Repository: ansible-collections/community.general

Issue:
Disable proxmox dynamic inventory for nodes
### Summary

Proxmox dynamic inventory returns both qemu VMs and proxmox nodes. 
I can filter VMs using "filter" statement but the nodes still remain and AFAIK not affected by filter functionality. How can I remove them from the inventory? 
If this is not possible, maybe there should be a flag to include/exclude: LXC, qemu VMs and nodes so user can choose what he gets. 

### Issue Type

Feature Idea

### Component Name

inventory/proxmox

### Additional Information

<!--- Paste example playbooks or commands between quotes below -->
```yaml (paste below)

```


### Code of Conduct

- [X] I agree to follow the Ansible Code of Conduct


Discussion:
Files identified in the description:
* [`plugins/modules/proxmox.py`](https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/blob/main/plugins/modules/proxmox.py)

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cc @Ajpantuso @Thulium-Drake @UnderGreen @joshainglis @karmab @tleguern
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!component =plugins/inventory/proxmox.py
Files identified in the description:
* [`plugins/inventory/proxmox.py`](https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/blob/main/plugins/inventory/proxmox.py)

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There's no switch for that (yet?), but all nodes are put in a group called ```proxmox_nodes```, so you could also exclude that group from your plays with ```!proxmox_nodes```, that's what I do :)
Thanx @Thulium-Drake 
I will give it a try.
I do the same, I use the groups to filter to what I need, and/or exclude stuff using the groups. You should also have a separate group for LXC, KVM, OS
I've created  #7437, since I structured my playbooks differently. But I only have a single node cluster, may be one of you can confirm, that the added switch works on multi-node clusters?

Resolving patch:
diff --git a/plugins/inventory/proxmox.py b/plugins/inventory/proxmox.py
--- a/plugins/inventory/proxmox.py
+++ b/plugins/inventory/proxmox.py
@@ -116,6 +116,11 @@
           - The default of this option changed from V(true) to V(false) in community.general 6.0.0.
         type: bool
         default: false
+      exclude_nodes:
+        description: Exclude proxmox nodes and the nodes-group from the inventory output.
+        type: bool
+        default: false
+        version_added: 8.1.0
       filters:
         version_added: 4.6.0
         description: A list of Jinja templates that allow filtering hosts.
@@ -565,9 +570,9 @@ def _populate(self):
 
         for group in default_groups:
             self.inventory.add_group(self._group('all_%s' % (group)))
-
         nodes_group = self._group('nodes')
-        self.inventory.add_group(nodes_group)
+        if not self.exclude_nodes:
+            self.inventory.add_group(nodes_group)
 
         want_proxmox_nodes_ansible_host = self.get_option("want_proxmox_nodes_ansible_host")
 
@@ -577,22 +582,23 @@ def _populate(self):
         for node in self._get_nodes():
             if not node.get('node'):
                 continue
-
-            self.inventory.add_host(node['node'])
-            if node['type'] == 'node':
+            if not self.exclude_nodes:
+                self.inventory.add_host(node['node'])
+            if node['type'] == 'node' and not self.exclude_nodes:
                 self.inventory.add_child(nodes_group, node['node'])
 
             if node['status'] == 'offline':
                 continue
 
             # get node IP address
-            if want_proxmox_nodes_ansible_host:
+            if want_proxmox_nodes_ansible_host and not self.exclude_nodes:
                 ip = self._get_node_ip(node['node'])
                 self.inventory.set_variable(node['node'], 'ansible_host', ip)
 
             # Setting composite variables
-            variables = self.inventory.get_host(node['node']).get_vars()
-            self._set_composite_vars(self.get_option('compose'), variables, node['node'], strict=self.strict)
+            if not self.exclude_nodes:
+                variables = self.inventory.get_host(node['node']).get_vars()
+                self._set_composite_vars(self.get_option('compose'), variables, node['node'], strict=self.strict)
 
