diff --git a/ansible/ansible.cfg b/ansible/ansible.cfg
index d520afb3ff4..91691208305 100644
--- a/ansible/ansible.cfg
+++ b/ansible/ansible.cfg
@@ -155,7 +155,9 @@ callback_whitelist = profile_tasks
 # wanting to use, for example, IP information from one group of servers
 # without having to talk to them in the same playbook run to get their
 # current IP information.
-fact_caching = memory
+fact_caching = jsonfile
+fact_caching_connection = ~/.ansible/cache
+fact_caching_timeout = 600
 
 
 # retry files
diff --git a/ansible/roles/vm_set/library/vm_topology.py b/ansible/roles/vm_set/library/vm_topology.py
index 7fc763ab6fb..e46cabe6342 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/vm_set/library/vm_topology.py
+++ b/ansible/roles/vm_set/library/vm_topology.py
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@ def iface_updown(iface_name, state, pid):
     @staticmethod
     def cmd(cmdline):
         with open(CMD_DEBUG_FNAME, 'a') as fp:
-            pprint(cmdline, fp)
+            pprint("CMD: %s" % cmdline, fp)
         cmd = cmdline.split(' ')
         process = subprocess.Popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stdin=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
         stdout, stderr = process.communicate()
@@ -453,6 +453,8 @@ def cmd(cmdline):
         if ret_code != 0:
             raise Exception("ret_code=%d, error message=%s. cmd=%s" % (ret_code, stderr, cmdline))
 
+        with open(CMD_DEBUG_FNAME, 'a') as fp:
+            pprint("OUTPUT: %s" % stdout, fp)
         return stdout
 
     @staticmethod
@@ -486,7 +488,7 @@ def ifconfig(cmdline):
                 continue
             terms = row.split()
             if not row[0].isspace():
-                ifaces.add(terms[0])
+                ifaces.add(terms[0].rstrip(':'))
 
         return ifaces
 
diff --git a/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/add_topo.yml b/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/add_topo.yml
index 2e0463bf823..134ef242d5b 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/add_topo.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/add_topo.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
     net: none
     detach: True
     cap_add: NET_ADMIN
+  become: yes
 
 - name: Bind topology {{ topo }} to VMs. base vm = {{ VM_base }} base vlan = {{ vlan_base }}
   vm_topology:
@@ -24,4 +25,4 @@
     mgmt_bridge: "{{ mgmt_bridge }}"
     ext_iface: "{{ external_iface }}"
     fp_mtu: "{{ fp_mtu_size }}"
-
+  become: yes
diff --git a/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/main.yml b/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/main.yml
index e1e3ce64e28..fab8bbd721e 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/main.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 # - id: sequence number for vm set on the host.
 # - external_iface: interface which will be used as parent for vlan interface creation
 # - vlan_base: first vlan id for the VMs
-# - VMs: a dictionary which contains hostnames of VMs as a key and a dictionary with parameters (num, memory, mgmt_ip) for every VM. 
+# - VMs: a dictionary which contains hostnames of VMs as a key and a dictionary with parameters (num, memory, mgmt_ip) for every VM.
 # - topology: a dictionary which contains hostnames of VMs as a key and vlans value which define a topology (numbers of connected ports for every VM)
 # - mgmt_bridge: linux bridge which is used for management interface connections
 # - root_path: path where disk images for VMs are created
@@ -13,8 +13,49 @@
 # - vm_images_url: url where base images are located
 # - vmimages_saskey: a key for Azure download service. Could be set to ''
 
+# Need latest ubuntu 4.10 kernel to fix a openvswitch bug
+# https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/kernel-package/+bug/1685742
+- name: Check if kernel upgrade needed
+  set_fact:
+    kernel_upgrade_needed: true
+  when:
+    - ansible_distribution == "Ubuntu"
+    - ansible_distribution_version == "17.04"
+    - ansible_kernel.find('4.10.0') != -1
+    - "{{ ansible_kernel | regex_replace('4.10.0-([0-9]+)-.*', '\\1') | int < 25 }}"
+
+- block:
+    - debug: msg="{{ ansible_kernel }}"
+
+    - name: Upgrade kernel package
+      apt: pkg={{ item }} state=latest
+      become: yes
+      with_items:
+        - linux-image-generic
+        - linux-image-extra-virtual
+
+    - name: Prompt for rebooting
+      fail:
+        msg: "Kernel upgraded, need to reboot!"
+  when: kernel_upgrade_needed is defined
+
+- name: Add docker repository for 17.04
+  apt_repository:
+    repo: deb [arch=amd64] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu zesty stable
+    state: present
+  become: yes
+  when: ansible_distribution_version == "17.04"
+
+- name: Add docker repository for 16.04
+  apt_repository:
+    repo: deb [arch=amd64] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu xenial stable
+    state: present
+  become: yes
+  when: ansible_distribution_version == "16.04"
+
 - name: Install necessary packages
-  apt: pkg={{ item }} update_cache=yes cache_valid_time=3600
+  apt: pkg={{ item }} update_cache=yes cache_valid_time=86400
+  become: yes
   with_items:
     - qemu
     - openvswitch-switch
@@ -26,11 +67,24 @@
     - libvirt-bin
     - python-libvirt
     - python-pip
+    - apt-transport-https
+    - ca-certificates
+    - curl
+    - software-properties-common
+    - docker-ce
 
