Create a Windows AMI with packer and ansible on AWS

Question

I want to create an aws windows AMI with packer and ansible.

I have tried many configuration, but I have still a problem of connection to the instance.

Here is my packer conf :

{
  "builders": [{
    "type": "amazon-ebs",
    "access_key": "{{user `aws_access_key`}}",
    "secret_key": "{{user `aws_secret_key`}}",
    "region": "eu-west-1",
    "source_ami": "ami-58a1a73e",
    "instance_type": "m3.medium",
    "ami_name": "aaa-windows-ami {{timestamp}}",
    "user_data_file":"./test.ps",
    "communicator": "winrm",
    "winrm_username": "Administrator",
    "winrm_use_ssl": true,
    "winrm_insecure": true
  }],

  "provisioners": [
    {
      "type": "ansible",
      "playbook_file": "./playbook.yml",
      "extra_arguments": [
        "--extra-vars", "ansible_user=Administrator ansible_connection=winrm ansible_ssh_port=5986 ansible_winrm_server_cert_validation=ignore ansible_shell_type=powershell ansible_shell_executable=None"
      ]
    },
    {
      "type": "powershell",
      "script": "./init.ps1"
    }
  ]
}

The User data script is activating winrm on the AWS instance.

<powershell>

write-output "Running User Data Script"
write-host "(host) Running User Data Script"

Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Scope LocalMachine -Force -ErrorAction Ignore

# Don't set this before Set-ExecutionPolicy as it throws an error
$ErrorActionPreference = "stop"

# Remove HTTP listener
Remove-Item -Path WSMan:\Localhost\listener\listener* -Recurse

Set-Item WSMan:\localhost\MaxTimeoutms 1800000
Set-Item WSMan:\localhost\Service\Auth\Basic $true

$Cert = New-SelfSignedCertificate -CertstoreLocation Cert:\LocalMachine\My -DnsName "packer"
New-Item -Path WSMan:\LocalHost\Listener -Transport HTTPS -Address * -CertificateThumbPrint $Cert.Thumbprint -Force

# WinRM
write-output "Setting up WinRM"
write-host "(host) setting up WinRM"

cmd.exe /c winrm quickconfig -q
cmd.exe /c winrm set "winrm/config" '@{MaxTimeoutms="1800000"}'
cmd.exe /c winrm set "winrm/config/winrs" '@{MaxMemoryPerShellMB="1024"}'
cmd.exe /c winrm set "winrm/config/service" '@{AllowUnencrypted="true"}'
cmd.exe /c winrm set "winrm/config/client" '@{AllowUnencrypted="true"}'
cmd.exe /c winrm set "winrm/config/service/auth" '@{Basic="true"}'
cmd.exe /c winrm set "winrm/config/client/auth" '@{Basic="true"}'
cmd.exe /c winrm set "winrm/config/service/auth" '@{CredSSP="true"}'
cmd.exe /c winrm set "winrm/config/listener?Address=*+Transport=HTTPS" "@{Port=`"5986`";Hostname=`"packer`";CertificateThumbprint=`"$($Cert.Thumbprint)`"}"
cmd.exe /c netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="remote administration" new enable=yes
cmd.exe /c netsh firewall add portopening TCP 5986 "Port 5986"
cmd.exe /c net stop winrm
cmd.exe /c sc config winrm start= auto
cmd.exe /c net start winrm

</powershell>

The error is.

==> amazon-ebs: Provisioning with Ansible...
    amazon-ebs:
    amazon-ebs: PLAY [all] *********************************************************************
    amazon-ebs:
    amazon-ebs: TASK [setup] *******************************************************************
    amazon-ebs: fatal: [default]: UNREACHABLE! => {"changed": false, "msg": "ssl: auth method ssl requires a password", "unreachable": true}
    amazon-ebs:     to retry, use: --limit @/home/elhostis/repo/vagrant/playbook.retry
    amazon-ebs:
    amazon-ebs: PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
    amazon-ebs: default                    : ok=0    changed=0    unreachable=1    failed=0
    amazon-ebs:
==> amazon-ebs: Terminating the source AWS instance...
==> amazon-ebs: Cleaning up any extra volumes...
==> amazon-ebs: No volumes to clean up, skipping
==> amazon-ebs: Deleting temporary security group...
==> amazon-ebs: Deleting temporary keypair...

