Hi Aaron - I too would find it useful to have the ability to “unit test” my tasks. However, I have opted to create a testing playbook [1] which handles integration testing. It is not perfect, but allows for TDD/BDD, and integrate into CI gating.
[1] https://github.com/blueboxgroup/ursula/tree/master/playbooks/tests/tasks On Wednesday, December 11, 2013 at 9:54 AM, Aaron Hunter wrote: > I see your point but I'm not sure I agree. "Unit testing" may not be the best > term for it but it's not too far off. Consider this case instead: installing > and configuring a DHCP server. I have my senior admin write down exactly what > the DHCP deployment should look like. This is how success will be measured. > Testing this will include checking file permissions (which is also security > issue), processes are running and with the right settings, logging , and a > whole set of functionality based on the config file of the DHCP server. > > Another admin (let's say a junior admin) writes the Ansible code to > accomplish this. When the code passes the test, it is done. Certainly this > crosses into what is traditionally called functional testing. Testing IT > infrastructure is somewhat different from testing a new software development. > I would still test what is in the Ansible script for the DHCP server because > the junior admin may have gotten it wrong and plus its still code and you > always test code. Plus I would have the Ansible scripts initially written in > a development environment with one suite of tests. These tests will be very > obtrusive and are not the same I would use to test a successful deployment. > > To be sure, the most important part is testing that the DHCP server works as > expected (i.e., testing the config file) which is not an Ansible issue. Still > I would test everything. The issue for me is what to use to write the tests? > Cucumber? JBehave? Plain Python? I know plenty of tools designed to test > custom apps/code, I don't think the IT testing tools have caught up yet. > > Maybe this isn't even an Ansible issue. I was just speculating on how it > might include automated TDD-like test process in the framework. > > --- > Aaron > DevOps Blog: http://www.sharknet.us > > On Wednesday, December 11, 2013 11:55:40 AM UTC-5, Michael DeHaan wrote: > > > > Yes, this is super easy to already do today, basically just call your tests > > at the end as the last step of your playbook. > > > > Executing arbitrary python code is possible, but you can use ansible > > modules like get_url and fail and so on. > > > > If you want to push a python script, the 'script' module is awesome for > > that. > > > > Many of users have tests integrated with their continuous deployment > > process so it will fail the rolling update block before moving on the to > > next, thus not taking more machines out of rotation. > > > > However, if you feel you have to test the file module, seriously, you're > > wasting time -- if the file module doesn't work for you, how good is the > > product? It would be much better to test instead for something functional, > > like whether your web service is operational, rather than duplicating all > > the basics of Ansible in, as you say, arbitrary python code just to make > > sure Ansible works. > > > > There's a difference between unit and integration testing, and also in > > testing a live deployment. > > > > Unit tests are things you run on development code. > > > > > > > > > > On Wed, Dec 11, 2013 at 11:39 AM, Aaron Hunter <aaron....@gmail.com > > (javascript:)> wrote: > > > I come from an Agile software development background in which test driven > > > development (TDD) is the norm. As I write Ansible scripts, I'd like some > > > way of testing them. In principle, I want to test every command in a > > > playbook. For example, if one of my command changes the user permissions > > > on a file, I want a test that independently confirms that it has in fact > > > done so. I don't see a "test" module but I may have missed it. > > > > > > Is that something that Ansible may offer some day? I'm thinking of the > > > Ansible equivalent to unit testing. I believe it would require the > > > ability to execute arbitrary Python code in the test. The Java tests I > > > have written could certainly be very complex. > > > > > > I'm also curious what others do for testing using Ansible. What > > > frameworks, etc. > > > > > > Thanks, > > > Aaron > > > DevOps Blog: http://www.sharknet.us > > > > > > -- > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > > "Ansible Project" group. > > > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > > > email to ansible-proje...@googlegroups.com (javascript:). > > > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > > > > > > -- > > Michael DeHaan <mic...@ansibleworks.com (javascript:)> > > CTO, AnsibleWorks, Inc. > > http://www.ansibleworks.com/ > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Ansible Project" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to ansible-project+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com > (mailto:ansible-project+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com). > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ansible Project" group. 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