# community.crypto.acme_certificate_renewal_info module – Determine whether a certificate should be renewed or not — Community.Crypto Collection documentation

# community.crypto.acme_certificate_renewal_info module – Determine whether a certificate should be renewed or not

Note

This module is part of the community.crypto collection (version 2.21.0).

It is not included in `ansible-core`. To check whether it is installed, run `ansible-galaxy collection list`.

To install it, use: `ansible-galaxy collection install community.crypto`. You need further requirements to be able to use this module, see Requirements for details.

To use it in a playbook, specify: `community.crypto.acme_certificate_renewal_info`.

New in community.crypto 2.20.0

## Synopsis

- Uses various information to determine whether a certificate should be renewed or not.

- If available, the ARI extension (ACME Renewal Information, https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-ietf-acme-ari/) is used. This module implements version 3 of the ARI draft.”

## Requirements

The below requirements are needed on the host that executes this module.

- either openssl or cryptography >= 1.5

- ipaddress

## Parameters

Parameter | Comments
--- | ---

acme_directory

string / required

The ACME directory to use. This is the entry point URL to access the ACME CA server API.

For safety reasons the default is set to the Let’s Encrypt staging server (for the ACME v1 protocol). This will create technically correct, but untrusted certificates.

For Let’s Encrypt, all staging endpoints can be found here: https://letsencrypt.org/docs/staging-environment/. For Buypass, all endpoints can be found here: https://community.buypass.com/t/63d4ay/buypass-go-ssl-endpoints

For Let’s Encrypt, the production directory URL for ACME v2 is https://acme-v02.api.letsencrypt.org/directory.

For Buypass, the production directory URL for ACME v2 and v1 is https://api.buypass.com/acme/directory.

For ZeroSSL, the production directory URL for ACME v2 is https://acme.zerossl.com/v2/DV90.

For Sectigo, the production directory URL for ACME v2 is https://acme-qa.secure.trust-provider.com/v2/DV.

The notes for this module contain a list of ACME services this module has been tested against.

acme_version

integer / required

The ACME version of the endpoint.

Must be `1` for the classic Let’s Encrypt and Buypass ACME endpoints, or `2` for standardized ACME v2 endpoints.

The value `1` is deprecated since community.crypto 2.0.0 and will be removed from community.crypto 3.0.0.

Choices:

- `1`

- `2`

ari_algorithm

string

If ARI information is used, selects which algorithm is used to determine whether to renew now.

`standard` selects the algorithm provided in the the ARI specification.

`start` returns `should_renew=true` once the start of the renewal interval has been reached.

Choices:

- `"standard"` ← (default)

- `"start"`

certificate_content string | The content of the X.509 certificate to determine renewal of. `certificate_path` and `certificate_content` are mutually exclusive.
certificate_path path | A path to the X.509 certificate to determine renewal of. In case the certificate does not exist, the module will always return `should_renew=true`. `certificate_path` and `certificate_content` are mutually exclusive.
now string | Use this timestamp instead of the current timestamp to determine whether a certificate should be renewed. Time can be specified either as relative time or as absolute timestamp. Time will always be interpreted as UTC. Valid format is `[+-]timespec | ASN.1 TIME` where timespec can be an integer + `[w | d | h | m | s]` (for example `+32w1d2h`).
remaining_days integer | The number of days the certificate must have left being valid. For example, if `remaining_days=20`, this check causes `should_renew=true` if the certificate is valid for less than 20 days.
remaining_percentage float | The percentage of the certificate’s validity period that should be left. For example, if `remaining_percentage=0.1`, and the certificate’s validity period is 90 days, this check causes `should_renew=true` if the certificate is valid for less than 9 days. Must be a value between 0 and 1.
request_timeout integer added in community.crypto 2.3.0 | The time Ansible should wait for a response from the ACME API. This timeout is applied to all HTTP(S) requests (HEAD, GET, POST). Default: `10`

select_crypto_backend

string

Determines which crypto backend to use.

The default choice is `auto`, which tries to use `cryptography` if available, and falls back to `openssl`.

If set to `openssl`, will try to use the `openssl` binary.

If set to `cryptography`, will try to use the cryptography library.

Choices:

- `"auto"` ← (default)

- `"cryptography"`

- `"openssl"`

use_ari

boolean

Whether to use ARI information, if available.

Set this to `false` if the ACME server implements ARI in a way that is incompatible with this module.

Choices:

- `false`

- `true` ← (default)

validate_certs

boolean

Whether calls to the ACME directory will validate TLS certificates.

Warning: Should only ever be set to `false` for testing purposes, for example when testing against a local Pebble server.

Choices:

- `false`

- `true` ← (default)

## Attributes

Attribute | Support | Description
--- | --- | ---
check_mode | Support: full This action does not modify state. | Can run in `check_mode` and return changed status prediction without modifying target.
diff_mode | Support: N/A This action does not modify state. | Will return details on what has changed (or possibly needs changing in `check_mode`), when in diff mode.

## Notes

Note

- Although the defaults are chosen so that the module can be used with the Let’s Encrypt CA, the module can in principle be used with any CA providing an ACME endpoint, such as Buypass Go SSL.

- So far, the ACME modules have only been tested by the developers against Let’s Encrypt (staging and production), Buypass (staging and production), ZeroSSL (production), and Pebble testing server. We have got community feedback that they also work with Sectigo ACME Service for InCommon. If you experience problems with another ACME server, please create an issue to help us supporting it. Feedback that an ACME server not mentioned does work is also appreciated.

- If a new enough version of the `cryptography` library is available (see Requirements for details), it will be used instead of the `openssl` binary. This can be explicitly disabled or enabled with the `select_crypto_backend` option. Note that using the `openssl` binary will be slower.

## See Also

See also

community.crypto.acme_certificate

  Allows to obtain a certificate using the ACME protocol

community.crypto.acme_ari_info

  Obtain renewal information for a certificate

## Examples

    - name: Retrieve renewal information for a certificate
      community.crypto.acme_certificate_renewal_info:
        certificate_path: /etc/httpd/ssl/sample.com.crt
      register: cert_data

    - name: Should the certificate be renewed?
      ansible.builtin.debug:
        var: cert_data.should_renew

## Return Values

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

Key | Description
--- | ---
cert_id string | The certificate ID according to the ARI specification. Returned: success, the certificate exists, and has an Authority Key Identifier X.509 extension Sample: `"aYhba4dGQEHhs3uEe6CuLN4ByNQ.AIdlQyE"`
msg string | Information on the reason for renewal. Should be shown to the user, as in case of ARI triggered renewal it can contain important information, for example on forced revocations for misissued certificates. Returned: success Sample: `"The certificate does not exist."`
should_renew boolean | Whether the certificate should be renewed. If no certificate is provided, or the certificate is expired, will always be `true`. Returned: success Sample: `true`
supports_ari boolean | Whether ARI information was used to determine renewal. This can be used to determine whether to specify `include_renewal_cert_id=when_ari_supported` for the community.crypto.acme_certificate module. If `use_ari=false`, this will always be `false`. Returned: success Sample: `true`

### Authors

- Felix Fontein (@felixfontein)

### Collection links

- Issue Tracker
- Repository (Sources)
- Submit a bug report
- Request a feature
- Communication