Ansible Handlers and Notifications Flashcards

A handler is defined with the name 'Restart Nginx'. Which task directive triggers it?

Answer: notify: Restart Nginx

The 'notify' directive with the exact handler name queues that handler for execution at the end of the play if the task changed.

In Ansible roles, where should handler files be placed?

Answer: In the 'handlers/' directory of the role, typically in a file named main.yml

Role handlers are placed in the 'handlers/' directory, with Ansible automatically loading 'handlers/main.yml'.

What happens if a handler is notified but the task that notified it is skipped (not run)?

Answer: The handler is not triggered because a skipped task is not considered changed

Handlers are only triggered when the notifying task actually runs and reports 'changed'. A skipped task never changes, so the handler is not notified.

Which Ansible command-line option allows you to run only the handlers of a playbook without running the tasks?

Answer: There is no such option—handlers can only be triggered by task notifications, not run independently

Ansible does not have a built-in option to run handlers independently. Handlers are always triggered by task notifications.

How can you notify multiple handlers from a single task in Ansible?

Answer: Use 'notify' as a list with multiple handler names

The 'notify' directive accepts a list of handler names, allowing a single task to queue multiple handlers.

What is the scope of handler visibility when working with Ansible roles?

Answer: Handlers defined in a role are globally available to all roles in the play, which can cause naming conflicts

Role handlers are globally scoped within a play, meaning any task in any role can notify them, but this also risks naming conflicts between roles.