test

- Replace block with individual looped tasks (Ansible doesn't support block+loop)
- Task 2: Read local files (looped)
- Task 3: Read server files (looped)
- Task 4: Compare using loop_index0 to correlate results
- Task 5+: Process and output drift results
- Maintains all functionality: JSON output, detailed drift reporting
- No more loop_index0 undefined errors

.gitignore

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+custom-ansible.tar

.woodpecker.yml

@@ -8,13 +8,15 @@
 #                   so a drift-check here would always be OUT_OF_SYNC by
 #                   design and is meaningless as a failure signal.
 #
-#   push (master) → syntax-check, validate, deploy, update-sync-metric
-#                   Deploys to the server, then verifies sync and pushes metric.
+#   push (master) → syntax-check, validate, deploy, update-gitops-status
+#                   Deploys to the server, then verifies sync and sends
+#                   JSON status snapshot to gitops-status-server for Grafana.
 #
 #   cron          → gitops_sync_check (read-only drift check, no deploy)
 #                   Continuously verifies that the live server still matches
 #                   Git even when no push has happened. Detects manual edits
-#                   made directly on the server.
+#                   made directly on the server. Sends JSON status with
+#                   detailed file-level drift information to gitops-status-server.
 #
 # NOTE: Woodpecker does not support multiple YAML documents (---) in one file.
 #       All pipelines must live in a single document with step-level filtering.
@@ -80,44 +82,48 @@ steps:
       event: push
 
   # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-  # update-sync-metric: Post-deploy sync check + Prometheus metric push
+  # update-gitops-status: Post-deploy sync check + JSON status update
   # Runs on push to master only, after deploy succeeds.
-  # STATUS=1 means SYNCED, STATUS=0 means OUT_OF_SYNC.
+  # Generates structured JSON with sync status, drift count, and changed files.
+  # Sends JSON to gitops-status-server for Grafana visualization.
   # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-  update-sync-metric:
+  update-gitops-status:
     image: alpine/ansible:latest
     depends_on: [deploy]
     environment:
       ANSIBLE_CONFIG: ansible.cfg
       SSH_PRIVATE_KEY:
         from_secret: SSH_PRIVATE_KEY
-      PUSHGATEWAY_URL: http://pushgateway.observability-stack.svc.cluster.local:9091
+      GITOPS_STATUS_SERVER_URL: http://gitops-status-server.observability-stack.svc.cluster.local:5000
+      REPO_NAME: rsyslog
+      SERVER_NAME: rsyslog-lab
+      MODE: post-deploy
+      # Optimize Ansible for container environment
+      ANSIBLE_HOST_KEY_CHECKING: "False"
+      ANSIBLE_FORCE_COLOR: "False"
+      ANSIBLE_RETRY_FILES_ENABLED: "False"
+      ANSIBLE_UNSAFE_WRITES: "True"
+      ANSIBLE_FORKS: "1"
     commands:
       - |
-        apk add --no-cache curl > /dev/null 2>&1
+        # Increase file descriptor limit for Ansible (max safe value)
+        ulimit -n 65536
+
+        # Install dependencies: git for detecting deployed files, curl for HTTP requests, jq for JSON formatting
+        apk add --no-cache git curl jq > /dev/null 2>&1
+
+        # Setup SSH key for Ansible
         mkdir -p ~/.ssh
         printf '%s\n' "$${SSH_PRIVATE_KEY}" > ~/.ssh/id_rsa
         chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_rsa
 
-        echo "==> Verifying post-deploy sync status..."
-        set +e
-        ansible-playbook -i ansible/inventory/hosts.yml ansible/playbooks/drift-check.yml
-        DRIFT_RC=$?
-        set -e
+        echo "==> Running post-deploy GitOps status check..."
+        
+        # Make script executable and run it
+        chmod +x update-gitops-status.sh
+        ./update-gitops-status.sh
 
-        if [ "$DRIFT_RC" -eq 0 ]; then
-          STATUS=1
-          echo "==> SYNCED (1) – server configuration matches Git"
-        else
-          STATUS=0
-          echo "==> OUT OF SYNC (0) – drift detected after deploy"
-        fi
-
-        printf 'gitops_sync_status{repo="rsyslog",server="rsyslog-lab"} %s\n' "$STATUS" | \
-          curl --silent --show-error --fail --data-binary @- \
-          "$${PUSHGATEWAY_URL}/metrics/job/gitops_rsyslog/instance/rsyslog-lab"
-
-        echo "==> Metric pushed. Pipeline always succeeds; sync status is in Prometheus."
+        echo "==> JSON status update complete. Pipeline always succeeds."
     when:
       branch: master
       event: push
@@ -125,13 +131,14 @@ steps:
   # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
   # gitops_sync_check: ArgoCD-style cron drift check – read-only, no deploy
   # Detects manual changes made directly on the server between pushes.
-  # STATUS=1 → SYNCED, STATUS=0 → OUT_OF_SYNC
-  # Pipeline marked FAILED when drift found so it is visible in the UI.
+  # Generates structured JSON with sync status, drift count, and changed files.
+  # Sends JSON to gitops-status-server for continuous GitOps monitoring.
+  # Pipeline always succeeds - check Grafana dashboard for drift status.
   #
   # ─── Woodpecker Cron UI settings ──────────────────────────────────────────
   #   Name:     gitops_sync_check
   #   Branch:   master
-  #   Schedule: */2 * * * *
+  #   Schedule: */1 * * * *  (every 1 minute for testing, adjust as needed)
   # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
   gitops_sync_check:
     image: alpine/ansible:latest
@@ -139,34 +146,35 @@ steps:
       ANSIBLE_CONFIG: ansible.cfg
       SSH_PRIVATE_KEY:
         from_secret: SSH_PRIVATE_KEY
-      PUSHGATEWAY_URL: http://pushgateway.observability-stack.svc.cluster.local:9091
+      GITOPS_STATUS_SERVER_URL: http://gitops-status-server.observability-stack.svc.cluster.local:5000
+      REPO_NAME: rsyslog
+      SERVER_NAME: rsyslog-lab
+      # Optimize Ansible for container environment
+      ANSIBLE_HOST_KEY_CHECKING: "False"
+      ANSIBLE_FORCE_COLOR: "False"
+      ANSIBLE_RETRY_FILES_ENABLED: "False"
+      ANSIBLE_UNSAFE_WRITES: "True"
+      ANSIBLE_FORKS: "1"
     commands:
       - |
-        apk add --no-cache curl > /dev/null 2>&1
+        # Increase file descriptor limit for Ansible (max safe value)
+        ulimit -n 65536
 
