Ansible Playbooks Flashcards

Which directive in a play limits execution to a subset of hosts defined in the inventory?

Answer: limit

The `limit` directive (or `--limit` CLI flag) restricts playbook execution to a subset of the matched hosts.

What is the purpose of the `any_errors_fatal: true` play-level option?

Answer: Abort the entire play if any host fails a task

`any_errors_fatal: true` causes Ansible to immediately stop the play for all hosts if any single host fails a task.

Which keyword forces a task to run only once regardless of how many hosts are targeted?

Answer: run_once

`run_once: true` on a task causes it to execute on only one host in the play, typically the first host.

In a playbook, what does `gather_subset: ['network']` control?

Answer: Limits fact gathering to network-related facts only

`gather_subset` restricts `setup` module output to specific fact categories, reducing overhead.

Which statement about `pre_tasks` in a playbook is correct?

Answer: pre_tasks run before roles and tasks sections

`pre_tasks` execute before the `roles` and `tasks` blocks, allowing setup steps to complete first.

What is the effect of setting `strategy: free` in a play?

Answer: Each host executes tasks as fast as it can without waiting for others

The `free` strategy allows each host to proceed through tasks independently at its own pace.

How does `max_fail_percentage: 25` affect a play running against 8 hosts?

Answer: The play continues until more than 2 hosts fail

25% of 8 hosts is 2; the play aborts when failures exceed 2 hosts (i.e., 3 or more fail).