vmware_host_ntp does not configure NTP servers on ESXi hosts

[perkons]

SUMMARY

When running the task "Configure NTP servers for an ESXi Host" it does mostly not configure the NTP servers on the ESXi host. Sometimes it does work, sometimes not. When running on multiple hosts on some it does change the servers, on some not. It is unpredictable. It shows changed. It shows the correct defined ntp servers "ntp_servers", the changes "ntp_servers_changed" and "ntp_servers_previous".

ISSUE TYPE

• Bug Report

COMPONENT NAME

community.vmware.vmware_host_ntp

ANSIBLE VERSION

ansible [core 2.15.5]
  config file = /home/user/.ansible.cfg
  configured module search path = ['/home/user/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /home/user/.ansible-python-venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/ansible
  ansible collection location = /home/user/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections
  executable location = /home/user/.ansible-python-venv/bin/ansible
  python version = 3.11.5 (main, Aug 24 2023, 12:23:19) [GCC 12.3.0] (/home/user/.ansible-python-venv/bin/python)
  jinja version = 3.1.2
  libyaml = True

COLLECTION VERSION

$ ansible-galaxy collection list community.vmware

# /home/user/.ansible-python-venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/ansible_collections
Collection       Version
---------------- -------
community.vmware 3.10.0 

# /home/user/.ansible/collections/ansible_collections
Collection       Version
---------------- -------
community.vmware 4.1.0  
$ ansible-config dump | grep COLLECTIONS_PATHS
COLLECTIONS_PATHS(default) = ['/home/user/.ansible/collections', '/usr/share/ansible/collections']
$ 

CONFIGURATION

CONFIG_FILE() = /home/user/.ansible.cfg
DEFAULT_HASH_BEHAVIOUR(/home/user/.ansible.cfg) = merge
DEFAULT_HOST_LIST(/home/user/.ansible.cfg) = ['/home/user/git/ansible/library/netbox/netbox.py']
DEFAULT_VAULT_PASSWORD_FILE(/home/user/.ansible.cfg) = /home/user/.ansible_vault.txt
EDITOR(env: EDITOR) = vim
HOST_KEY_CHECKING(/home/user/.ansible.cfg) = True
PAGER(env: PAGER) = less
RETRY_FILES_ENABLED(/home/user/.ansible.cfg) = False

OS / ENVIRONMENT

• VMware ESXi, 7.0.3, 20842708

• VMware ESXi, 8.0.2, 22380479

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

Create a playbook ntp_esxi.yml with the content:

---
- hosts: "localhost"
  gather_facts: false
 
  tasks:
    - community.vmware.vmware_host_ntp: &module_settings
        hostname: "{{ vcenter_hostname }}"
        username: "{{ vcenter_username }}"
        password: "{{ vcenter_password }}"
        validate_certs: "{{ vcenter_validate_certs }}"
        esxi_hostname: "esxi1.domain.name"
        ntp_servers: 
          - 0.de.pool.ntp.org
          - 1.de.pool.ntp.org
          - 2.de.pool.ntp.org
          - 3.de.pool.ntp.org
      delegate_to: localhost

    - debug: var=_module_output
 
    - community.vmware.vmware_host_ntp:
        <<: *module_settings

    - debug: var=_module_output

and run

ansible-playbook ntp_esxi.yml

EXPECTED RESULTS

NTP servers set on the ESXi host

ACTUAL RESULTS

NTP server changes not done most of the times on the ESXi host

$ ansible-playbook ntp_esxi.yml

PLAY [localhost] **************************************************************************************************************

TASK [community.vmware.vmware_host_ntp] ***************************************************************************************
changed: [localhost]

TASK [debug] ******************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "_module_output": {
        "changed": true,
        "failed": false,
        "host_ntp_status": {
            "esxi1.domain.name": {
                "changed": true,
                "ntp_servers": [
                    "0.de.pool.ntp.org",
                    "1.de.pool.ntp.org",
                    "2.de.pool.ntp.org",
                    "3.de.pool.ntp.org"
                ],
                "ntp_servers_changed": [
                    "3.de.pool.ntp.org"
                ],
                "ntp_servers_previous": [
                    "0.de.pool.ntp.org",
                    "1.de.pool.ntp.org",
                    "2.de.pool.ntp.org"
                ]
            }
        }
    }
}

TASK [community.vmware.vmware_host_ntp] ***************************************************************************************
changed: [localhost]

TASK [debug] ******************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "_module_output": {
        "changed": true,
        "failed": false,
        "host_ntp_status": {
            "esxi1.domain.name": {
                "changed": true,
                "ntp_servers": [
                    "0.de.pool.ntp.org",
                    "1.de.pool.ntp.org",
                    "2.de.pool.ntp.org",
                    "3.de.pool.ntp.org"
                ],
                "ntp_servers_changed": [
                    "3.de.pool.ntp.org"
                ],
                "ntp_servers_previous": [
                    "0.de.pool.ntp.org",
                    "1.de.pool.ntp.org",
                    "2.de.pool.ntp.org"
                ]
            }
        }
    }
}

PLAY RECAP ********************************************************************************************************************
localhost                  : ok=4    changed=2    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0

$

as you can see it does run the change 2 times but it should have changed it in the first run.