you are running with an ssh-jump host is that a remote node, or something else, do we have a specific term for that?

We typically don't call this a remote node, but a target or managed node. Since the node can actually be local.

Only modules execute on a target node.

Yup, realised that after I progressed. I've asked Nitz to raise this at the architects meeting and confirm terminology, then I'll update.

We did talk about this yesterday, and I think we decided on effectively:

Control Node

Target Node

Some 3rd term to describe networking and cloud targets, since Target Node means the node where module code runs. However with networking the module is running in a different place than the "resource" that is being managed. This couldn't really been decided on. We mentioned "automation target" or "target resource".

Note that in the product/platform we often call "target node" the "managed node", but managed carries extra connotations that don't universally apply.

We use 'managed node' here as well: https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/network/getting_started/basic_concepts.html#managed-nodes
We picked that because it can describe network devices or other nodes that are not "systems" or "machines" . . . what connotations does the phrase have that don't apply universally?
I'm not against changing to 'target node', necessarily, just trying to understand the thinking.

gundalow · 2021-04-06T19:38:01Z

lib/ansible/config/base.yml

@@ -850,15 +850,15 @@ DEFAULT_LOAD_CALLBACK_PLUGINS:
 DEFAULT_LOCAL_TMP:
  name: Controller temporary directory


bmillemathias · 2021-04-08T20:09:24Z

lib/ansible/config/base.yml

@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ COVERAGE_REMOTE_OUTPUT:
 COVERAGE_REMOTE_PATHS:
  name: Sets the list of paths to run coverage for.
  description:
-  - A list of paths for files on the Ansible controller to run coverage for when executing on the remote host.
+  - A list of paths for files on the Ansible controll node to run coverage for when executing on the remote host.


controll -> control

bmillemathias · 2021-04-08T20:11:22Z

lib/ansible/plugins/connection/local.py

    description:
-        - This connection plugin allows ansible to execute tasks on the Ansible 'controller' instead of on a remote host.
+        - This connection plugin allows ansible to execute tasks on the Ansible control node instead of on a remote node.


remote or target here ?

This looks like it should remain remote. Maybe remote host is the right thing here as well, though, not remote node. That way both words remain different than what we're standardizing on for the target node

Suggested change

- This connection plugin allows ansible to execute tasks on the Ansible control node instead of on a remote node.

- This connection plugin allows Ansible to execute tasks on the Ansible control node instead of on a remote host.

The reason it should be remote host is that, almost by definition, any connection plugin allows Ansible to execute tasks on the target node. What's different about the local connection plugin is that instead of primarily being used to make a remote host the target, the local connection plugin can only target the control node to run the tasks on.

acozine

Nice cleanup! I put a few questions/comments in below.

acozine · 2021-04-30T18:54:31Z

docs/docsite/rst/reference_appendices/glossary.rst

@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@ when a term comes up on the mailing list.
    ansible-base
        Used only for 2.10. The installable package (RPM/Python/Deb package) generated from the `ansible/ansible repository <https://github.com/ansible/ansible>`_. See ``ansible-core``.

+    Ansible control node
+        FIXME. Also make it clear that "local" plugins (lookups, etc) run here.


@gundalow see https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/network/getting_started/basic_concepts.html#control-node - the text there is a shared snippet, and we can certainly use the same description here