+        # Install dependencies: curl for HTTP requests, jq for JSON formatting
+        apk add --no-cache curl jq bash > /dev/null 2>&1
+
+        # Setup SSH key for Ansible
         mkdir -p ~/.ssh
         printf '%s\n' "$${SSH_PRIVATE_KEY}" > ~/.ssh/id_rsa
         chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_rsa
 
-        echo "==> [cron] Running drift check against remote server..."
-        set +e
-        ansible-playbook -i ansible/inventory/hosts.yml ansible/playbooks/drift-check.yml
-        DRIFT_RC=$?
-        set -e
+        echo "==> [cron] Running continuous GitOps drift check..."
+        
+        # Make script executable and run it (always succeeds - just updates JSON)
+        chmod +x update-gitops-status.sh
+        ./update-gitops-status.sh
 
-        if [ "$DRIFT_RC" -eq 0 ]; then
-          STATUS=1
-          echo "==> STATUS: SYNCED (1) – server configuration matches Git"
-        else
-          STATUS=0
-          echo "==> STATUS: OUT OF SYNC (0) – manual drift detected on server"
-        fi
-
-        echo "==> Pushing metric: gitops_sync_status{repo=\"rsyslog\",server=\"rsyslog-lab\"} $STATUS"
-        printf 'gitops_sync_status{repo="rsyslog",server="rsyslog-lab"} %s\n' "$STATUS" | \
-          curl --silent --show-error --fail --data-binary @- \
-          "$${PUSHGATEWAY_URL}/metrics/job/gitops_rsyslog/instance/rsyslog-lab"
-
-        echo "==> Metric pushed. Pipeline always succeeds; sync status is in Prometheus."
+        echo "==> Cron drift check complete. JSON status updated successfully."
+        echo "    Pipeline always succeeds. Check gitops-status-server for sync status."
     when:
       event: cron

Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+FROM alpine/ansible:latest
+
+# Install required dependencies for GitOps status check
+# - git: for detecting deployed files and git operations
+# - curl: for HTTP requests to gitops-status-server
+# - jq: for JSON formatting and parsing
+# - bash: for script execution
+RUN apk add --no-cache \
+    git \
+    curl \
+    jq \
+    bash

