:lady_beetle: Bug: vm_nic: `connected` field not updated — state: set and state: present both return changed=false when toggling NIC connected state

[ddemlow]

Summary

The vm_nic module does not update the connected field on an existing NIC. When connected: false is passed (with either state: set or state: present) on a NIC that is currently connected, the module returns changed=false and leaves the NIC in its original state.

Steps to Reproduce

- name: Disconnect NIC
 scale_computing.hypercore.vm_nic:
 vm_name: my-vm
 items:
 - vlan: 164
 type: virtio
 connected: false
 state: set

VM has one NIC: type=virtio, vlan=164, connected=true (verified via REST API and HyperCore UI before task runs).

Expected Behavior
The NIC's connected field should be set to false. Task should report changed=true.

Actual Behavior
Task reports changed=false. NIC remains connected=true. Module output with -vvv:


TASK [Disconnect NIC]
ok: [my-vm] => {
 "changed": false,
 "diff": {
 "after": [],
 "before": []
 },
 "records": [],
 "vm_name": "my-vm"
}
diff.before and diff.after are both empty lists, indicating connected is not included in the idempotency comparison.

Despite correct arguments being received by the module:


"items": [
 {
 "connected": false,
 "mac": null,
 "type": "virtio",
 "vlan": 164,
 "vlan_new": null,
 "vm_uuid": "aa856228-..."
 }
]
Also Tested with state: present

- scale_computing.hypercore.vm_nic:
 vm_name: my-vm
 items:
 - vlan: 164
 type: virtio
 connected: false
 state: present
Same result: changed=false, NIC remains connected.

Environment
Collection: scale_computing.hypercore (latest)
HyperCore ICOS: 9.x
Ansible: ansible-core 2.16.x
Suspected Root Cause
The ManageVMNics class in plugins/module_utils/vm.py does not include connected when comparing desired NIC state against current NIC state. The diff computation returns empty lists because connected is excluded from the idempotency comparison.

No integration test exists for toggling connected on an existing NIC. tests/integration/targets/vm_nic/tasks/02_vm_nic_running.yml covers NIC creation, VLAN changes, MAC changes, and deletion — but not connected: false on a live NIC.

Workaround
Direct REST API PATCH works correctly:


- name: Disconnect NIC via REST API (workaround)
 ansible.builtin.uri:
 url: "https://{{ sc_host }}/rest/v1/VirDomainNetDevice/{{ nic_uuid }}"
 method: PATCH
 url_username: "{{ sc_username }}"
 url_password: "{{ sc_password }}"
 force_basic_auth: true
 validate_certs: false
 body_format: json
 body:
 connected: false
 status_code: 200
NIC UUID is available via vm_info → nics[].uuid.

Suggested Fix
Include connected in the NIC comparison logic in ManageVMNics so a change in connected state is detected and results in a PATCH to the NIC endpoint.
Add an integration test case to 02_vm_nic_running.yml that:
Creates a VM with connected: true
Runs vm_nic with connected: false, asserts changed=true
Queries the VM and asserts NIC is now connected: false
Runs the same task again and asserts changed=false (idempotency)

[ddemlow]

Confirmed reproducible against HyperCore 9.7.7.226383 (4-node cluster), collection main @ 34308d2, ansible-core 2.16.19.

Reproduction

Created a VM with a single connected virtio NIC on vlan 0, then attempted to disconnect it:

BEFORE: connected=[True]
RESULT: module changed=False | connected AFTER=[True] | BUG REPRODUCED=True

Reproduced with both state: set and state: present. The module reports success, so a playbook that disconnects a NIC appears to work while the NIC stays on the network — which is the concerning part for anything using connected: false for network isolation.

Root cause

is_update_needed() delegates the whole decision to __eq__:

# plugins/module_utils/nic.py:124-126
 # Compares hc3 nic to ansible nic
 def is_update_needed(self, ansible_nic):
 return not (self == ansible_nic)

and Nic.__eq__ (plugins/module_utils/nic.py:51-64) compares only vlan, type and mac — in all seven branches. connected is never compared:

 return self.vlan == other.vlan and self.type == other.type

So a NIC that differs only in connected compares as equal, is_update_needed() returns False, no PATCH is issued, and the module returns changed=false.

Note connected is plumbed everywhere else — initialised (nic.py:48), read back in from_hypercore (:76), serialised in to_hypercore (:105-106) and exposed in to_ansible (:119). It is only missing from the comparison, which is why the value round-trips correctly through vm_nic_info while being impossible to change.

Adding connected to the __eq__ comparison looks like the fix, but I have not validated a patch — flagging the mechanism only.

Why this went unnoticed: no test coverage

The string connected does not appear anywhere under tests/integration/targets/vm_nic/ or tests/integration/targets/vm_nic_info/. The vm_nic target passes (it passed in a full suite run against 9.7.7 today, 179 assertions) and tells you nothing about this field.

Regression test

Below is a regression test that fails against current main — verified, which is the point of including it. The remaining 179 assertions in the vm_nic target still pass with it added, so it does not disturb existing coverage.

