# bigip_policy – Manage general policy configuration on a BIG-IP

New in version 2.5.

- Synopsis

- Parameters

- Notes

- Examples

- Return Values

- Status

## Synopsis

- Manages general policy configuration on a BIG-IP. This module is best used in conjunction with the `bigip_policy_rule` module. This module can handle general configuration like setting the draft state of the policy, the description, and things unrelated to the policy rules themselves. It is also the first module that should be used when creating rules as the `bigip_policy_rule` module requires a policy parameter.

## Parameters

Parameter | Choices/Defaults | Comments
--- | --- | ---
description string |  | The description to attach to the policy. This parameter is only supported on versions of BIG-IP >= 12.1.0. On earlier versions it will simply be ignored.
name string / required |  | The name of the policy to create.
partition string | Default: "Common" | Device partition to manage resources on.
provider dictionary added in 2.5 |  | A dict object containing connection details.
| auth_provider string |  | Configures the auth provider for to obtain authentication tokens from the remote device. This option is really used when working with BIG-IQ devices.
| password string / required |  | The password for the user account used to connect to the BIG-IP. You may omit this option by setting the environment variable `F5_PASSWORD`. aliases: pass, pwd
| server string / required |  | The BIG-IP host. You may omit this option by setting the environment variable `F5_SERVER`.
| server_port integer | Default: 443 | The BIG-IP server port. You may omit this option by setting the environment variable `F5_SERVER_PORT`.
| ssh_keyfile path |  | Specifies the SSH keyfile to use to authenticate the connection to the remote device. This argument is only used for cli transports. You may omit this option by setting the environment variable `ANSIBLE_NET_SSH_KEYFILE`.
| timeout integer |  | Specifies the timeout in seconds for communicating with the network device for either connecting or sending commands. If the timeout is exceeded before the operation is completed, the module will error.

transport
string

Choices:
- cli
- rest ←

Configures the transport connection to use when connecting to the remote device.

| user string / required |  | The username to connect to the BIG-IP with. This user must have administrative privileges on the device. You may omit this option by setting the environment variable `F5_USER`.

validate_certs
boolean

Choices:
- no
- yes ←

If `no`, SSL certificates are not validated. Use this only on personally controlled sites using self-signed certificates.
You may omit this option by setting the environment variable `F5_VALIDATE_CERTS`.

rules
list

Specifies a list of rules that you want associated with this policy. The order of this list is the order they will be evaluated by BIG-IP. If the specified rules do not exist (for example when creating a new policy) then they will be created.
The `conditions` for a default rule are `all`.
The `actions` for a default rule are `ignore`.
The `bigip_policy_rule` module can be used to create and edit existing and new rules.

state
string

Choices:
- present ←
- absent
- draft

When `state` is `present`, ensures that the policy exists and is published. When `state` is `absent`, ensures that the policy is removed, even if it is currently drafted.
When `state` is `draft`, ensures that the policy exists and is drafted. When modifying rules, it is required that policies first be in a draft.
Drafting is only supported on versions of BIG-IP >= 12.1.0. On versions prior to that, specifying a `state` of `draft` will raise an error.

strategy
string

Choices:
- first
- all
- best

Specifies the method to determine which actions get executed in the case where there are multiple rules that match. When creating new policies, the default is `first`.
This module does not allow you to specify the `best` strategy to use. It will choose the system default (`/Common/best-match`) for you instead.

## Notes

Note

- For more information on using Ansible to manage F5 Networks devices see https://www.ansible.com/integrations/networks/f5.

- Requires BIG-IP software version >= 12.

- The F5 modules only manipulate the running configuration of the F5 product. To ensure that BIG-IP specific configuration persists to disk, be sure to include at least one task that uses the bigip_config module to save the running configuration. Refer to the module’s documentation for the correct usage of the module to save your running configuration.

## Examples

    - name: Create policy which is immediately published
      bigip_policy:
        name: Policy-Foo
        state: present
        provider:
          server: lb.mydomain.com
          user: admin
          password: secret
      delegate_to: localhost

    - name: Add a rule to the new policy - Immediately published
      bigip_policy_rule:
        policy: Policy-Foo
        name: ABC
        conditions:
          - type: http_uri
            path_starts_with:
              - /ABC
              - foo
              - bar
            path_ends_with:
              - baz
        actions:
          - forward: yes
            select: yes
            pool: pool-svrs
        provider:
          server: lb.mydomain.com
          user: admin
          password: secret
      delegate_to: localhost

    - name: Add multiple rules to the new policy - Added in the order they are specified
      bigip_policy_rule:
        policy: Policy-Foo
        name: "{{ item.name }}"
        conditions: "{{ item.conditions }}"
        actions: "{{ item.actions }}"
        provider:
          server: lb.mydomain.com
          user: admin
          password: secret
      delegate_to: localhost
      loop:
        - name: rule1
          actions:
            - type: forward
              pool: pool-svrs
          conditions:
            - type: http_uri
              path_starts_with: /euro
        - name: HomePage
          actions:
            - type: forward
              pool: pool-svrs
          conditions:
            - type: http_uri
              path_starts_with: /HomePage/

    - name: Create policy specify default rules - Immediately published
      bigip_policy:
        name: Policy-Bar
        state: present
        rules:
          - rule1
          - rule2
          - rule3
        provider:
          server: lb.mydomain.com
          user: admin
          password: secret
      delegate_to: localhost

    - name: Create policy specify default rules - Left in a draft
      bigip_policy:
        name: Policy-Baz
        state: draft
        rules:
          - rule1
          - rule2
          - rule3
        provider:
          server: lb.mydomain.com
          user: admin
          password: secret
      delegate_to: localhost

## Return Values

Common return values are documented here, the following are the fields unique to this module:

Key | Returned | Description
--- | --- | ---
description string | changed and success | The new description of the policy. This value is only returned for BIG-IP devices >= 12.1.0. Sample: This is my description
rules list | changed and success | List of the rules, and their order, applied to the policy. Sample: ['/Common/rule1', '/Common/rule2']
strategy integer | changed and success | The new strategy set on the policy. Sample: first-match

## Status

- This module is not guaranteed to have a backwards compatible interface. [preview]

- This module is maintained by an Ansible Partner. [certified]

### Authors

- Tim Rupp (@caphrim007)

- Wojciech Wypior (@wojtek0806)

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