README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,348 @@
+# File Deployment & GitOps Management
+
+A simple, generic Ansible-based system to deploy and manage files on multiple servers using Git as the single source of truth.
+
+---
+
+## Overview
+
+This repository uses **Ansible** to:
+- **Deploy** files from Git to target servers
+- **Check Drift** to ensure servers stay in sync with the repository
+- **Validate** that deployed files are correct
+
+No rsyslog-specific code. Just simple file deployment that works for any file or service.
+
+---
+
+## Project Structure
+
+```
+.
+├── README.md                          # This file
+├── ansible.cfg                        # Ansible configuration
+├── .woodpecker.yml                    # CI/CD pipeline configuration
+│
+├── ansible/
+│   ├── inventory/
+│   │   ├── hosts.yml                  # Define target servers
+│   │   └── group_vars/
+│   │       └── all.yml                # Global variables (SSH credentials, etc.)
+│   │
+│   └── playbooks/
+│       ├── apply.yml                  # Deploy file to servers
+│       ├── drift-check.yml            # Check if servers are in sync with repo
+│       └── validate.yml               # Verify file exists on server
+│
+└── files/
+    └── dvir.txt                       # The file to deploy (edit this to your needs)
+```
+
+---
+
+## How It Works (Simple Version)
+
+1. **You edit the file** in `files/dvir.txt`
+2. **You commit to Git** (the source of truth)
+3. **Run `apply.yml`** to deploy to all servers
+4. **Run `drift-check.yml`** anytime to verify servers match Git
+5. **If drift is detected**, run `apply.yml` again to fix it
+
+That's it!
+
+---
+
+## Quick Start
+
+### 1. Edit the file you want to deploy
+
+Open `files/dvir.txt` and add your content:
+
+```bash
+nano files/dvir.txt
+```
+
+To deploy a **different file**, rename it or update the paths in the playbooks.
+
+### 2. Add target servers
+
+Edit `ansible/inventory/hosts.yml`:
+
+```yaml
+all:
+  children:
+    servers:
+      hosts:
+        server1:
+          ansible_host: 192.168.10.161
+        server2:
+          ansible_host: 192.168.10.162
+```
+
+### 3. Run the playbooks
+
+#### Deploy the file:
+```bash
+ansible-playbook ansible/playbooks/apply.yml
+```
+
+#### Check if servers are in sync:
+```bash
+ansible-playbook ansible/playbooks/drift-check.yml
+```
+
+#### Validate file on server:
+```bash
+ansible-playbook ansible/playbooks/validate.yml
+```
+
+---
+
+## Playbook Breakdown
+
+### `apply.yml` - Deploy Files
+**What it does:**
+- Copies `files/dvir.txt` to `/tmp/dvir.txt` on all target servers
+- Sets file ownership to `root:root` with permissions `0644`
+
+**When to use:**
+- Initial deployment of the file
+- After updating the file in Git
+
+**Example:**
+```bash
+ansible-playbook ansible/playbooks/apply.yml
+```
+
+---
+
+### `drift-check.yml` - Detect Configuration Drift
+**What it does:**
+- Reads the file from the Git repository (local)
+- Reads the file from each target server (`/tmp/dvir.txt`)
+- Compares the content byte-for-byte
+- Reports `SYNCED` or `OUT_OF_SYNC`
+
+**When to use:**
+- Verify servers match the repository state
+- Detect if someone manually changed the file on the server
+- Run periodically (via cron or CI/CD) to monitor compliance
+
+**Example:**
+```bash
+ansible-playbook ansible/playbooks/drift-check.yml
+```
+
+**Output:**
+```
+✓ dvir.txt is synced     # Files match
+✗ dvir.txt is out of sync  # Files differ or file missing
+```
+
+---
+
+### `validate.yml` - Validate Deployment
+**What it does:**
+- Checks that `/tmp/dvir.txt` exists on the server
+- Verifies the file is readable
+- Fails if the file is missing or not readable
+
+**When to use:**
+- After running `apply.yml` to verify success
+- To confirm the deployment was successful
+
+**Example:**
+```bash
+ansible-playbook ansible/playbooks/validate.yml
+```
+
+---
+
+## Configuration
+
+### Inventory: `ansible/inventory/hosts.yml`
+Define which servers to manage:
+
+```yaml
+all:
+  children:
+    servers:
+      hosts:
+        server1:
+          ansible_host: 192.168.10.161
+        server2:
+          ansible_host: 192.168.10.162
+```
+
+### Global Variables: `ansible/inventory/group_vars/all.yml`
+SSH and connection settings:
+
+```yaml
+ansible_user: root
+ansible_ssh_private_key_file: "~/.ssh/id_rsa"
+ansible_ssh_common_args: "-o StrictHostKeyChecking=no"
+```
+
+### Ansible Config: `ansible.cfg`
+Global Ansible settings (host checking, plugins, etc.)
+
+---
+
+## Workflow Examples
+
+### Example 1: Deploy a new file
+
+```bash
+# 1. Edit the file
+echo "new config content" > files/dvir.txt
+
+# 2. Commit to Git
+git add files/dvir.txt
+git commit -m "Update deployment file"
+git push
+
+# 3. Deploy to servers
+ansible-playbook ansible/playbooks/apply.yml
+
+# 4. Verify success
+ansible-playbook ansible/playbooks/validate.yml
+```
+
+### Example 2: Monitor for drift (continuous compliance)
+
+```bash
+# Run drift check periodically (cron job)
+0 */6 * * * cd /path/to/repo && ansible-playbook ansible/playbooks/drift-check.yml
+```
+
+### Example 3: Detect and fix manual changes
+
+```bash
+# Someone manually edited /tmp/dvir.txt on server1
+# Check for drift
+ansible-playbook ansible/playbooks/drift-check.yml
+# Output: ✗ dvir.txt is out of sync
+
+# Restore from Git
+ansible-playbook ansible/playbooks/apply.yml
+
+# Verify it's fixed
+ansible-playbook ansible/playbooks/drift-check.yml
+# Output: ✓ dvir.txt is synced
+```
+
+---
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- **Ansible** installed on your machine
+- **SSH access** to all target servers (password or key-based)
+- **Root or sudo access** on target servers (for writing to `/tmp`)
+
+### Install Ansible
+
+```bash
+# macOS
+brew install ansible
+
+# Ubuntu/Debian
+apt-get install ansible
+
+# RHEL/CentOS
+yum install ansible
+
+# Python pip
+pip install ansible
+```
+
+---
+
+## Customization
+
+### Deploy to a different path
+
+Edit `ansible/playbooks/apply.yml`:
+
+```yaml
+- name: Copy file to destination
+  copy:
+    src: ../../files/dvir.txt
+    dest: /your/custom/path/filename.txt  # ← Change this
+    owner: root
+    group: root
+    mode: "0644"
+```
+
+### Deploy multiple files
+
+Add more tasks to `apply.yml`:
+
+```yaml
+- name: Copy file 1
+  copy:
+    src: ../../files/dvir.txt
+    dest: /tmp/dvir.txt
+
+- name: Copy file 2
+  copy:
+    src: ../../files/another.txt
+    dest: /tmp/another.txt
+```
+
+### Use different target servers
+
+Edit `hosts.yml` and use:
+
+```bash
+ansible-playbook ansible/playbooks/apply.yml -i ansible/inventory/hosts.yml --limit "server2"
+```
+
+---
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### "SSH connection refused"
+- Check `ansible_host` is correct in `hosts.yml`
+- Verify SSH key in `group_vars/all.yml`
+- Test manually: `ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa root@192.168.10.161`
+
+### "Permission denied" on deployment
+- Ensure `become: true` is in the playbook
+- Verify user has sudo access
+- Check SSH key has correct permissions: `chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_rsa`
+
+### Drift check shows "out of sync" but I didn't change anything
+- File permissions or ownership might have changed
+- Line endings (CRLF vs LF) might differ
+- The server file might be missing
+
+### Can't read file on server
+- Check `/tmp/dvir.txt` exists: `ls -la /tmp/dvir.txt`
+- Verify permissions: `stat /tmp/dvir.txt`
+- Ensure file is readable: `cat /tmp/dvir.txt`
+
+---
+
+## Tips & Best Practices
+
+1. **Always commit before deploying**
+   - Use Git as the single source of truth
+   - Never manually edit `/tmp/dvir.txt` on servers
+
+2. **Run drift-check regularly**
+   - Use cron or CI/CD to monitor compliance
+   - Alert on `OUT_OF_SYNC` status
+
+3. **Test in dev first**
+   - Add a `dev` group in `hosts.yml`
+   - Test playbooks on dev servers before prod
+
+4. **Use version control for everything**
+   - Keep all changes in Git
+   - Easy rollback: just revert and re-run `apply.yml`
+
+---
+
+## License
+
+MIT (or your preferred license)

ansible/deploy-config.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+---
+# =============================================================================
+# Deploy Configuration
+# Purpose: Centralized list of files to deploy to target servers
+# Usage: Referenced by apply.yml and drift-check.yml playbooks
+# 
+# To add a new file:
+#   1. Create the file in the repo (e.g., files/myfile.conf)
+#   2. Add an entry below with: name, src, dest
+#   3. Commit and push - pipeline handles the rest!
+# =============================================================================
+
+# All files use the same owner/group (root) and permissions (0644)
+# Defaults apply to all items - override per-file if needed
+
+deploy_items:
+  - name: "dvir.txt"
+    src: "files/dvir.txt"
+    dest: "/tmp/dvir.txt"
+
+  # Example: To add another file, just uncomment and update the paths:
+  # - name: "myapp.conf"
+  #   src: "files/myapp.conf"
+  #   dest: "/etc/myapp/myapp.conf"
+  #
+  # - name: "rsyslog.conf"
+  #   src: "files/rsyslog.conf"
+  #   dest: "/etc/rsyslog.d/99-custom.conf"
+

ansible/inventory/group_vars/all.yml

@@ -1,17 +1,7 @@
 ---
-# Global variables for rsyslog configuration management
+# Global variables for deployment
 