acozine · 2021-04-30T18:54:49Z

docs/docsite/rst/porting_guides/porting_guide_core_2.11.rst

@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ Other:
 ======

 * **Upgrading**: If upgrading from ``ansible < 2.10`` or from ``ansible-base`` and using pip, you must ``pip uninstall ansible`` or ``pip uninstall ansible-base`` before installing ``ansible-core`` to avoid conflicts.
-* Python 3.8 on the controller node is a soft requirement for this release. ``ansible-core`` 2.11 still works with the same versions of Python that ``ansible-base`` 2.10 worked with, however 2.11 emits a warning when running on a controller node with a Python version less than 3.8. This warning can be disabled by setting ``ANSIBLE_CONTROLLER_PYTHON_WARNING=False`` in your environment. ``ansible-core`` 2.12 will require Python 3.8 or greater.
+* Python 3.8 on the control node is a soft requirement for this release. ``ansible-core`` 2.11 still works with the same versions of Python that ``ansible-base`` 2.10 worked with, however 2.11 emits a warning when running on a control node with a Python version less than 3.8. This warning can be disabled by setting ``ANSIBLE_CONTROLLER_PYTHON_WARNING=False`` in your environment. ``ansible-core`` 2.12 will require Python 3.8 or greater.


+1 for fixing these

acozine · 2021-04-30T18:57:30Z

docs/docsite/rst/reference_appendices/glossary.rst

@@ -396,6 +402,13 @@ when a term comes up on the mailing list.
        Ansible will never feel like assembly programming).  There are an
        infinite number of variable names you can use for registration.

+    Remote node


We use 'managed node' here as well: https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/network/getting_started/basic_concepts.html#managed-nodes
We picked that because it can describe network devices or other nodes that are not "systems" or "machines" . . . what connotations does the phrase have that don't apply universally?
I'm not against changing to 'target node', necessarily, just trying to understand the thinking.

acozine · 2021-04-30T18:57:53Z

lib/ansible/config/base.yml

@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ COVERAGE_REMOTE_OUTPUT:
 COVERAGE_REMOTE_PATHS:
  name: Sets the list of paths to run coverage for.
  description:
-  - A list of paths for files on the Ansible controller to run coverage for when executing on the remote host.
+  - A list of paths for files on the Ansible controll node to run coverage for when executing on the remote host.


as bmillemathias said:

Suggested change

- A list of paths for files on the Ansible controll node to run coverage for when executing on the remote host.

- A list of paths for files on the Ansible control node to run coverage for when executing on the remote host.

Docs: Ansible Control Node

9371fed

Correct terminology.

gundalow commented Apr 7, 2021

View reviewed changes

samdoran removed the needs_triage Needs a first human triage before being processed. label Apr 8, 2021

bmillemathias reviewed Apr 8, 2021

View reviewed changes

ansibot added stale_ci This PR has been tested by CI more than one week ago. Close and re-open this PR to get it retested. needs_rebase https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/devel/dev_guide/developing_rebasing.html labels Apr 16, 2021

acozine reviewed Apr 30, 2021

View reviewed changes

[WIP] Docs: Ansible Control Node #74164

[WIP] Docs: Ansible Control Node #74164

gundalow commented Apr 6, 2021 •

edited

gundalow Apr 6, 2021

acozine Apr 30, 2021

gundalow Apr 6, 2021

sivel Apr 8, 2021

gundalow Apr 9, 2021

sivel Apr 16, 2021

acozine Apr 30, 2021

gundalow Apr 6, 2021

bmillemathias Apr 8, 2021

bmillemathias Apr 8, 2021

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acozine left a comment

acozine Apr 30, 2021

acozine Apr 30, 2021

acozine Apr 30, 2021

acozine Apr 30, 2021

		@@ -850,15 +850,15 @@ DEFAULT_LOAD_CALLBACK_PLUGINS:
		DEFAULT_LOCAL_TMP:
		name: Controller temporary directory

	- This connection plugin allows ansible to execute tasks on the Ansible control node instead of on a remote node.
	- This connection plugin allows Ansible to execute tasks on the Ansible control node instead of on a remote host.

	- A list of paths for files on the Ansible controll node to run coverage for when executing on the remote host.
	- A list of paths for files on the Ansible control node to run coverage for when executing on the remote host.

[WIP] Docs: Ansible Control Node #74164

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[WIP] Docs: Ansible Control Node #74164

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gundalow commented Apr 6, 2021 • edited

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gundalow commented Apr 6, 2021 •

edited