Ansible idempotent MySQL installation Playbook

StackOverflow https://stackoverflow.com/questions/16444306

Question

I want to setup a MySQL server on AWS, using Ansible for the configuration management. I am using the default AMI from Amazon (ami-3275ee5b), which uses yum for package management.

When the Playbook below is executed, all goes well. But when I run it for a second time, the task Configure the root credentials fails, because the old password of MySQL doesn't match anymore, since it has been updated the last time I ran this Playbook.

This makes the Playbook non-idempotent, which I don't like. I want to be able to run the Playbook as many times as I want.

- hosts: staging_mysql
  user: ec2-user
  sudo: yes

  tasks:
    - name: Install MySQL
      action: yum name=$item
      with_items:
        - MySQL-python
        - mysql
        - mysql-server

    - name: Start the MySQL service
      action: service name=mysqld state=started

    - name: Configure the root credentials
      action: command mysqladmin -u root -p $mysql_root_password

What would be the best way to solve this, which means make the Playbook idempotent? Thanks in advance!

Was it helpful?

Solution

Ansible version for a secure MySQL installation.

mysql_secure_installation.yml

- hosts: staging_mysql
  user: ec2-user
  sudo: yes

  tasks:
    - name: Install MySQL
      action: yum name={{ item }}
      with_items:
        - MySQL-python
        - mysql
        - mysql-server

    - name: Start the MySQL service
      action: service name=mysqld state=started

    # 'localhost' needs to be the last item for idempotency, see
    # http://ansible.cc/docs/modules.html#mysql-user
    - name: update mysql root password for all root accounts
      mysql_user: name=root host={{ item }} password={{ mysql_root_password }}
      with_items:
        - "{{ ansible_hostname }}"
        - 127.0.0.1
        - ::1
        - localhost

    - name: copy .my.cnf file with root password credentials
      template: src=templates/root/my.cnf.j2 dest=/root/.my.cnf owner=root mode=0600

    - name: delete anonymous MySQL server user for $server_hostname
      action: mysql_user user="" host="{{ server_hostname }}" state="absent"

    - name: delete anonymous MySQL server user for localhost
      action: mysql_user user="" state="absent"

    - name: remove the MySQL test database
      action: mysql_db db=test state=absent

templates/root/my.cnf.j2

[client]
user=root
password={{ mysql_root_password }}

References

OTHER TIPS

please try this for mysql installation using ansible playbook

hosts: slave.server.com become: yes

tasks:

  • name: "Installing Repo" shell: sudo rpm -Uvh http://dev.mysql.com/get/mysql57-community-release-el6-7.noarch.rpm ignore_errors: yes

  • name: "Installing MySQL 5.7" package: name=mysql-community-server state=present

  • name: Start the MySQL service service: name: mysqld state: started enabled: yes

  • name: Find MySQL root password shell: "echo grep 'temporary.*root@localhost' /var/log/mysqld.log | sed 's/.*root@localhost: //'" register: mysql_root_pass

I posted about this on coderwall, but I'll reproduce dennisjac's improvement in the comments of my original post.

The trick to doing it idempotently is knowing that the mysql_user module will load a ~/.my.cnf file if it finds one.

I first change the password, then copy a .my.cnf file with the password credentials. When you try to run it a second time, the myqsl_user ansible module will find the .my.cnf and use the new password.

- hosts: staging_mysql
  user: ec2-user
  sudo: yes

  tasks:
    - name: Install MySQL
      action: yum name={{ item }}
      with_items:
        - MySQL-python
        - mysql
        - mysql-server

    - name: Start the MySQL service
      action: service name=mysqld state=started

    # 'localhost' needs to be the last item for idempotency, see
    # http://ansible.cc/docs/modules.html#mysql-user
    - name: update mysql root password for all root accounts
      mysql_user: name=root host={{ item }} password={{ mysql_root_password }} priv=*.*:ALL,GRANT
      with_items:
        - "{{ ansible_hostname }}"
        - 127.0.0.1
        - ::1
        - localhost

    - name: copy .my.cnf file with root password credentials
      template: src=templates/root/.my.cnf dest=/root/.my.cnf owner=root mode=0600

The .my.cnf template looks like this:

[client]
user=root
password={{ mysql_root_password }}

Edit: Added privileges as recommended by Dhananjay Nene in the comments, and changed variable interpolation to use braces instead of dollar sign.