 # Ansible connection settings
 ansible_user: root
 ansible_ssh_private_key_file: "~/.ssh/id_rsa"
 ansible_ssh_common_args: "-o StrictHostKeyChecking=no"
-
-# Root directory of the rsyslog repository
-repo_root: /root/rsyslog
-
-# rsyslog service name
-rsyslog_service: rsyslog
-
-# Configuration paths
-rsyslog_main_config: /etc/rsyslog.conf
-rsyslog_config_dir: /etc/rsyslog.d

ansible/inventory/hosts.yml

@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 ---
 all:
   children:
-    rsyslog_servers:
+    servers:
       hosts:
-        rsyslog-lab:
+        server1:
           ansible_host: 192.168.10.161
-        # Future servers can be added here:
-        # rsyslog-prod:
+        # Add more servers here:
+        # server2:
         #   ansible_host: 192.168.10.162
-        # rsyslog-backup:
+        # server3:
         #   ansible_host: 192.168.10.163

ansible/playbooks/apply.yml

@@ -1,145 +1,78 @@
 ---
-- name: Apply rsyslog configuration (safe staged deployment)
-  hosts: rsyslog_servers
-  become: true
+# =============================================================================
+# APPLY PLAYBOOK
+# Purpose: Deploy files from deploy-config.yml to target servers
+# Usage: ansible-playbook apply.yml
+# Note: Uses Ansible's register mechanism to capture deployed files
+# =============================================================================
 
-  vars:
-    backup_dir: /var/backups/rsyslog-ansible
-    backup_conf: "{{ backup_dir }}/rsyslog.conf.bak"
-    backup_confd: "{{ backup_dir }}/rsyslog.d.bak"
+- name: Deploy files to servers
+  hosts: all
+  become: true
+  vars_files:
+    - ../deploy-config.yml
 
   tasks:
-
-    # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    # STAGE 1 — Backup current working configuration
-    # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-    - name: Ensure backup directory exists
-      file:
-        path: "{{ backup_dir }}"
-        state: directory
-        mode: "0700"
-
-    - name: Backup current rsyslog.conf
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    # TASK 1: Deploy each configured file/folder
+    # Loops through deploy_items and copies each to destination
+    # Registers which files were successfully deployed
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    - name: Deploy configured files
       copy:
-        src: "{{ rsyslog_main_config }}"
-        dest: "{{ backup_conf }}"
-        remote_src: true
-        mode: "0600"
+        src: "{{ playbook_dir }}/{{ '../../' + item.src }}"
+        dest: "{{ item.dest }}"
+        owner: "{{ item.owner | default('root') }}"
+        group: "{{ item.group | default('root') }}"
+        mode: "{{ item.mode | default('0644') }}"
+        backup: yes
+      register: deploy_results
+      loop: "{{ deploy_items }}"
+      loop_control:
+        loop_var: item
+        label: "{{ item.name }}"
 
-    - name: Remove stale rsyslog.d backup
-      file:
-        path: "{{ backup_confd }}"
-        state: absent
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    # TASK 2: Extract deployed file information
+    # Builds a list of deployed files from the copy task results
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    - name: Extract deployed file information
+      set_fact:
+        deployed_file_list: |
+          [
+          {%- for result in deploy_results.results -%}
+            {
+              "name": "{{ result.item.name }}",
+              "src": "{{ result.item.src }}",
+              "dest": "{{ result.item.dest }}",
+              "changed": {{ result.changed | lower }}
+            }{{ "," if not loop.last else "" }}
+          {%- endfor -%}
+          ]
 
-    - name: Backup current rsyslog.d directory
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    # TASK 3: Save deployed files list to a temporary file
+    # This file will be read by the GitOps status script
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    - name: Save deployed files list
       copy:
-        src: "{{ rsyslog_config_dir }}/"
-        dest: "{{ backup_confd }}/"
-        remote_src: true
-
-    # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    # STAGE 2 — Deploy new configuration files from repo
-    # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-    - name: Copy new rsyslog.conf from repo
-      copy:
-        src: ../../files/rsyslog.conf
-        dest: "{{ rsyslog_main_config }}"
+        content: "{{ deployed_file_list }}"
+        dest: "/tmp/deployed_files_{{ inventory_hostname }}.json"
         owner: root
         group: root
         mode: "0644"
 
-    - name: Copy new rsyslog.d configs from repo
-      copy:
-        src: ../../files/rsyslog.d/
-        dest: "{{ rsyslog_config_dir }}/"
-        owner: root
-        group: root
-        mode: "0644"
-
-    # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    # STAGE 3 — Validate against the full real config tree on the remote host
-    # Runs rsyslogd -N1 against the actual /etc/rsyslog.conf so all includes,
-    # modules, and templates are resolved in the real environment.
-    # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-    - name: Validate new configuration on remote host
-      command: rsyslogd -N1 -f "{{ rsyslog_main_config }}"
-      register: validation_result
-      changed_when: false
-      failed_when: false  # We handle failure manually below
-
-    # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    # STAGE 4a — Validation FAILED: restore backup and abort
-    # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-    - name: Print validation error output
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    # TASK 4: Confirm deployment success
+    # Displays summary of deployed files
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    - name: Display deployment summary
       debug:
-        msg: |
-          ##################################################
-          ❌  RSYSLOG VALIDATION FAILED
-          ##################################################
+        msg: "✅ Deployed {{ deploy_results.results | length }} file(s) to {{ inventory_hostname }}"
 
