Ansible Modules & Task Execution Flashcards

Which Ansible module is used to copy a file from the control node to a managed host?

Answer: copy

The copy module transfers files from the Ansible control node (or a defined src path) to a destination on the managed host.

What does the 'fetch' module do in Ansible?

Answer: Retrieves a file from a managed host to the control node

The fetch module is the reverse of copy — it pulls a file from the managed host back to the Ansible control node.

Which module would you use to ensure a system package is installed on a host regardless of the package manager?

Answer: package

The generic 'package' module uses the host's detected package manager automatically, making playbooks more portable across distributions.

What is the purpose of the 'template' module?

Answer: Render a Jinja2 template and write the result to a file on the managed host

The template module processes a Jinja2 (.j2) file using current variables and writes the rendered output to the specified destination path.

Which module is used to run arbitrary shell commands that require shell features like pipes or redirects?

Answer: shell

The shell module runs commands through /bin/sh, enabling shell features like pipes, redirects, and environment variable expansion.

What is the key difference between the 'command' and 'shell' modules?

Answer: command does not invoke a shell; shell does, enabling pipes and redirects

The command module executes a program directly without a shell, making it safer and more predictable, while shell passes the command to /bin/sh.