EX294 Manage task execution and roles Practice Test 6 — 15 Questions

Question 1

Refer to the exhibit. The administrator runs the playbook with the 'deploy' tag, but all tasks are skipped. What is the most likely reason?

Accepted Answer

The --tags option filters tasks; only tasks with the 'deploy' tag run, but none of the role tasks have that tag.. Ansible's --tags option filters task execution so that only tasks tagged with the specified tag(s) run. If the playbook is executed with '--tags deploy' but none of the tasks inside the 'database' role have the 'deploy' tag applied, all tasks are skipped. This is the most likely reason given the symptom that all tasks are skipped rather than an error being raised.

Answer

The role 'database' is not found in the roles_path.

Answer

The inventory host db1.example.com is not in the dbservers group.

Answer

The tags in the role tasks conflict with the play tags, causing a syntax error.

Question 2

Refer to the exhibit. An administrator runs an Ansible playbook and receives the error shown. The playbook uses a variable 'vault_httpd_port' that should be stored in an encrypted vault file. Which step should the administrator take first to resolve the issue?

Accepted Answer

Ensure the vault file is referenced in the playbook using include_vars or vars_files, and that the vault password is correct.. The error indicates Ansible cannot find the variable 'vault_httpd_port' because the encrypted vault file containing it is not being loaded into the playbook's variable scope. The administrator must first verify that the vault file is properly referenced via include_vars or vars_files in the playbook, and that the correct vault password is supplied (e.g., via --ask-vault-pass or a vault password file). Without loading the vault file, the variable remains undefined regardless of encryption password changes.

Answer

Re-encrypt the vault file with a different password.

Answer

Add 'vault_httpd_port' to the group_vars/all.yml file without encryption.

Answer

Use the --ask-vault-pass option again with a different password.

Question 3

An administrator runs a playbook with the serial keyword set to 2. The playbook targets 6 hosts and contains a task that runs a rolling update. During execution, the administrator notices that the task is executed on only 2 hosts at a time, but the playbook waits for all tasks to complete on those 2 hosts before moving to the next 2. What is the primary effect of the serial keyword in this scenario?

Accepted Answer

It limits the number of hosts that execute each task concurrently, processing hosts in batches.. The serial keyword controls how many hosts are included in each batch of a play. When set to 2, Ansible completes the entire play on the first 2 hosts before moving to the next 2. This provides rolling updates and limits the impact of failures. It does not affect parallelism within a batch or limit the total number of hosts.

Answer

It ensures that only 2 tasks are executed at a time on each host.

Answer

It sets the maximum number of forks used for parallel task execution across all hosts.

Answer

It restricts the play to run on only 2 hosts total, ignoring the rest.

Question 4

An administrator maintains a role named 'webserver' whose tasks reference the variable 'http_port'. The playbook calls the role twice within the same play, first with http_port set to 8080 and then with http_port set to 8443, expecting two differently configured deployments. After the run, both deployments use port 8443. Which change to the role invocation should the administrator make so each invocation uses its own value?

Accepted Answer

Pass the variable with the 'vars' keyword on the 'roles' entry for each invocation.. Each entry in the 'roles' list is a separate role invocation, and the 'vars' keyword attached to that entry scopes the supplied variables to that invocation only. This lets one role run twice in the same play with different parameter values. Inventory variables, defaults, extra variables, or persistent facts all resolve at host or play scope, so they cannot differentiate the two calls.

Answer

Define http_port in group_vars for every managed host in the inventory.

Answer

Declare http_port in the role's defaults/main.yml and override it with set_fact before each role entry.

Answer

Add 'allow_duplicates: true' to the role's meta/main.yml file and pass the variable on the command line with -e.

Question 5

An administrator is writing a playbook that must execute a task only when a specific variable is defined. The variable may be set in the inventory, group_vars, or host_vars. Which conditional ensures the task runs only if the variable 'app_port' is defined?

