How to exclude job event data in backup-restore process in Ansible Automation Platform 2.1 and later?

Solution Verified - Updated -

Environment

  • Ansible Automation Platform 2.1 and later

Issue

  • How to Exclude Job Events in the Ansible Automation Platform 2.1 and later Backup/Restore?

Resolution

For AAP 2.1 or AAP 2.2
To exclude the job events, make the following edit to the installer files located at roles/backup/tasks/postgres.yml:

# clean drops the database
# create adds instructions to create the database
# Note: user needs access to postgres template when restoring
- name: Perform a PostgreSQL dump.
    shell: |
     pg_dump \
       --clean --create \
       --host='{{ controller_db_settings.default.HOST }}' \
       --port={{ controller_db_settings.default.PORT }} \
       --username='{{ controller_db_settings.default.USER  }}' \
       --dbname='{{ controller_db_settings.default.NAME }}' \
       --exclude-table-data=main_jobevent* \                        <<<<<<<<< ADD THIS LINE <<<<<<<<<
       --exclude-table-data=_unpartitioned_main_jobevent \          <<<<<<<<< ADD THIS LINE <<<<<<<<<
       --exclude-table=main_instance \
       --exclude-table=main_instancegroup \
       --exclude-table=main_instancegroup_instances > tower.db
  args:
     chdir: '{{ backup_dir.rstrip("/") }}/common/'
  environment: "{{ {'PGPASSWORD': 
  controller_db_settings.default.PASSWORD} | combine( extra_env | default({}) ) }}"
  register: psql_command
  failed_when: "'ERROR' in psql_command.stderr"
  no_log: True

NOTE There is no need to modify the restore task like Ansible Tower

For AAP 2.3+
To exclude the job events, make the following edit to the installer files located at roles/backup/tasks/postgres.yml:

# clean drops the database
# create adds instructions to create the database
# Note: user needs access to postgres template when restoring
- name: Perform a PostgreSQL dump.
  community.postgresql.postgresql_db:
    name: '{{ controller_db_settings.default.NAME }}'
    login_host: '{{ controller_db_settings.default.HOST }}'
    login_port: '{{ controller_db_settings.default.PORT }}'
    login_user: '{{ controller_db_settings.default.USER }}'
    login_password: '{{ controller_db_settings.default.PASSWORD }}'
    target: '{{ backup_dir.rstrip("/") }}/postgres/{{ db_filename }}'
    #target_opts: '--clean --create --exclude-table=main_instance --exclude-table=main_instancegroup --exclude-table=main_instancegroup_instances'
    target_opts: '--clean --create --exclude-table=main_instance --exclude-table=main_instancegroup --exclude-table=main_instancegroup_instances --exclude-table-data=main_jobevent* --exclude-table-data=_unpartitioned_main_jobevent'
    state: dump
  environment: '{{ extra_env | default(omit) }}'

NOTE There is no need to modify the restore task like Ansible Tower

Root Cause

  • Unlike Ansible Tower, main_jobevent is a partitioned table in Ansible Automation Platform. In order to exclude old Job Events in AAP 2.1+, you need to modify the following files from backup roles.

  • Sometimes it could be necessary due to problems related to the size of the tables and storage problems.

  • This procedure is useful when backing up data in order to be restored in a different database.

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