TASK [vm_nic : state=set must report changed AND actually disconnect the NIC]
fatal: [testhost]: FAILED! => {
 "assertion": "nic_disconnect_set is changed",
 "evaluated_to": false,
 "msg": "vm_nic did not disconnect the NIC. module changed=False, connected is
 still True. This is #369 - the module reports success while leaving
 the NIC on the network."
}

It covers state: set, state: present, idempotence of a repeated disconnect, and the toggle back to connected: true.

tests/integration/targets/vm_nic/tasks/04_vm_nic_connected.yml (click to expand)

---
# Regression test for #369 - vm_nic does not update the `connected` field.
#
# Before this test existed, the string "connected" appeared nowhere in the vm_nic or vm_nic_info
# integration targets, so the module could return changed=false and silently leave a NIC attached
# to the network while the playbook reported success.
#
# Covers both `state: set` and `state: present`, and the toggle back to connected: true.

- environment:
 SC_HOST: "{{ sc_host }}"
 SC_USERNAME: "{{ sc_config[sc_host].sc_username }}"
 SC_PASSWORD: "{{ sc_config[sc_host].sc_password }}"
 SC_TIMEOUT: "{{ sc_timeout }}"
 vars:
 vm_name: XLAB-vm_nic_CI_test_connected
 block:
# ----------------------------------Cleanup-------------------------------------------------------

 - name: Delete {{ vm_name }} if it exists from before
 scale_computing.hypercore.vm:
 vm_name: "{{ vm_name }}"
 state: absent

# ----------------------------------Setup---------------------------------------------------------

 - name: Create {{ vm_name }} with a single NIC
 scale_computing.hypercore.vm:
 vm_name: "{{ vm_name }}"
 tags: Xlab,CI,test,vm_nic
 memory: 512100100
 vcpu: 2
 state: present
 power_state: shutdown
 machine_type: BIOS
 disks: []
 nics:
 - vlan: 0
 type: virtio
 register: vm_created

 - name: A new NIC should start connected
 scale_computing.hypercore.vm_nic_info:
 vm_name: "{{ vm_name }}"
 register: nic_initial
 - ansible.builtin.assert:
 that:
 - nic_initial.records | length == 1
 - nic_initial.records.0.connected | bool

# ----------------------------------state: set----------------------------------------------------

 - name: Disconnect the NIC using state=set
 scale_computing.hypercore.vm_nic:
 vm_name: "{{ vm_name }}"
 items:
 - vlan: 0
 type: virtio
 connected: false
 state: set
 register: nic_disconnect_set

 - name: Re-read the NIC after state=set
 scale_computing.hypercore.vm_nic_info:
 vm_name: "{{ vm_name }}"
 register: nic_after_set

 - name: state=set must report changed AND actually disconnect the NIC
 ansible.builtin.assert:
 that:
 - nic_disconnect_set is succeeded
 - nic_disconnect_set is changed
 - not (nic_after_set.records.0.connected | bool)
 fail_msg: >-
 vm_nic did not disconnect the NIC.
 module changed={{ nic_disconnect_set.changed }},
 connected is still {{ nic_after_set.records.0.connected }}.
 This is #369 - the module reports success while leaving the NIC on the network.

# ----------------------------------idempotence---------------------------------------------------

 - name: Disconnecting an already-disconnected NIC is a no-op
 scale_computing.hypercore.vm_nic:
 vm_name: "{{ vm_name }}"
 items:
 - vlan: 0
 type: virtio
 connected: false
 state: set
 register: nic_disconnect_again
 - ansible.builtin.assert:
 that:
 - nic_disconnect_again is succeeded
 - nic_disconnect_again is not changed

# ----------------------------------toggle back---------------------------------------------------

 - name: Reconnect the NIC using state=set
 scale_computing.hypercore.vm_nic:
 vm_name: "{{ vm_name }}"
 items:
 - vlan: 0
 type: virtio
 connected: true
 state: set
 register: nic_reconnect

 - name: Re-read the NIC after reconnect
 scale_computing.hypercore.vm_nic_info:
 vm_name: "{{ vm_name }}"
 register: nic_after_reconnect

 - name: Reconnect must report changed AND actually reconnect the NIC
 ansible.builtin.assert:
 that:
 - nic_reconnect is changed
 - nic_after_reconnect.records.0.connected | bool

# ----------------------------------state: present------------------------------------------------

 - name: Disconnect the NIC using state=present
 scale_computing.hypercore.vm_nic:
 vm_name: "{{ vm_name }}"
 items:
 - vlan: 0
 type: virtio
 connected: false
 state: present
 register: nic_disconnect_present

 - name: Re-read the NIC after state=present
 scale_computing.hypercore.vm_nic_info:
 vm_name: "{{ vm_name }}"
 register: nic_after_present

 - name: state=present must also report changed AND actually disconnect the NIC
 ansible.builtin.assert:
 that:
 - nic_disconnect_present is succeeded
 - nic_disconnect_present is changed
 - not (nic_after_present.records.0.connected | bool)
 fail_msg: >-
 vm_nic state=present did not disconnect the NIC.
 module changed={{ nic_disconnect_present.changed }},
 connected is still {{ nic_after_present.records.0.connected }}.
 This is #369.

# ----------------------------------Cleanup-------------------------------------------------------

 - name: Delete {{ vm_name }}
 scale_computing.hypercore.vm:
 vm_name: "{{ vm_name }}"
 state: absent

Wired in via tests/integration/targets/vm_nic/tasks/main.yml:

 - include_tasks: 01_vm_nic_stopped.yml
 - include_tasks: 02_vm_nic_running.yml
 - include_tasks: 03_vm_nic_no_vm.yml
 # Regression test for #369 - the `connected` field was previously not covered at all.
 - include_tasks: 04_vm_nic_connected.yml

Happy to open a PR with the test if that is useful — say the word and I will.