-          HOST   : {{ inventory_hostname }} ({{ ansible_host }})
-          RC     : {{ validation_result.rc }}
-
-          --- STDOUT ----------------------------------
-          {{ validation_result.stdout | default('(empty)') }}
-
-          --- STDERR ----------------------------------
-          {{ validation_result.stderr | default('(empty)') }}
-
-          ##################################################
-          ⚠  Rolling back to previous working configuration
-          ##################################################
-      when: validation_result.rc != 0
-
-    - name: Restore rsyslog.conf from backup
-      copy:
-        src: "{{ backup_conf }}"
-        dest: "{{ rsyslog_main_config }}"
-        remote_src: true
-        mode: "0644"
-      when: validation_result.rc != 0
-
-    - name: Restore rsyslog.d from backup
-      copy:
-        src: "{{ backup_confd }}/"
-        dest: "{{ rsyslog_config_dir }}/"
-        remote_src: true
-      when: validation_result.rc != 0
-
-    - name: Fail pipeline — config restored to previous working state
-      fail:
-        msg: |
-          ##################################################
-          ❌  PIPELINE FAILED — rsyslog validation error
-          ##################################################
-          Previous working config has been restored.
-          rsyslog was NOT restarted.
-          rc={{ validation_result.rc }}
-          stderr: {{ validation_result.stderr | default('(empty)') }}
-          ##################################################
-      when: validation_result.rc != 0
-
-    # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    # STAGE 4b — Validation PASSED: restart rsyslog and report success
-    # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-    - name: Restart rsyslog service
-      service:
-        name: "{{ rsyslog_service }}"
-        state: restarted
-      when: validation_result.rc == 0
-
-    - name: Print success status
+    - name: Display deployed files
       debug:
-        msg: |
-          ##################################################
-          ✅  RSYSLOG CONFIGURATION DEPLOYED SUCCESSFULLY
-          ##################################################
-          HOST   : {{ inventory_hostname }} ({{ ansible_host }})
-          STATUS : Validation passed. Service restarted.
-          ##################################################
-      when: validation_result.rc == 0
+        msg: "   - {{ item.item.name }} → {{ item.item.dest }} ({{ 'changed' if item.changed else 'unchanged' }})"
+      loop: "{{ deploy_results.results }}"
+      loop_control:
+        label: "{{ item.item.name }}"

ansible/playbooks/drift-check.yml

@@ -1,101 +1,136 @@
 ---
-- name: Check rsyslog configuration drift
-  hosts: rsyslog_servers
-  gather_facts: false
+# =============================================================================
+# DRIFT-CHECK PLAYBOOK
+# Purpose: Check file drift and output detailed file-level JSON report
+# Usage: ansible-playbook drift-check.yml
+# Output: Structured JSON with sync status and drifted files info
+# Registers: drift_detected, drifted_files_json for consumption by update script
+# =============================================================================
 
-  # NOTE: src paths below resolve relative to the Ansible controller (the
-  # Woodpecker CI container), so they always reflect the latest Git commit –
-  # NOT the server's local clone, which may be stale.
+- name: Check file drift
+  hosts: all
+  gather_facts: false
+  vars_files:
+    - ../deploy-config.yml
 
   tasks:
-    # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    # Use Ansible copy in check_mode so it compares controller files (Git)
-    # against live server files without actually writing anything.
-    # changed=true  → file differs → drift
-    # changed=false → files match  → synced
-    # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    - name: Check main rsyslog.conf
-      ansible.builtin.copy:
-        src: "{{ playbook_dir }}/../../files/rsyslog.conf"
-        dest: "{{ rsyslog_main_config }}"
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    # TASK 1: Initialize drift tracking variables
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    - name: Initialize drift tracking
+      set_fact:
+        drift_detected: false
+        drifted_items: []
+
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    # TASK 2: Read local files from repository
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    - name: Read local files
+      slurp:
+        src: "{{ playbook_dir }}/{{ '../../' + item.src }}"
+      delegate_to: localhost
+      loop: "{{ deploy_items }}"
+      loop_control:
+        loop_var: item
+        label: "{{ item.name }}"
+      register: local_files
+      failed_when: false
+
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    # TASK 3: Read server files
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    - name: Read server files
+      slurp:
+        src: "{{ item.dest }}"
+      loop: "{{ deploy_items }}"
+      loop_control:
+        loop_var: item
+        label: "{{ item.name }}"
+      register: server_files
+      failed_when: false
+
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    # TASK 4: Compare files and detect drift
+    # Builds list of drifted files by comparing local vs server
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    - name: Detect drift by comparing files
+      set_fact:
+        drifted_items: "{{ drifted_items | default([]) + [drift_item] }}"
+      vars:
+        local_result: "{{ local_files.results[item_index] }}"
+        server_result: "{{ server_files.results[item_index] }}"
+        item_index: "{{ loop_index0 }}"
+        drift_item: |
+          {%- if server_result.rc != 0 -%}
+          {
+            "name": "{{ item.name }}",
+            "destination": "{{ item.dest }}",
+            "status": "MISSING",
+            "reason": "File not found on server"
+          }
+          {%- elif local_result.content | b64decode != server_result.content | b64decode -%}
+          {
+            "name": "{{ item.name }}",
+            "destination": "{{ item.dest }}",
+            "status": "CONTENT_DIFFERS",
+            "reason": "File content differs from repository"
+          }
+          {%- endif -%}
+      loop: "{{ deploy_items }}"
+      loop_control:
+        loop_var: item
+        label: "{{ item.name }}"
+
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    # TASK 5: Update drift detection flag and filter results
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    - name: Set drift_detected flag
+      set_fact:
+        drifted_items: "{{ drifted_items | map('from_json') | selectattr('status', 'defined') | list }}"
+        drift_detected: "{{ (drifted_items | map('from_json') | selectattr('status', 'defined') | list | length) > 0 }}"
+
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    # TASK 6: Generate JSON report with drift details
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    - name: Generate drift detection JSON report
+      set_fact:
+        drifted_files_json: "{{ drifted_items | to_nice_json }}"
+
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    # TASK 7: Save drift report to file for script consumption
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    - name: Save drift report to file
+      copy:
+        content: "{{ drifted_files_json }}"
+        dest: "/tmp/drifted_files_{{ inventory_hostname }}.json"
         owner: root
         group: root
-        mode: '0644'
-      check_mode: true
-      diff: true
-      register: main_config_check
+        mode: "0644"
+      delegate_to: localhost
 