             # add LXC/Qemu groups for the node
             for ittype in ('lxc', 'qemu'):
@@ -635,8 +641,8 @@ def parse(self, inventory, loader, path, cache=True):
 
         if self.get_option('qemu_extended_statuses') and not self.get_option('want_facts'):
             raise AnsibleError('You must set want_facts to True if you want to use qemu_extended_statuses.')
-
         # read rest of options
+        self.exclude_nodes = self.get_option('exclude_nodes')
         self.cache_key = self.get_cache_key(path)
         self.use_cache = cache and self.get_option('cache')
         self.host_filters = self.get_option('filters')


Test patch:
diff --git a/tests/unit/plugins/inventory/test_proxmox.py b/tests/unit/plugins/inventory/test_proxmox.py
--- a/tests/unit/plugins/inventory/test_proxmox.py
+++ b/tests/unit/plugins/inventory/test_proxmox.py
@@ -646,13 +646,15 @@ def test_populate(inventory, mocker):
     inventory.group_prefix = 'proxmox_'
     inventory.facts_prefix = 'proxmox_'
     inventory.strict = False
+    inventory.exclude_nodes = False
 
     opts = {
         'group_prefix': 'proxmox_',
         'facts_prefix': 'proxmox_',
         'want_facts': True,
         'want_proxmox_nodes_ansible_host': True,
-        'qemu_extended_statuses': True
+        'qemu_extended_statuses': True,
+        'exclude_nodes': False
     }
 
     # bypass authentication and API fetch calls
@@ -723,13 +725,15 @@ def test_populate_missing_qemu_extended_groups(inventory, mocker):
     inventory.group_prefix = 'proxmox_'
     inventory.facts_prefix = 'proxmox_'
     inventory.strict = False
+    inventory.exclude_nodes = False
 
     opts = {
         'group_prefix': 'proxmox_',
         'facts_prefix': 'proxmox_',
         'want_facts': True,
         'want_proxmox_nodes_ansible_host': True,
-        'qemu_extended_statuses': False
+        'qemu_extended_statuses': False,
+        'exclude_nodes': False
     }
 
     # bypass authentication and API fetch calls
@@ -743,3 +747,40 @@ def test_populate_missing_qemu_extended_groups(inventory, mocker):
     # make sure that ['prelaunch', 'paused'] are not in the group list
     for group in ['paused', 'prelaunch']:
         assert ('%sall_%s' % (inventory.group_prefix, group)) not in inventory.inventory.groups
+
+
+def test_populate_exclude_nodes(inventory, mocker):
+    # module settings
+    inventory.proxmox_user = 'root@pam'
+    inventory.proxmox_password = 'password'
+    inventory.proxmox_url = 'https://localhost:8006'
+    inventory.group_prefix = 'proxmox_'
+    inventory.facts_prefix = 'proxmox_'
+    inventory.strict = False
+    inventory.exclude_nodes = True
+
+    opts = {
+        'group_prefix': 'proxmox_',
+        'facts_prefix': 'proxmox_',
+        'want_facts': True,
+        'want_proxmox_nodes_ansible_host': True,
+        'qemu_extended_statuses': False,
+        'exclude_nodes': True
+    }
+
+    # bypass authentication and API fetch calls
+    inventory._get_auth = mocker.MagicMock(side_effect=get_auth)
+    inventory._get_json = mocker.MagicMock(side_effect=get_json)
+    inventory._get_vm_snapshots = mocker.MagicMock(side_effect=get_vm_snapshots)
+    inventory.get_option = mocker.MagicMock(side_effect=get_option(opts))
+    inventory._can_add_host = mocker.MagicMock(return_value=True)
+    inventory._populate()
+
+    # make sure that nodes are not in the inventory
+    for node in ['testnode', 'testnode2']:
+        assert node not in inventory.inventory.hosts
+    # make sure that nodes group is absent
+    assert ('%s_nodes' % (inventory.group_prefix)) not in inventory.inventory.groups
+    # make sure that nodes are not in the "ungrouped" group
+    for node in ['testnode', 'testnode2']:
+        assert node not in inventory.inventory.get_groups_dict()["ungrouped"]