feat(mcp): write, test and delete this instance's own playbooks (#5748)
CI / lint (push) Successful in 2s
CI / integration (push) Successful in 1m29s
CI / unit (push) Successful in 1m39s
CI / publish (push) Successful in 1m6s

#5748 "MCP can write, edit and test this instance's own playbooks
(steward-local)": two admin tools beside run_playbook, so an agent can
build automation for these hosts that isn't part of Steward itself.

- save_playbook(playbook, content, source="steward-local", replace=false)
  goes through the editor's own validate_playbook_yaml and
  write_playbook. A playbook that isn't a list of plays comes back with
  the YAML error and its line, and nothing is written. An existing file
  is overwritten only with replace=true. steward-builtin is refused
  (Steward's playbooks change in its repository), as are git sources
  (their repo owns them).
- After writing, `ansible-playbook --syntax-check` runs against a
  throwaway localhost inventory (no host contacted, 60 s), so a module
  name Ansible can't resolve shows before any run. The result rides the
  reply; the file is kept either way.
- delete_playbook(playbook, source="steward-local").
- Both audit as ansible.playbook.created/updated/deleted, "<user> via
  MCP", with the size and never the content.

The testing loop is the existing one: run_playbook defaults to check
mode, on one target, then get_ansible_run. The integration test does
that loop with the real ansible-playbook.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
This commit is contained in:
2026-10-15 12:01:39 -04:00
co-authored by Claude Opus 5.5
parent 39685585cd
commit e122860cdc
6 changed files with 299 additions and 6 deletions
+84 -1
View File
@@ -229,6 +229,88 @@ async def get_playbook(source: str, playbook: str) -> dict:
return out
def _editable(name: str) -> dict:
s = _source(name)
if not src_module.is_editable_source(s):
why = ("it holds Steward's own playbooks, which are changed in Steward's repository"
if s["name"] == src_module.BUILTIN_SOURCE_NAME else
"it is read from a git repository, which would overwrite a change on its next pull"
if s["type"] == "git" else "it is not editable")
raise ValueError(f"source {s['name']!r} can't be written here: {why}. Write this "
f"instance's own playbooks into {src_module.LOCAL_SOURCE_NAME!r}.")
return s
async def save_playbook(playbook: str, content: str, source: str = src_module.LOCAL_SOURCE_NAME,
replace: bool = False) -> dict:
"""Write a playbook of this instance's own: automation for these hosts that
isn't part of Steward itself. The same as saving in Steward's editor.
playbook: a path in the source ending .yml or .yaml, e.g. "upkeep/prune-runner.yml".
content: the whole playbook. It must parse as YAML and be a list of plays,
or nothing is saved and the error (with its line) comes back.
source: "steward-local" (default), or another editable folder source.
steward-builtin is refused: Steward's own playbooks are changed in
Steward's repository. Git sources are refused: their repo owns them.
replace: an existing playbook is overwritten only with replace=true, so
a typo in a name never clobbers another one.
After saving, `ansible-playbook --syntax-check` runs on it (no host is
contacted); `syntax` says whether it passed and, if not, why, e.g. a
module name Ansible can't resolve. The file is saved either way.
To test it: run_playbook(source, playbook, scope="target:<one host>") runs
it in check mode, get_ansible_run shows what would change; fix, save with
replace=true, run again; apply with check=false once it is right.
Admin only. Recorded in the audit log (its size, never its content).
"""
s = _editable(source)
path = (playbook or "").strip().lstrip("/")
target, err = src_module.resolve_writable(s["path"], path)
if err:
raise ValueError(f"{err}. Nothing was saved.")
ok, err = src_module.validate_playbook_yaml(content or "")
if not ok:
raise ValueError(f"{err}\nNothing was saved.")
existed = target.exists()
if existed and not replace:
raise ValueError(f"{s['name']} already has {path!r}; pass replace=true to overwrite it, "
"or choose another name. Nothing was saved.")
ok, err = src_module.write_playbook(s["path"], path, content)
if not ok:
raise ValueError(f"{err}. Nothing was saved.")
await audit_mcp("ansible.playbook.updated" if existed else "ansible.playbook.created",
"ansible_playbook", f"{s['name']}:{path}",
{"source": s["name"], "playbook": path, "bytes": len(content)})
passed, output = await executor.syntax_check(s["path"], path)
syntax = {"ok": passed}
if output:
syntax["output" if passed is False else "note"] = output
return {"source": s["name"], "playbook": path, "replaced": existed, "bytes": len(content),
"syntax": syntax,
"next": f'run_playbook(source="{s["name"]}", playbook="{path}", '
'scope="target:<one host>") to see what it would change.'}
async def delete_playbook(playbook: str, source: str = src_module.LOCAL_SOURCE_NAME) -> dict:
"""Delete a playbook written into steward-local (or another editable folder
source). Its past runs stay. A schedule or alert action that names it
will fail until it is pointed elsewhere.
Admin only. Recorded in the audit log.
"""
s = _editable(source)
path = (playbook or "").strip().lstrip("/")
_playbook(s, path)
ok, err = src_module.delete_playbook(s["path"], path)
if not ok:
raise ValueError(err)
await audit_mcp("ansible.playbook.deleted", "ansible_playbook", f"{s['name']}:{path}",
{"source": s["name"], "playbook": path})
return {"deleted": path, "source": s["name"]}
async def list_inventory() -> dict:
"""Steward's Ansible inventory: targets, groups, and how to scope a run to them.
@@ -787,4 +869,5 @@ def register(register_tool) -> None:
for fn in (run_playbook, cancel_ansible_run, create_schedule, update_schedule, delete_schedule,
update_group_members):
register_tool(fn, role=UserRole.operator, read_only=False)
register_tool(set_alert_action, role=UserRole.admin, read_only=False)
for fn in (set_alert_action, save_playbook, delete_playbook):
register_tool(fn, role=UserRole.admin, read_only=False)