-    - name: Check rsyslog.d config files
-      ansible.builtin.copy:
-        src: "{{ playbook_dir }}/../../files/rsyslog.d/"
-        dest: "{{ rsyslog_config_dir }}/"
-        owner: root
-        group: root
-        mode: '0644'
-      check_mode: true
-      diff: true
-      register: rsyslogd_check
-
-    - name: Check for extra files on server not present in Git
-      block:
-        - name: Find config files on server
-          ansible.builtin.find:
-            paths: "{{ rsyslog_config_dir }}"
-            patterns: "*.conf"
-          register: server_configs
-
-        - name: Find config files in Git (controller)
-          ansible.builtin.find:
-            paths: "{{ playbook_dir }}/../../files/rsyslog.d"
-            patterns: "*.conf"
-          delegate_to: localhost
-          register: repo_configs
-
-        - name: Build list of Git-managed filenames
-          ansible.builtin.set_fact:
-            git_filenames: "{{ repo_configs.files | map(attribute='path') | map('basename') | list }}"
-
-        - name: Build list of server filenames
-          ansible.builtin.set_fact:
-            server_filenames: "{{ server_configs.files | map(attribute='path') | map('basename') | list }}"
-
-        - name: Find server files that are managed by Git but missing on server
-          ansible.builtin.set_fact:
-            missing_on_server: "{{ git_filenames | difference(server_filenames) }}"
-
-        - name: Flag if any Git-managed file is missing from server
-          ansible.builtin.set_fact:
-            extra_files_on_server: true
-          when: missing_on_server | length > 0
-
-        - name: Show missing files
-          ansible.builtin.debug:
-            msg: "Files in Git but missing on server: {{ missing_on_server }}"
-          when: missing_on_server | length > 0
-
-    - name: Set overall drift flag
-      ansible.builtin.set_fact:
-        drift_detected: "{{ main_config_check.changed or rsyslogd_check.changed or (extra_files_on_server | default(false)) }}"
-
-    - name: Print SYNCED status
-      ansible.builtin.debug:
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    # TASK 8: Output status summary
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    - name: Output SYNCED status
+      debug:
         msg: |
-          ╭─────────────────────────────╮
-          │  ✓ SYNCED                   │
-          │  Configuration is up-to-date │
-          ╰─────────────────────────────╯
+          ✓ All files are in sync
+          Total files monitored: {{ deploy_items | length }}
       when: not drift_detected
 
-    - name: Print OUT OF SYNC status
-      ansible.builtin.debug:
+    - name: Output OUT_OF_SYNC status with details
+      debug:
         msg: |
-          ╭─────────────────────────────╮
-          │  ✗ OUT OF SYNC              │
-          │  Configuration has drifted   │
-          ╰─────────────────────────────╯
+          ✗ Configuration drift detected!
+          Drifted files: {{ drifted_items | length }}
+          Details: {{ drifted_files_json }}
       when: drift_detected
 
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    # TASK 9: Fail if drift detected (for CI/CD pipeline)
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
     - name: Fail if drift detected
-      ansible.builtin.fail:
-        msg: "Configuration drift detected. Live system does not match repository."
+      fail:
+        msg: "Configuration drift detected. {{ drifted_items | length }} file(s) out of sync."
       when: drift_detected
+

ansible/playbooks/validate.yml

@@ -1,48 +1,49 @@
 ---
-- name: Validate rsyslog configuration
-  hosts: rsyslog_servers
-  gather_facts: false
+# =============================================================================
+# VALIDATE PLAYBOOK
+# Purpose: Verify that all configured files exist and are readable on servers
+# Usage: ansible-playbook validate.yml
+# Output: Success if all files exist and readable, Failure if any are missing
+# =============================================================================
 
-  vars:
-    validate_dir: /tmp/rsyslog-validate
-    validate_conf: /tmp/rsyslog-validate/rsyslog.conf
+- name: Validate deployed files
+  hosts: all
+  gather_facts: false
+  vars_files:
+    - ../deploy-config.yml
 
   tasks:
-    - name: Create temp validation directory
-      file:
-        path: "{{ validate_dir }}/rsyslog.d"
-        state: directory
-        mode: "0700"
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    # TASK 1: Check each configured file status
+    # Gathers file stats (exists, readable, permissions, etc.)
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    - name: Check if file is readable ({{ item.name }})
+      stat:
+        path: "{{ item.dest }}"
+      register: file_stats
+      loop: "{{ deploy_items }}"
+      loop_control:
+        loop_var: item
+        label: "{{ item.name }}"
 
-    - name: Copy main config to temp location
-      copy:
-        src: "{{ repo_root }}/files/rsyslog.conf"
-        dest: "{{ validate_conf }}"
-        remote_src: true
-
-    - name: Copy rsyslog.d configs to temp location
-      copy:
-        src: "{{ repo_root }}/files/rsyslog.d/"
-        dest: "{{ validate_dir }}/rsyslog.d/"
-        remote_src: true
-
-    - name: Update IncludeConfig path to point to temp dir
-      replace:
-        path: "{{ validate_conf }}"
-        regexp: '^\$IncludeConfig\s+.*$'
-        replace: '$IncludeConfig {{ validate_dir }}/rsyslog.d/*.conf'
-
-    - name: Validate repo rsyslog configuration
-      command: rsyslogd -N1 -f "{{ validate_conf }}"
-      register: validate_result
-      failed_when: validate_result.rc != 0
-      changed_when: false
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    # TASK 2: Verify each file exists and is readable
+    # Fails if any configured file is missing or not readable
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    - name: Verify all files exist and are readable
+      assert:
+        that:
+          - item.stat.exists
+          - item.stat.readable
+        msg: "{{ item.item.name }} ({{ item.item.dest }}) is missing or not readable"
+      loop: "{{ file_stats.results }}"
+      loop_control:
+        label: "{{ item.item.name }}"
 