 - name: Install python packages
   pip: name=docker-py state=present version=1.7.2
+  become: yes
   environment: "{{ proxy_env | default({}) }}"
 
+- name: Install br_netfilter kernel module
+  become: yes
+  modprobe: name=br_netfilter state=present
+
+- name: Ensure {{ root_path }} exists
+  file: path={{ root_path }} state=directory
+
 - name: Install cleanup script
   template: src=cleanup.sh.j2
             dest={{ root_path }}/cleanup.sh
diff --git a/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/remove_topo.yml b/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/remove_topo.yml
index 21d00bf497c..6b3558aa730 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/remove_topo.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/remove_topo.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
     name: ptf_{{ vm_set_name }}
     image: "{{ docker_registry_host }}/{{ ptf_imagename }}"
     state: absent
+  become: yes
 
 - name: Unbind topology {{ topo }} to VMs. base vm = {{ VM_base }} base vlan = {{ vlan_base }}
   vm_topology:
@@ -13,4 +14,4 @@
     vm_base: "{{ VM_base }}"
     vlan_base: "{{ vlan_base }}"
     ext_iface: "{{ external_iface }}"
-
+  become: yes
diff --git a/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/renumber_topo.yml b/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/renumber_topo.yml
index 838bf84ffec..ebbbca1d463 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/renumber_topo.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/renumber_topo.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
     name: ptf_{{ vm_set_name }}
     image: "{{ docker_registry_host }}/{{ ptf_imagename }}"
     state: absent
+  become: yes
 
 - name: Create a docker container ptf_{{ vm_set_name }}
   docker:
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@
     net: none
     detach: True
     cap_add: NET_ADMIN
+  become: yes
 
 - name: Renumber topology {{ topo }} to VMs. base vm = {{ VM_base }} base vlan = {{ vlan_base }}
   vm_topology:
@@ -30,4 +32,4 @@
     mgmt_bridge: "{{ mgmt_bridge }}"
     ext_iface: "{{ external_iface }}"
     fp_mtu: "{{ fp_mtu_size }}"
-
+  become: yes
diff --git a/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/start.yml b/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/start.yml
index c5ea4c37712..cc123071d15 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/start.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/start.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
     name: "{{ item }}"
     value: 0
     sysctl_set: yes
+  become: yes
   with_items:
    - net.bridge.bridge-nf-call-arptables
    - net.bridge.bridge-nf-call-ip6tables
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@
     name: "net.core.rmem_max"
     value: 509430500
     sysctl_set: yes
+  become: yes
 
 - name: Create directory for vm images and vm disks
   file: path={{ item }} state=directory mode=0755 recurse=yes
@@ -45,6 +47,7 @@
   when: not cd_stat.stat.exists and not skip_image_downloading
 
 - name: Create VMs network
+  become: yes
   vm_topology:
     cmd:          'create'
     vm_names:     "{{ VM_hosts }}"
diff --git a/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/stop.yml b/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/stop.yml
index abba4780002..bf2ae6b80f1 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/stop.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/vm_set/tasks/stop.yml
@@ -9,4 +9,4 @@
   vm_topology:
     cmd: 'destroy'
     vm_names: "{{ VM_hosts }}"
-
+  become: yes
diff --git a/ansible/testbed_add_vm_topology.yml b/ansible/testbed_add_vm_topology.yml
index 73f9861ff81..038ddf27f23 100644
--- a/ansible/testbed_add_vm_topology.yml
+++ b/ansible/testbed_add_vm_topology.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 # -e ptf_imagename=docker-ptf - name of a docker-image which will be used for the ptf docker container
 
 - hosts: servers:&vm_host
-  gather_facts: no
   become: true
   vars_files:
     - vars/docker_registry.yml
diff --git a/ansible/testbed_start_VMs.yml b/ansible/testbed_start_VMs.yml
index f0371f715f8..73afc1506b0 100644
--- a/ansible/testbed_start_VMs.yml
+++ b/ansible/testbed_start_VMs.yml
@@ -16,11 +16,8 @@
 #
 
 - hosts: servers:&vm_host
-  gather_facts: no
-  become: true
   vars_files:
     - vars/azure_storage.yml
   tasks:
   roles:
     - { role: vm_set, action: 'start' }
-