For ansible 1.3+ :

- name: ensure mysql local root password is zwx123
  mysql_user: check_implicit_admin=True login_user=root login_password="zwx123" name=root password="zwx123" state=present

This is an alternative solution to the one proposed by @LorinHochStein

One of my constraints was to ensure that no passwords are stored in plain text files anywhere on the server. Thus .my.cnf was not a practical proposition

Solution :

- name: update mysql root password for all root accounts from local servers
  mysql_user: login_user=root 
              login_password={{ current_password }} 
              name=root 
              host=$item 
              password={{ new_password }} 
              priv=*.*:ALL,GRANT
  with_items:
      - $ansible_hostname
      - 127.0.0.1
      - ::1
      - localhost

And in the vars file

current_password: foobar
new_password: "{{ current_password }}"

When not changing the mysql password run ansible playbook on command line as usual.

When changing the mysql password, add the following to the command line. Specifying it on the commandline allows the parameter set on the command line to take precedence over the one defaulted to in the vars file.

$ ansible-playbook ........ --extra-vars "new_password=buzzz"

After running the command change the vars file as follows

current_password=buzzz
new_password={{ current_password }}

Adding to the previous answers, I didn't want a manual step before running the command, ie I want to spin up a new server and just run the playbook without having to manually change the root password first time. I don't believe {{ mysql_password }} will work the first time, when root password is null, because mysql_password still has to be defined somewhere (unless you want to override it with -e).

So I added a rule to do that, which is ignored if it fails. This is in addition to, and appears before, any of the other commands here.

- name: Change root user password on first run
  mysql_user: login_user=root
              login_password=''
              name=root
              password={{ mysql_root_password }}
              priv=*.*:ALL,GRANT
              host={{ item }}
      with_items:
        - $ansible_hostname
        - 127.0.0.1
        - ::1
        - localhost
      ignore_errors: true

Well, this came a bit complicated. I've spent a whole day on this and came up with the solution listed below. The key point is how Ansible installs MySQL server. From the docs of mysql_user module (last note on page):

MySQL server installs with default login_user of ‘root’ and no password. To secure this user as part of an idempotent playbook, you must create at least two tasks: the first must change the root user’s password, without providing any login_user/login_password details. The second must drop a ~/.my.cnf file containing the new root credentials. Subsequent runs of the playbook will then succeed by reading the new credentials from the file.

That issue with blank or null password was a big surprise.

Role:

---

- name: Install MySQL packages
  sudo: yes
  yum: name={{ item }} state=present
  with_items:
    - mysql
    - mysql-server
    - MySQL-python


- name: Start MySQL service
  sudo: yes
  service: name=mysqld state=started enabled=true


- name: Update MySQL root password for root account
  sudo: yes
  mysql_user: name=root password={{ db_root_password }} priv=*.*:ALL,GRANT


- name: Create .my.cnf file with root password credentials
  sudo: yes
  template: src=.my.cnf.j2 dest=/root/.my.cnf owner=root group=root mode=0600
  notify:
  - restart mysql


- name: Create a database
  sudo: yes
  mysql_db: name={{ db_name }}
            collation=utf8_general_ci
            encoding=utf8
            state=present


- name: Create a database user
  sudo: yes
  mysql_user: name={{ db_user }}
              password={{ db_user_password }}
              priv="{{ db_name }}.*:ALL"
              host=localhost
              state=present

Handler:

---

- name: restart mysql
  service: name=mysqld state=restarted

.my.cnf.j2:

[client]
user=root
password={{ db_root_password }}

The following will Work (Insert my.cnf in between 2 mysql_user calls)

- name: 'Install MySQL'
    yum: name={{ item }} state=present
    with_items:
    - MySQL-python
    - mysql
    - mysql-server
    notify:
     - restart-mysql
- name: 'Start Mysql Service'
  action: service name=mysqld state=started enabled=yes
- name: 'Update Mysql Root Password'
  mysql_user: name=root host=localhost password={{ mysql_root_password }} state=present
- name: 'Copy Conf file with root password credentials'
  template: src=../templates/my.cnf.j2 dest=/root/.my.cnf owner=root mode=0600
- name: 'Update Rest-Mysql Root Password'
  mysql_user: name=root host={{ item }} password={{ mysql_root_password }} state=present
    with_items:
    - "{{ ansible_hostname }}"
    - "{{ ansible_eth0.ipv4.address }}"
    - 127.0.0.1
    - ::1
- name: 'Delete anonymous MySQL server user from server'
  mysql_user: name="" host={{ ansible_hostname }} state="absent"

I know this is an old question, but I am sharing my working playbook for those, who are looking for it:

mysql.yml

---
 - name: Install the MySQL packages
   apt: name={{ item }} state=installed update_cache=yes
   with_items:
     - mysql-server-5.6
     - mysql-client-5.6
     - python-mysqldb
     - libmysqlclient-dev

 - name: Copy the configuration file (my.cnf)
   template: src=my.cnf.j2 dest=/etc/mysql/my.cnf
   notify:
     - Restart MySQL