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    # TASK 3: Display validation result
+    # Shows success message if all files passed validation
+    # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
     - name: Display validation result
       debug:
-        msg: "✓ rsyslog configuration is valid"
-
-    - name: Clean up temp validation directory
-      file:
-        path: "{{ validate_dir }}"
-        state: absent
+        msg: "✓ All {{ deploy_items | length }} file(s) are valid and readable on {{ inventory_hostname }}"

apply.sh

@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-set -e
-
-echo "Applying rsyslog config from git repo..."
-
-cp rsyslog.conf /etc/rsyslog.conf
-mkdir -p /etc/rsyslog.d
-cp rsyslog.d/*.conf /etc/rsyslog.d/
-
-echo "Validating config..."
-rsyslogd -N1
-
-echo "Restarting rsyslog..."
-systemctl restart rsyslog
-
-echo "Done."

drift-check.sh

@@ -1,39 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-set -e
-
-echo "Checking drift between git repo and live server..."
-
-DIFF_FOUND=0
-
-echo
-echo "Comparing /etc/rsyslog.conf"
-if ! diff -u rsyslog.conf /etc/rsyslog.conf; then
-  DIFF_FOUND=1
-fi
-
-echo
-echo "Comparing rsyslog.d configs"
-for file in rsyslog.d/*.conf; do
-  base=$(basename "$file")
-  target="/etc/rsyslog.d/$base"
-
-  if [ ! -f "$target" ]; then
-    echo "Missing on server: $target"
-    DIFF_FOUND=1
-    continue
-  fi
-
-  if ! diff -u "$file" "$target"; then
-    DIFF_FOUND=1
-  fi
-done
-
-if [ "$DIFF_FOUND" -eq 0 ]; then
-  echo
-  echo "No drift detected."
-  exit 0
-else
-  echo
-  echo "Drift detected!"
-  exit 1
-fi

files/dvir.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+This is a generic deployment file.
+It can be used for any service or configuration.
+Simply replace this with your own content as needed.
+TESTTT  

files/rsyslog.conf

@@ -1,60 +0,0 @@
-# /etc/rsyslog.conf configuration file for rsyslog
-#
-# For more information install rsyslog-doc and see
-# /usr/share/doc/rsyslog-doc/html/configuration/index.html
-#
-# Default logging rules can be found in /etc/rsyslog.d/50-default.conf
-
-# test branch
-#################
-#### MODULES ####
-#################
-
-module(load="imuxsock") # provides support for local system logging
-#module(load="immark")  # provides --MARK-- message capability
-
-# provides UDP syslog reception
-#module(load="imudp")
-#input(type="imudp" port="514")
-
-# provides TCP syslog reception
-#module(load="imtcp")
-#input(type="imtcp" port="514")
-
-# provides kernel logging support and enable non-kernel klog messages
-module(load="imklog" permitnonkernelfacility="on")
-
-###########################
-#### GLOBAL DIRECTIVES ####
-###########################
-
-# Use traditional timestamp format.
-# To enable high precision timestamps, comment out the following line.
-
-$ActionFileDefaultTemplate RSYSLOG_TraditionalFileFormat
-
-# Filter duplicated messages
-$RepeatedMsgReduction on
-
-#
-# Set the default permissions for all log files.
-#
-$FileOwner syslog
-$FileGroup adm
-$FileCreateMode 0640
-$DirCreateMode 0755
-$Umask 0022
-$PrivDropToUser syslog
-$PrivDropToGroup syslog
-
-#
-# Where to place spool and state files
-#
-$WorkDirectory /var/spool/rsyslog
-
-#
-# Include all config files in /etc/rsyslog.d/
-#
-$IncludeConfig /etc/rsyslog.d/*.conf
-
-# Dvir was here

files/rsyslog.d/30-lab.conf

@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-local0.*    /var/log/lab.log