I have also tried to create manually an AMI with a known username/password. Then, I have configured ansible with theses credentials, but I have this error.

==> amazon-ebs: Timeout waiting for password.
==> amazon-ebs: Terminating the source AWS instance...
==> amazon-ebs: Cleaning up any extra volumes...
==> amazon-ebs: No volumes to clean up, skipping
==> amazon-ebs: Deleting temporary security group...
==> amazon-ebs: Deleting temporary keypair...
Build 'amazon-ebs' errored: Timeout waiting for password.

Someone have an example to do that ?

Thanks a lot.

Eric

Answer 1

You need follow the instructions in the documentation for using the ansible provisioner with WinRM.

This is a working example running Windows 2016 Server Base:

{
  "builders": [
  {
    "type": "amazon-ebs",
    "region": "eu-west-1",
    "instance_type": "m3.medium",
    "source_ami": "ami-0983b56f",
    "ami_name": "packer-demo-{{timestamp}}",
    "user_data_file": "windows-userdata.txt",
    "communicator": "winrm",
    "winrm_username": "Administrator"
  }],
  "provisioners": [
  {
      "type":  "ansible",
      "playbook_file": "./win-playbook.yml",
      "extra_arguments": [
        "--connection", "packer", "-vvv",
        "--extra-vars", "ansible_shell_type=powershell ansible_shell_executable=None"
      ]
  }]
}

windows-userdata.txt

<powershell>
winrm quickconfig -q
winrm set winrm/config/winrs '@{MaxMemoryPerShellMB="300"}'
winrm set winrm/config '@{MaxTimeoutms="1800000"}'
winrm set winrm/config/service '@{AllowUnencrypted="true"}'
winrm set winrm/config/service/auth '@{Basic="true"}'

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="WinRM 5985" protocol=TCP dir=in localport=5985 action=allow
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="WinRM 5986" protocol=TCP dir=in localport=5986 action=allow

net stop winrm
sc config winrm start=auto
net start winrm

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope LocalMachine
</powershell>

win-playbook.yml

---

- hosts: all

  tasks:
    - win_ping:
      #- ping:

connection_plugins/packer.py

from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function)
__metaclass__ = type

from ansible.plugins.connection.ssh import Connection as SSHConnection

class Connection(SSHConnection):
    ''' ssh based connections for powershell via packer'''

    transport = 'packer'
    has_pipelining = True
    become_methods = []
    allow_executable = False
    module_implementation_preferences = ('.ps1', '')

    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
        super(Connection, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)

Unfortunatley there seems to be a problem with the latest (2.3.0) version Ansible and Packer, see #4904

Answer 2

I don't find solution. So, I don't use packer in my stack. I'm using only ansible. Here an example of code for other people.

#
# First, create a new instance
#
- hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    # Create a new instance with an AMI
    - name: Create a new instance
      ec2:
        aws_access_key: "xxx"
        aws_secret_key: "xxx"
        region: "xxx"
        key_name: "xxx"
        instance_type: "t2.small"
        image: "xxx"
        assign_public_ip: yes
        wait: yes
        count: 1
      register: ec2_created
    # Wait a few minutes for windows starting
    - name: Wait for windows is starting
      pause:
        minutes: 5
    # Subscribe the new instance to ansible
    - name: Subscribe host to Ansible
      add_host:
        name: "{{ec2_created.instances[0].dns_name}}"
        groups: win
        ansible_ssh_pass: "xxx"
      no_log: True

#
# Then, provision the instance
#
- hosts: win
  roles:
    - xxx

#
# Finally, create a new AMI with the instance
# and destroy it
#
- hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Create AMI
      ec2_ami:
        aws_access_key: "xxx"
        aws_secret_key: "xxx"
        region: "xxx"
        instance_id: "{{ec2_created.instance_ids[0]}}"
        wait: yes
        name: "xxx"
      register: ami_created

    - name: Destroy instance
      ec2:
        aws_access_key: "xxx"
        aws_secret_key: "xxx"
        region: "xxx"
        state: 'absent'
        instance_ids: "{{ec2_created.instance_ids[0]}}"