 - name: Update MySQL root password for all root accounts
   mysql_user: name=root host={{ item }} password={{ mysql_root_pass }} state=present
   with_items:
     - "{{ ansible_hostname }}"
     - 127.0.0.1
     - ::1
     - localhost

 - name: Copy the root credentials as .my.cnf file
   template: src=root.cnf.j2 dest=~/.my.cnf mode=0600

 - name: Ensure Anonymous user(s) are not in the database
   mysql_user: name='' host={{ item }} state=absent
   with_items:
     - localhost
     - "{{ ansible_hostname }}"

 - name: Remove the test database
   mysql_db: name=test state=absent
   notify:
     - Restart MySQL

vars.yml

---
 mysql_port: 3306 #Default is 3306, please change it if you are using non-standard
 mysql_bind_address: "127.0.0.1" #Change it to "0.0.0.0",if you want to listen everywhere
 mysql_root_pass: mypassword #MySQL Root Password

my.cnf.j2

[client]
port            = 3306
socket          = /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock

[mysqld_safe]
socket          = /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock
nice            = 0

[mysqld]
user            = mysql
pid-file        = /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.pid
socket          = /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock
port            = {{ mysql_port }}
basedir         = /usr
datadir         = /var/lib/mysql
tmpdir          = /tmp
lc-messages-dir = /usr/share/mysql
skip-external-locking
bind-address            = {{ mysql_bind_address }}
key_buffer              = 16M
max_allowed_packet      = 64M
thread_stack            = 192K
thread_cache_size       = 8
myisam-recover         = BACKUP
query_cache_limit       = 1M
query_cache_size        = 16M
log_error = /var/log/mysql/error.log
expire_logs_days        = 10
max_binlog_size         = 100M

[mysqldump]
quick
quote-names
max_allowed_packet      = 64M

[mysql]

[isamchk]
key_buffer              = 16M

!includedir /etc/mysql/conf.d/

root.cnf.j2

[client]
user=root
password={{ mysql_root_pass }}

It is important to start/re-start the mysql server prior to setting the root password. Also, I had tried everything posted up to this post [date] and discovered it is imperative to pass login_password and login_user.

(i.e.) Any Plays after setting the mysql_user user:root and password= {{ SOMEPASSWORD }}, you must connect using login_password and login_user for any subsequent play.

Note: The with_items below is based on what Ansible &/ MariaDB default hosts created.

Example for Securing a MariaDB Server:

---
# 'secure_mariadb.yml'

- name: 'Ensure MariaDB server is started and enabled on boot'
  service: name={{ mariadb_service_name }} state=started enabled=yes

# localhost needs to be the last item for idempotency, see
# http://ansible.cc/docs/modules.html#mysql-user
- name: 'Update Mysql Root Password'
  mysql_user: name=root
              host={{ item }}
              password={{ root_db_password }}
              priv=*.*:ALL,GRANT
              state=present
  with_items:
    - 127.0.0.1
    - ::1
    - instance-1 # Created by MariaDB to prevent conflicts between port and sockets if multi-instances running on the same computer.
    - localhost

- name: 'Create MariaDB main configuration file'
  template: >
    src=my.cnf.j2
    dest=/etc/mysql/my.cnf
    owner=root
    group=root
    mode=0600

- name: 'Ensure anonymous users are not in the database'
  mysql_user: login_user=root 
              login_password={{ root_db_password }}
              name=''
              host={{ item }}
              state=absent
  with_items:
    - 127.0.0.1
    - localhost

- name: 'Remove the test database'
  mysql_db: login_user=root 
            login_password={{ root_db_password }}
            name=test
            state=absent

- name: 'Reload privilege tables'
  command: 'mysql -ne "{{ item }}"'
  with_items:
    - FLUSH PRIVILEGES
  changed_when: False

- name: 'Ensure MariaDB server is started and enabled on boot'
  service: name={{ mariadb_service_name }} state=started enabled=yes


# 'End Of File'

I'm adding my own take on the various approaches (centos 7).

