# Assign where dictionary key exists in a nested dictionary - possible? **URL:** \ **Category:** Icinga 2\ **Created:** [May 5, 2022, 3:02pm UTC](https://community.icinga.com/t/assign-where-dictionary-key-exists-in-a-nested-dictionary-possible/9785 "2022-05-05T15:02:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Napsty](https://community.icinga.com/user_avatar/community.icinga.com/napsty/32/781_2.png) [@Napsty](https://community.icinga.com/u/Napsty)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2022, 3:02pm UTC](https://community.icinga.com/t/assign-where-dictionary-key-exists-in-a-nested-dictionary-possible/9785/1 "2022-05-05T15:02:36Z")
- Version used (`icinga2 --version`) r2.13.2-1 - Operating System and version: Debian 11 - Enabled features (`icinga2 feature list`): api checker command ido-mysql influxdb mainlog notification - Icinga Web 2 version and modules (System - About) N/A Hello all. It’s been a while. I have these custom variables in the Host object: ```auto vars.http["example.com"] = { http_sni = true http_ssl = true http_uri = "/" http_string = "Wordpress" ssl_cert_warn = 30 } vars.http["api.example.com"] = { http_sni = true http_ssl = true http_uri = "/_health" http_string = "ok" ssl_cert_warn = 30 } ``` I want to create an `Apply for` rule for certificate checks, but want to `assign where` the http\_ssl key is set to true or just simply exists. The problem here is though, that we’re running against a nested dictionaries so the following won’t work: ```auto assign where host.vars.http.http_ssl ``` To handle the different entries, (I suppose) a wildcard or something similar would be needed: ```auto assign where host.vars.http[*].http_ssl ``` But obviously that doesn’t work. I hope you see what I am trying to do. Is this the right approach or am I over-complicating things? Maybe there’s an easier solution to this? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jbrost](https://community.icinga.com/user_avatar/community.icinga.com/jbrost/32/3374_2.png) [@jbrost](https://community.icinga.com/u/jbrost)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2022, 3:36pm UTC](https://community.icinga.com/t/assign-where-dictionary-key-exists-in-a-nested-dictionary-possible/9785/2 "2022-05-05T15:36:24Z")
You could have a look at [`apply ... for` rules](https://icinga.com/docs/icinga-2/latest/doc/17-language-reference/#apply-for) and instead of using `in host.vars.dictionary` there directly, call a function that filters that dict. Disclaimer: I didn’t test this so take it with a grain of salt, but hopefully it’s a hint into the right direction. ---
**Author:** ![Napsty](https://community.icinga.com/user_avatar/community.icinga.com/napsty/32/781_2.png) [@Napsty](https://community.icinga.com/u/Napsty)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2022, 9:56am UTC](https://community.icinga.com/t/assign-where-dictionary-key-exists-in-a-nested-dictionary-possible/9785/3 "2022-05-06T09:56:10Z")
Thanks for the reply, but writing a function (I took a look at [DSL: Flatten a nested dictionary with a function for apply for rules](https://community.icinga.com/t/dsl-flatten-a-nested-dictionary-with-a-function-for-apply-for-rules/1330)) would complicate things rather than making it easier. Unless you have a straightforward example of such a function at hand? 😉 Oh and I can’t use “if” inside the `apply` rule because it is managed by puppet-icinga2. ---
**Author:** ![Napsty](https://community.icinga.com/user_avatar/community.icinga.com/napsty/32/781_2.png) [@Napsty](https://community.icinga.com/u/Napsty)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2022, 9:31am UTC](https://community.icinga.com/t/assign-where-dictionary-key-exists-in-a-nested-dictionary-possible/9785/4 "2022-06-07T09:31:14Z")
@jbrost I was trying an alternative, which would use a variable retrieved from the dictionary in the `assign where` part. However this doesn’t seem to work (only works for host.vars ?): In Host object: ```auto vars.http["example.com"] = { http_sni = true http_ssl = true http_uri = "/" http_string = "Wordpress" ssl_cert_warn = 30 } vars.http["api.example.com"] = { http_sni = true http_ssl = true http_uri = "/_health" http_string = "ok" ssl_cert_warn = 30 } ``` Apply Rule: ```auto apply Service "http " for (servername => config in host.vars.http) { import "generic-service" check_command = "http" vars.http_vhost = servername vars += config assign where host.vars.http && vars.http_string } ``` The error: ```auto [2022-06-07 11:29:42 +0200] critical/config: Error: Error while evaluating expression: Tried to access undefined script variable 'vars' Location: in /etc/icinga2/zones.d/global-templates/applyrules/test.conf: 37:40-37:43 /etc/icinga2/zones.d/global-templates/applyrules/test.conf(37): assign where host.vars.check_http && vars.http_string ^^^^ /etc/icinga2/zones.d/global-templates/applyrules/test.conf(38): } /etc/icinga2/zones.d/global-templates/applyrules/test.conf(39): ``` Is there any way I can work with variables (even newly created variables inside the Apply context) and use them in `assign where` or `ignore where` ? ---
**Author:** ![Napsty](https://community.icinga.com/user_avatar/community.icinga.com/napsty/32/781_2.png) [@Napsty](https://community.icinga.com/u/Napsty)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2022, 11:16am UTC](https://community.icinga.com/t/assign-where-dictionary-key-exists-in-a-nested-dictionary-possible/9785/5 "2022-06-07T11:16:53Z")
Looks like I found a way 🕺 By using `config` as dictionary identifier and then followed by the actual variable, I can create an `apply` rule which is only applied when certain variables are set in the dictionary. ```auto apply Service "http " for (servername => config in host.vars.http) { import "generic-service" check_command = "http" vars.http_vhost = servername vars += config assign where host.vars.http && config.http_string } ``` Works fine in my test environment with Icinga 2 2.13.2. 😃