EX294 Manage task execution and roles Practice Question
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?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse task-level concurrency controls such as throttle with play-level batching controlled by serial.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
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 analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
serial: 1
Why this is correct
The serial keyword controls how many hosts are taken from the play's host list and processed as a batch. Setting it to 1 makes Ansible complete the entire play on one host before moving to the next, which serializes execution and prevents simultaneous load on the shared storage array.
- ✗
throttle: 1
Why it's wrong here
The throttle keyword limits how many hosts may run a single task concurrently, but it does not batch the play as a whole. Other tasks in the play could still execute on many hosts at once, so the storage array would not receive the strictly serialized access described.
- ✗
order: sequential
Why it's wrong here
There is no 'order' play keyword with a 'sequential' value in Ansible; host ordering is governed by inventory order and the default linear strategy. This option describes syntax that does not exist, so it cannot produce the one-host-at-a-time behavior the scenario requires.
- ✗
strategy: host_pinned
Why it's wrong here
The host_pinned strategy keeps a worker assigned to one host until that host finishes, but it still allows multiple hosts to progress concurrently up to the fork limit. It changes worker scheduling rather than reducing the batch size, so it does not guarantee only one host runs the backup at a time.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Red Hat exam blueprint
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