Accepted Answer

when: app_port is defined. The 'is defined' test is the standard way to check if a variable exists in Ansible. It correctly handles variables set from any source and avoids errors when the variable is missing. The other options either test truthiness, use invalid syntax, or confuse file existence with variable definition. Only the correct option reliably ensures the task runs when 'app_port' is defined.

Answer

when: app_port is exists

Answer

when: app_port is not undefined

Answer

when: app_port

Question 6

An administrator is building a reusable role and must decide how to structure variables so that callers can override values while the role still ships sensible starting values. Which TWO practices are appropriate for this role design? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Place values that must not be changed by callers in vars/main.yml so they outrank most other sources.. A well-designed role separates low-precedence starting values from high-precedence internal constants. Defaults give callers an easy override path, while vars/main.yml protects values the role must control. Play vars, inventory host data, and mandatory extra variables all bind the role to a specific context and undermine reuse.

Answer

Store role variables in the inventory host file so each host can be tuned individually.

Answer

Require callers to pass every value as an extra variable with -e on the command line.

Answer

Define all role variables in the play's vars section so they are inherited by every role in the play.

Question 7

An administrator maintains a role named 'webserver' that is used by several teams. The role must run a handler named 'restart httpd' after a configuration file is changed, but only when the role is included with a variable 'notify_handler' set to true. The role's tasks/main.yml currently has a task that copies httpd.conf with 'notify: restart httpd'. Which change should the administrator make in the role to ensure the handler is notified only when 'notify_handler' is true?

Accepted Answer

Add 'when: notify_handler | bool' to the task that copies httpd.conf in tasks/main.yml.. The handler is notified only when a task reports a change. To make notification conditional, the condition must be applied to the task that performs the change and notifies the handler. Adding a 'when' clause to the copy task ensures the task runs only when 'notify_handler' is true, so the handler is queued only in that case. Conditions on handlers themselves do not prevent notification from being queued.

Answer

Add 'run_once: true' to the handler and set 'notify_handler' in the role's defaults/main.yml.

Answer

Add 'listen: "{{ notify_handler }}"' to the handler and notify the handler with 'notify: "{{ notify_handler }}"'.

Answer

Add 'when: notify_handler | bool' to the handler definition in handlers/main.yml.

Question 8

An administrator is using a role that includes a task file conditionally with 'include_tasks' inside a loop. The task file contains a handler notification. The administrator notices that the handler is not being triggered for each iteration. What is the most likely reason?

Accepted Answer

The handler is notified only once per host, regardless of how many times it is notified.. Handlers run only once per host per play, even if notified multiple times. In a loop with 'include_tasks', each iteration may notify the handler, but it will execute only once at the end of the play. This is by design to prevent multiple restarts. The other options misstate limitations or requirements that do not exist.

Answer

The handler must be defined inside the included task file, not in the main role.

Answer

Handlers cannot be notified from tasks included with 'include_tasks'.

Answer

The 'include_tasks' module does not support loops; 'import_tasks' must be used instead.

Question 9

A playbook targets a group of database servers and must run a backup task only on one host at a time, waiting for each host to finish before starting the next, so that a shared storage array is not saturated. Which play keyword should the administrator set to achieve this serialized behavior?

Accepted Answer

serial: 1. The serial keyword defines the batch size for a play, and a value of 1 forces Ansible to finish all tasks on one host before selecting the next host from the group. This produces strictly sequential execution across the targeted database servers, which is the desired protection for shared storage.

Answer

throttle: 1

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order: sequential

Answer

strategy: host_pinned

Question 10

An administrator needs to ensure that a task runs only on the first host in a batch and that its result is applied to all hosts in the batch. Which Ansible directive should be used?

Accepted Answer

run_once: true. The 'run_once: true' directive ensures a task runs only on the first host in the batch and that the results are applied to all hosts. This is ideal for one-time operations. The other options either delegate to the control node, change batching, or affect error handling, none of which satisfy the specific requirement.