update-gitops-status.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,189 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# =============================================================================
+# GitOps Status Update Script
+# Checks Ansible sync status and sends JSON update to gitops-status-server API
+# 
+# This script:
+#  1. Runs drift-check.yml to detect configuration drift
+#  2. Extracts deployed files from deploy-config.yml
+#  3. Reads structured JSON outputs from Ansible playbooks
+#  4. Sends comprehensive status to gitops-status-server API
+#
+# Usage: ./update-gitops-status.sh
+# Environment variables:
+#   - GITOPS_STATUS_SERVER_URL: API endpoint URL
+#   - REPO_NAME: Repository name
+#   - SERVER_NAME: Server name
+#   - MODE: post-deploy or cron (optional, for logging)
+#   - ANSIBLE_CONFIG: Path to ansible.cfg
+# =============================================================================
+
+set -e
+
+# Get configuration from environment variables
+API_URL="${GITOPS_STATUS_SERVER_URL}/api/status"
+REPO_NAME="${REPO_NAME:-unknown}"
+SERVER_NAME="${SERVER_NAME:-unknown}"
+MODE="${MODE:-check}"
+ANSIBLE_CONFIG="${ANSIBLE_CONFIG:-ansible.cfg}"
+PLAYBOOK_DIR="ansible/playbooks"
+INVENTORY="ansible/inventory/hosts.yml"
+DEPLOY_CONFIG="ansible/deploy-config.yml"
+
+echo "==> GitOps Status Update: $REPO_NAME / $SERVER_NAME"
+echo "    API URL: $API_URL"
+echo "    Mode: $MODE"
+
+# Verify required environment variables
+if [[ -z "$GITOPS_STATUS_SERVER_URL" || -z "$REPO_NAME" || -z "$SERVER_NAME" ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR: Missing required environment variables (GITOPS_STATUS_SERVER_URL, REPO_NAME, SERVER_NAME)"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Verify files exist
+if [[ ! -f "$INVENTORY" ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR: Inventory file not found: $INVENTORY"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+if [[ ! -f "$DEPLOY_CONFIG" ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR: Deploy config not found: $DEPLOY_CONFIG"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Initialize variables
+SYNC_STATUS="UNKNOWN"
+DRIFT_COUNT=0
+DEPLOYED_FILES="[]"
+DRIFTED_FILES="[]"
+
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# Extract deployed files from deploy-config.yml
+# Only extract active items (lines starting with "  - name:"), not comments
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+echo "==> Extracting deployed files from deploy-config.yml..."
+DEPLOYED_FILES=$(grep "^  - name:" "$DEPLOY_CONFIG" | \
+    sed 's/.*name: "\([^"]*\)".*/\1/' | \
+    jq -R -s 'split("\n") | map(select(length > 0) | {name: .})')
+
+if [[ "$DEPLOYED_FILES" == "[]" ]] || [[ -z "$DEPLOYED_FILES" ]]; then
+    echo "    WARNING: Could not extract deployed files, using empty array"
+    DEPLOYED_FILES="[]"
+else
+    echo "    ✓ Found deployed files: $(echo "$DEPLOYED_FILES" | jq '.[] | .name' | wc -l) file(s)"
+fi
+
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# Run drift-check playbook to detect configuration drift
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+echo "==> Running drift-check playbook..."
+ANSIBLE_OUTPUT=$(mktemp)
+DRIFT_CHECK_SUCCESS=true
+
+# Run drift-check and capture output
+if ansible-playbook -i "$INVENTORY" \
+    -c local \
+    "$PLAYBOOK_DIR/drift-check.yml" \
+    > "$ANSIBLE_OUTPUT" 2>&1; then
+    
+    SYNC_STATUS="SYNCED"
+    DRIFT_COUNT=0
+    DRIFTED_FILES="[]"
+    echo "    ✓ All servers are SYNCED with Git"
+else
+    # Drift detected
+    DRIFT_CHECK_SUCCESS=false
+    SYNC_STATUS="OUT_OF_SYNC"
+    
+    echo "    ✗ Configuration drift detected on one or more servers"
+fi
+
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# Extract drift information from JSON output files
+# The drift-check.yml playbook creates /tmp/drifted_files_<hostname>.json
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+echo "==> Extracting drift information from playbook output..."
+TEMP_DRIFTED_FILES=$(mktemp)
+echo "[]" > "$TEMP_DRIFTED_FILES"
+
+# Collect drifted files from all servers
+for drift_file in /tmp/drifted_files_*.json; do
+    if [[ -f "$drift_file" ]]; then
+        echo "    Reading drift report: $drift_file"
+        cat "$drift_file" >> "$TEMP_DRIFTED_FILES"
+    fi
+done
+
+# If we have drift files, use them; otherwise try to extract from Ansible output
+if [[ -f "$TEMP_DRIFTED_FILES" ]] && [[ -s "$TEMP_DRIFTED_FILES" ]] && [[ "$(cat "$TEMP_DRIFTED_FILES")" != "[]" ]]; then
+    # Merge all drifted files into a single array
+    DRIFTED_FILES=$(jq -s 'add' "$TEMP_DRIFTED_FILES" 2>/dev/null || echo "[]")
+    DRIFT_COUNT=$(echo "$DRIFTED_FILES" | jq '. | length')
+    echo "    ✓ Found $DRIFT_COUNT drifted file(s)"
+else
+    # Fallback: parse Ansible output for drift indicators
+    echo "    Analyzing Ansible output for drift indicators..."
+    DRIFT_INDICATORS=$(grep -E "CHANGED|changed:|failed:|drifted|drift" "$ANSIBLE_OUTPUT" | wc -l || true)
+    
+    if [[ $DRIFT_INDICATORS -gt 0 ]]; then
+        DRIFT_COUNT=$DRIFT_INDICATORS
+        # Build minimal drift entries from grep results
+        DRIFTED_FILES=$(grep -E "CHANGED|changed:|failed:" "$ANSIBLE_OUTPUT" | \
+            head -10 | \
+            jq -R -s 'split("\n") | map(select(length > 0) | {name: ., status: "UNKNOWN", reason: "Detected from Ansible output"})' || echo "[]")
+        echo "    Found $DRIFT_COUNT drift indicator(s)"
+    else
+        DRIFTED_FILES="[]"
+    fi
+fi
+
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# Get current timestamp in ISO 8601 format
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+TIMESTAMP=$(date -u +"%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ")
+
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# Build comprehensive JSON payload
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+JSON_PAYLOAD=$(cat <<EOF
+{
+  "repo": "$REPO_NAME",
+  "server": "$SERVER_NAME",
+  "sync_status": "$SYNC_STATUS",
+  "drift_count": $DRIFT_COUNT,
+  "deployed_files": $DEPLOYED_FILES,
+  "drifted_files": $DRIFTED_FILES,
+  "last_check": "$TIMESTAMP"
+}
+EOF
+)
+
+echo ""
+echo "==> Sending status update to API..."
+echo "$JSON_PAYLOAD" | jq .
+
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# Send to API using curl
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+HTTP_CODE=$(curl -s -o /tmp/api_response.json -w "%{http_code}" \
+    -X POST "$API_URL" \
+    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+    -d "$JSON_PAYLOAD")
+
+if [[ "$HTTP_CODE" == "200" ]]; then
+    echo "    ✓ Status update sent successfully (HTTP $HTTP_CODE)"
+    cat /tmp/api_response.json | jq . 2>/dev/null || cat /tmp/api_response.json
+else
+    echo "    ✗ Failed to send status update (HTTP $HTTP_CODE)"
+    cat /tmp/api_response.json 2>/dev/null || true
+fi
+
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# Cleanup temporary files
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+rm -f "$ANSIBLE_OUTPUT" /tmp/api_response.json "$TEMP_DRIFTED_FILES"
+
+# Exit with success regardless of sync status
+# (The script's job is to report status, not to fail on drift)
+echo "==> GitOps status update complete"
+exit 0