diff --git a/ansible/roles/common/defaults/main.yml b/ansible/roles/common/defaults/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c97c39d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/roles/common/defaults/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+hosts: [
+  { host_ip: "10.100.198.220", host_name: "voltha"},
+]
+
+use_latest_for:
+  - debian-keyring
+  - debian-archive-keyring
+  - python-dev
+  - libssl-dev
+  - libffi-dev
+  - libpcap-dev
+  - python-virtualenv
+  - jq
+  - python-nose
+  - python-flake8
+  - python-scapy
+#  - python-libpcap
+
+obsolete_services:
+  - puppet
+  - chef-client
diff --git a/ansible/roles/common/tasks/main.yml b/ansible/roles/common/tasks/main.yml
index f3e3c3d..070972a 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/common/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/common/tasks/main.yml
@@ -9,26 +9,13 @@
     dest: /etc/hosts
     regexp: "^{{ item.host_ip }}"
     line: "{{ item.host_ip }} {{ item.host_name }}"
-  with_items:
-    - host_ip: "10.100.198.220"
-      host_name: "voltha"
+  with_items: hosts
   tags: [common]
 
 - name: Latest apt packages
   apt:
     name: "{{ item }}"
-  with_items:
-    - debian-keyring
-    - debian-archive-keyring
-    - python-dev
-    - libssl-dev
-    - libffi-dev
-    - libpcap-dev
-    - python-virtualenv
-    - jq
-    - python-nose
-    - python-flake8
-    - python-scapy
+  with_items: use_latest_for
   tags: [common]
 
 - name: Services are not running
@@ -36,9 +23,7 @@
     name: "{{ item }}"
     state: stopped
   ignore_errors: yes
-  with_items:
-    - puppet
-    - checf-client
+  with_items: obsolete_services
   tags: [common]
 
 - name: Ensure known_hosts file is absent