Answer

delegate_to: localhost

Answer

serial: 1

Answer

any_errors_fatal: true

Question 11

An administrator is writing a role where a task should only execute when the variable `web_package` is defined and its value is `httpd`. The role must not fail if the variable is undefined. Which task condition is correct?

Accepted Answer

when: web_package is defined and web_package == "httpd". The task must run only when web_package is defined and its value is httpd, without failing if undefined. The condition using 'is defined' followed by 'and' correctly short-circuits so that the variable is only compared when it exists. The other conditions either fail on undefined variables, run when the variable is missing, or use incorrect logic.

Answer

when: web_package == "httpd"

Answer

when: web_package | default("httpd") == "httpd"

Answer

when: web_package is defined or web_package == "httpd"

Question 12

An administrator is building a role whose task list must run a platform-specific set of tasks: one file for Red Hat Enterprise Linux hosts and another for Debian hosts, with the choice made at runtime based on gathered facts. The role must remain readable and avoid loading the wrong file even partially. Which approach should the administrator use?

Accepted Answer

Use ansible.builtin.include_tasks with a filename built from ansible_facts, so only the matching file is loaded at runtime.. Dynamic inclusion through include_tasks evaluates the filename expression when the task executes, after facts are available, so exactly one platform file is loaded. Static import_tasks resolves at parse time and cannot branch on facts, and tags or meta dependencies are selected by the operator or parse order rather than by host platform.

Answer

Place both platform task files in the role and rely on the role's meta/main.yml dependencies to select one.

Answer

Put the platform-specific tasks directly in tasks/main.yml and use tags to select which ones run.

Answer

Use ansible.builtin.import_tasks for both platform files and wrap each in a when condition.

Question 13

An administrator wants to apply a role to a subset of hosts based on a condition. The condition should be evaluated for each host individually. Which approach is correct?

Accepted Answer

Use the 'when' directive on the role inclusion in the play.. The 'when' directive on a role inclusion evaluates the condition for each host, applying the role only where the condition is true. This is the correct method for per-host conditional role application. Tags, become, and delegate_to serve different purposes and do not provide conditional execution based on host-specific variables.

Answer

Use the 'tags' directive on the role and run the playbook with '--tags'.

Answer

Use the 'become' directive on the role to control privilege escalation.

Answer

Use the 'delegate_to' directive on the role to target specific hosts.

Question 14

An administrator has a role named 'web' that must run a package installation task before any other tasks in the role. The role contains a tasks/main.yml file and a meta/main.yml file. The administrator wants the package installation to be a separate role named 'common' that is always executed first when the 'web' role is applied. Which approach should the administrator use?

Accepted Answer

Add a dependencies section to meta/main.yml in the 'web' role listing the 'common' role.. Role dependencies declared in meta/main.yml cause the dependent role to execute before the current role. This ensures the 'common' role's package installation runs first whenever 'web' is applied, regardless of the playbook. It is the intended way to express that one role requires another, keeping the relationship self-contained within the role.

Answer

Add the 'common' role to the roles list in the play before the 'web' role.

Answer

Use include_role with a when condition in tasks/main.yml of the 'web' role.

Answer

Use import_tasks in tasks/main.yml to import a tasks file from the 'common' role.

Question 15

A role's tasks/main.yml contains a task that uses `notify: restart service`. The handler is defined in handlers/main.yml. During a playbook run, the task reports 'changed' but the handler does not run until the end of the play. The administrator wants the handler to run immediately after the task, before any subsequent tasks. Which action should be taken?

Accepted Answer

Add a task using meta: flush_handlers immediately after the notifying task.. Handlers by default execute at the end of the play after all tasks complete. To run them earlier, a meta: flush_handlers task must be inserted at the desired point. Other options either change failure behavior, batching, or definition location, none of which alter the execution timing of handlers.

Answer

Change the handler to use listen: restart service and set run_once: true.

Answer

Set force_handlers: true in the play and use serial: 1.

Answer

Move the handler definition into the same tasks/main.yml file and rename it.