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# Profile Dependencies

InSpec profiles can bring in the controls from another InSpec profile. These dependencies are maintained in the metadata and captured in the profile's lockfile.

Steps:

* Let's consider we have two profiles viz. `base_profile` and `child_profile` which has different controls executed by them.
* If you do not have two profiles, create using `inspec init profile [profile_name]` for learning purpose.
* We would like to execute `child_profile` which in turns should execute the controls present in the `base_profile`.
* Add dependency in the metadata of the `child_profile` i.e. `inspec.yml` as below

  ```
  depends:
    - name: base_profile
      path: ../base_profile
  ```
* Edit the control file of the `child_profile` and add the following lines:

  ```
  include_controls 'base_profile'
  ```

  This will include the controls present in the `base_profile`
* Execute the `child_profile` which should execute the controls present in its own control file as well as the `base_profile` control file.

  ```
  inspec exec child_profile
  ```

Possible reasons of failure for the `child_profile` not being able to execute controls present in the `base_profile`

* The `inspec.lock` file is not updated. To do this delete the file and execute the profile again. Other way to do this without deleting the `inspec.lock` file is to use `--no-create-lockfile` while executing the profile. Example:

  ```
  inspec exec child_profile --no-create-lockfile
  ```
* The path to the profile is not set correctly in the `inspec.yml` file.

Other ways to add depedency of other profile are as follows:

* via git:

  ```
    depends:
    - name: base_profile
      git: https://gitrepo/profile
      branch: master
  ```
* via url:

  ```
    depends:
    - name: base_profile
      url: [url]
  ```
* via supermarket:

  ```
    depends:
    - name: base_profile
      supermarket: origin/profile_name
  ```
* via compliance:

  ```
    depends:
    - name: base_profile
      compliance: origin/profile_name
  ```