json providers can not "unset" properties

[jhoblitt]

Consider the following sensu_check resource declaration

  sensu_check { 'foo':
    ensure    => present,
    handlers  => 'bar',
    ...
  }

which should generate a check json file similar to:

{
  "checks": {
    "foo": {
      "handlers": [
        "bar"
      ],
      ....
    }
  }
}

If on a successive run, the handlers param is removed or set to 'undef'. e.g.:

  sensu_check { 'foo':
    ensure    => present,
    handlers  => undef,
    ...
  }

the handlers property is treated as unmanaged and the providers mutator method is never invoked. This essentially means that manual editing or deletion of the configuration tree is the only way to unset previously set values.

Would it be reasonable to add a param to all of the json config generator types to have the provider purge unmanaged properties?

[jlambert121]

This is an issue with puppet 3.x where it is not able to determine an "unset" value in a type/provider since prior to puppet 4 there wasn't a true undefined type. Are you running 3.x nodes?

[jhoblitt]

I've been whining about problems with :undef since the redmine days. :) I'm not sure why the behavior is different with 4.x, I guess I'll have to look at the generated catalog. Can you confirm this issue isn't present under 4?

[jlambert121]

While I am running puppet 4 I haven't actually verified it.

[jlambert121]

@jhoblitt have you tested this under 4.x (or future parser)? Any results you can share?

[jlambert121]

Let me know if you're still seeing this issue under 4.x as well.