adding --config-file param functionality to deployment

conf/ocsci/external_cluster_with_config_file.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+---
+ENV_DATA:
+  use_config_file: true

ocs_ci/deployment/helpers/external_cluster_helpers.py

@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
     decode,
     download_file,
     wait_for_machineconfigpool_status,
+    create_config_ini_file,
 )
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -296,6 +297,24 @@ def update_permission_caps(self, user=None):
         out = self.run_exporter_script(params=params)
         logger.info(f"updated permissions for the user are set as {out}")
 
+    def upload_config_ini_file(self, params):
+        """
+        Upload config.ini file that is used for external cluster
+        exporter script --config-file param
+
+        Args:
+            params (str): Parameter to pass to exporter script
+
+        Returns:
+            str: absolute path to config.ini file
+
+        """
+        script_path = create_config_ini_file(params=params)
+        upload_file(
+            self.host, script_path, script_path, self.user, self.password, self.ssh_key
+        )
+        return script_path
+
     def run_exporter_script(self, params):
         """
         Runs the exporter script on RHCS cluster
@@ -324,7 +343,20 @@ def run_exporter_script(self, params):
             python_version = "python"
 
         # run the exporter script on external RHCS cluster
-        cmd = f"{python_version} {script_path} {params}"
+        ocs_version = version.get_semantic_ocs_version_from_config()
+        # if condition is for the new feature introduced in
+        # 4.17 in OCSQE-2249 where this covers the test case
+        # with polarian id OCS-6196
+        if (
+            "--upgrade" not in params
+            and ocs_version >= version.VERSION_4_17
+            and config.ENV_DATA.get("use_config_file")
+        ):
+            # upload config.ini file to external RHCS cluster
+            config_ini_path = self.upload_config_ini_file(params)
+            cmd = f"{python_version} {script_path} --config-file {config_ini_path}"
+        else:
+            cmd = f"{python_version} {script_path} {params}"
         retcode, out, err = self.rhcs_conn.exec_cmd(cmd)
         if retcode != 0 or err != "":
             logger.error(

ocs_ci/utility/utils.py

@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 import pexpect
 import pytest
 import unicodedata
+import tempfile
 
 import hcl2
 import requests
@@ -5256,3 +5257,38 @@ def is_z_stream_upgrade():
     return config.UPGRADE.get("pre_upgrade_ocs_version", "") == config.UPGRADE.get(
         "upgrade_ocs_version", ""
     )
+
+
+def create_config_ini_file(params):
+    """
+    This function will create a config ini file for the params given.
+    Use case:
+        can be used in external-cluster-exporter script --config-file argument
+
+    Args:
+        params (str): Parameter to pass to be converted into config.ini file.
+
+    Returns:
+        str: Path to the config.ini file.
+
+    """
+    data = "[Configurations]\n"
+
+    pattern = r"--([\w-]+) ([.:\w-]+)"
+    matches = re.finditer(pattern, params, re.MULTILINE)
+    for match in matches:
+        arg, val = match.groups()
+        line = f"{arg} = {val}\n"
+        data += line
+    data = data.strip()
+    config_ini_file = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(
+        mode="w+",
+        prefix="external-cluster-config-",
+        suffix=".ini",
+        delete=False,
+    )
+    with open(config_ini_file.name, "w") as fd:
+        fd.write(data)
+    log.info(f"config.ini file for cluster is located at {config_ini_file.name}")
+
+    return config_ini_file.name