Connection backends¶

Testinfra comes with several connections backends for remote command execution.

When installing, you should select the backends you require as extras to ensure Python dependencies are satisfied (note various system packaged tools may still be required). For example

$ pip install pytest-testinfra[ansible,salt]

For all backends, commands can be run as superuser with the --sudo option or as specific user with the --sudo-user option.

local¶

This is the default backend when no hosts are provided (either via --hosts or in modules). Commands are run locally in a subprocess under the current user:

$ py.test --sudo test_myinfra.py

paramiko¶

This is the default backend when a hosts list is provided. Paramiko is a Python implementation of the SSHv2 protocol. Testinfra will not ask you for a password, so you must be able to connect without password (using passwordless keys or using ssh-agent).

You can provide an alternate ssh-config:

$ py.test --ssh-config=/path/to/ssh_config --hosts=server

docker¶

The Docker backend can be used to test running Docker containers. It uses the docker exec command:

$ py.test --hosts='docker://[user@]container_id_or_name'

See also the Test Docker images example.

podman¶

The Podman backend can be used to test running Podman containers. It uses the podman exec command:

$ py.test --hosts='podman://[user@]container_id_or_name'

ssh¶

This is a pure SSH backend using the ssh command. Example:

$ py.test --hosts='ssh://server'
$ py.test --ssh-config=/path/to/ssh_config --hosts='ssh://server'
$ py.test --ssh-identity-file=/path/to/key --hosts='ssh://server'
$ py.test --hosts='ssh://server?timeout=60&controlpersist=120'
$ py.test --hosts='ssh://server' --ssh-extra-args='-o StrictHostKeyChecking=no'

By default timeout is set to 10 seconds and ControlPersist is set to 60 seconds. You can disable persistent connection by passing controlpersist=0 to the options.

salt¶

The salt backend uses the salt Python client API and can be used from the salt-master server:

$ py.test --hosts='salt://*'
$ py.test --hosts='salt://minion1,salt://minion2'
$ py.test --hosts='salt://web*'
$ py.test --hosts='salt://G@os:Debian'

Testinfra will use the salt connection channel to run commands.

Hosts can be selected by using the glob and compound matchers.

ansible¶

Ansible inventories may be used to describe what hosts Testinfra should use and how to connect them, using Testinfra’s Ansible backend.

To use the Ansible backend, prefix the --hosts option with ansible:// e.g:

$ py.test --hosts='ansible://all' # tests all inventory hosts
$ py.test --hosts='ansible://host1,ansible://host2'
$ py.test --hosts='ansible://web*'

An inventory may be specified with the --ansible-inventory option, otherwise the default (/etc/ansible/hosts) is used.

The ansible_connection value in your inventory will be used to determine which backend to use for individual hosts: local, ssh, paramiko and docker are supported values. Other connections (or if you are using the --force-ansible option) will result in testinfra running all commands via Ansible itself, which is substantially slower than the other backends:

$ py.test --force-ansible --hosts='ansible://all'
$ py.test --hosts='ansible://host?force_ansible=True'

By default, the Ansible connection backend will first try to use ansible_ssh_private_key_file and ansible_private_key_file to authenticate, then fall back to the ansible_user with ansible_ssh_pass variables (both are required), before finally falling back to your own host’s SSH config.

This behavior may be overwritten by specifying either the --ssh-identity-file option or the --ssh-config option

Finally, these environment variables are supported and will be passed along to their corresponding ansible variable (See Ansible documentation):

https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/2.3/intro_inventory.html

https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/reference_appendices/config.html

ANSIBLE_REMOTE_USER
ANSIBLE_SSH_EXTRA_ARGS
ANSIBLE_SSH_COMMON_ARGS
ANSIBLE_REMOTE_PORT
ANSIBLE_BECOME_USER
ANSIBLE_BECOME

kubectl¶

The kubectl backend can be used to test containers running in Kubernetes. It uses the kubectl exec command and support connecting to a given container name within a pod and using a given namespace:

# will use the default namespace and default container
$ py.test --hosts='kubectl://mypod-a1b2c3'
# specify container name and namespace
$ py.test --hosts='kubectl://somepod-2536ab?container=nginx&namespace=web'
# specify the kubeconfig context to use
$ py.test --hosts='kubectl://somepod-2536ab?context=k8s-cluster-a&container=nginx'
# you can specify kubeconfig either from KUBECONFIG environment variable
# or when working with multiple configuration with the "kubeconfig" option
$ py.test --hosts='kubectl://somepod-123?kubeconfig=/path/kubeconfig,kubectl://otherpod-123?kubeconfig=/other/kubeconfig'

openshift¶

The openshift backend can be used to test containers running in OpenShift. It uses the oc exec command and support connecting to a given container name within a pod and using a given namespace:

# will use the default namespace and default container
$ py.test --hosts='openshift://mypod-a1b2c3'
# specify container name and namespace
$ py.test --hosts='openshift://somepod-2536ab?container=nginx&namespace=web'
# you can specify kubeconfig either from KUBECONFIG environment variable
# or when working with multiple configuration with the "kubeconfig" option
$ py.test --hosts='openshift://somepod-123?kubeconfig=/path/kubeconfig,openshift://otherpod-123?kubeconfig=/other/kubeconfig'

winrm¶

The winrm backend uses pywinrm:

$ py.test --hosts='winrm://Administrator:Password@127.0.0.1'
$ py.test --hosts='winrm://vagrant@127.0.0.1:2200?no_ssl=true&no_verify_ssl=true'

pywinrm’s default read and operation timeout can be overridden using query arguments read_timeout_sec and operation_timeout_sec:

$ py.test --hosts='winrm://vagrant@127.0.0.1:2200?read_timeout_sec=120&operation_timeout_sec=100'

LXC/LXD¶

The LXC backend can be used to test running LXC or LXD containers. It uses the lxc exec command:

$ py.test --hosts='lxc://container_name'