The variable mysql_root_password should be stored in an ansible-vault (better) or passed on the command-line (worse)

- name: "Ensure mariadb packages are installed"
  yum: name={{ item }} state="present"
  with_items:
    - mariadb
    - mariadb-server

- name: "Ensure mariadb is running and configured to start at boot"
  service: name=mariadb state=started enabled=yes

# idempotently ensure secure mariadb installation --
# - attempts to connect as root user with no password and then set the root@ mysql password for each mysql root user mode.
# - ignore_errors is true because this task will always fail on subsequent runs (as the root user password has been changed from "")
- name: Change root user password on first run, this will only succeed (and only needs to succeed) on first playbook run
  mysql_user: login_user=root
              login_password=''
              name=root
              password={{ mysql_root_password }}
              priv=*.*:ALL,GRANT
              host={{ item }}
  with_items:
    - "{{ ansible_hostname }}"
    - 127.0.0.1
    - ::1
    - localhost
  ignore_errors: true

- name: Ensure the anonymous mysql user ""@{{ansible_hostname}} is deleted
  action: mysql_user user="" host="{{ ansible_hostname }}" state="absent" login_user=root login_password={{ mysql_root_password }}

- name: Ensure the anonymous mysql user ""@localhost is deleted
  action: mysql_user user="" state="absent" login_user=root login_password={{ sts_ad_password }}

- name: Ensure the mysql test database is deleted
  action: mysql_db db=test state=absent login_user=root login_password={{ mysql_root_password }}

We have spent a lot of time on this issue. For MySQL 5.7 and above we concluded it is easier to simply ignore the root account, and set permissions on a regular MySQL user.

Reasons

  1. Setting the root password is difficult
  2. unix_socket auth plugin conflicts with the standard auth plugin
  3. Reliably changing the root password after disabling unix_socket plugin is almost impossible
  4. Ansible is not well suited to atomically changing the root password in one step
  5. Using a normal account broadly works well

If you abandon idempotency, then you can get it to work fine. However, since the ansible value proposition is that idempotency is possible, we find that developers waste time with the wrong assumption.

The mere existence of a hack option like check_implicit_admin starts to hint to us that deterministic MySQL setup is not that easy. If it's actually deterministic, there should be no "check", there should only be "do".

I am using Ansible 2.9.20 and have created the playbook for mysql Installation of version 8.0.26. There are some changes for this mysql version Installation, so adding the solution here which worked for me.

MySQL.yml

---
# tasks file for mysql_setup
- name: Upgrade all packages
  yum:
    name: "*"
    state: latest

- name: Install MySQL repository
  yum:
    name: "https://dev.mysql.com/get/mysql80-community-release-el7-1.noarch.rpm"
    state: present

- name: Install MySQL
  yum:
    name: ['mysql-community-devel*', 'mysql-community-server*', 'MySQL-python']
    state: present

- name: copy my.cnf
  copy:
    src: ../files/etc/my.cnf
    dest: /etc/my.cnf
    mode: 0644

- name: Enable the MySQL service
  service:
    name: mysqld
    state: restarted
    enabled: true

- name: Read secret file
  include_vars: "defaults/secret.yml"

- name: get root password
  shell: "grep 'A temporary password is generated for root@localhost' /var/log/mysqld.log | awk -F ' ' '{print $(NF)}'"
  register: root_password

- name: Ensure root can login into MySQL localhost using temporary password
  shell: "mysql -uroot -p'{{ root_password.stdout }}' --connect-expired-password"
  with_items:
    - 127.0.0.1
    - ::1
    - localhost
  register: root_login_tmp_pass
  ignore_errors: yes

- name: update expired root user password
  command: mysql --user root --password={{ root_password.stdout }} --connect-expired-password --execute="ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY '{{ secret.passwd_mysql_root }}';"
  when: root_login_tmp_pass is succeeded

- name: update root user password
  command: mysql --user root --password={{ secret.current_passwd_mysql_root }} --execute="ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY '{{ secret.passwd_mysql_root }}';"
  when: root_login_tmp_pass is failed

- name: Copy root .my.cnf file
  template:
    src: ../templates/root-my.cnf.j2
    dest: /root/.my.cnf
    owner: root
    group: root
    mode: 0600

- name: Create a database
  mysql_db: name={{ db_name }}
            collation=utf8_general_ci
            encoding=utf8
            state=present

- name: Create a database user
  mysql_user: name={{ db_user }}
              password={{ secret.db_user_password }}
              priv="{{ db_name }}.*:ALL"
              host=localhost
              state=present

templates/root-my.cnf.j2

[client]
user=root
password={{ secret.passwd_mysql_root }}

files/etc/my.cnf

[mysqld]
datadir=/var/lib/mysql
socket=/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock

log-error=/var/log/mysqld.log
pid-file=/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.pid
default-authentication-plugin=mysql_native_password

defaults/main.yml

---
# defaults file for mysql_setup
db_name: mydb
db_user: iamuser

defaults/secret.yml

secret:
  passwd_mysql_root: RootPassword2!3
  db_user_password: iamdbpassword
  current_passwd_mysql_root: currRootPass2!3

After running this playbook twice, you have to update this secret.yml file with your current password (current_passwd_mysql_root) and root Password that you want to set (passwd_mysql_root).

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