You are right but this doesn't apply here. In fact I started with that in mind and had to add the path_exists.

The point is that if ncm-ccm is configured after ncm-aiiserver, /software/components/ccm doesn't exist and this is not handled by the exists() call integrated to is_defined. It just handle the case where /sofware/components/ccm/ca_file doesn't exist.

We may fill a RFE in pan. Probably it would make sense to have is_defined() handling any part of the path not existing... In the meantime, we need it!