--- title: "Ansible: Configuration Management & Automation" description: "Test your knowledge of Ansible fundamentals with a quiz covering playbooks, modules, inventory management, handlers, roles, and automation best practices." author: "Mohammad Abu Mattar" canonical: https://mkabumattar.com/quizzes/post/ansible-automation-fundamentals-quiz --- # Ansible: Configuration Management & Automation Welcome to the Ansible Basics Quiz! This quiz covers fundamental Ansible concepts, modules, and best practices. Each question is multiple-choice, and you'll find hints to help you along the way. Good luck! ## Questions ### 1. Which command is used to execute an Ansible playbook? - `ansible-run` - `ansible-playbook` - `ansible-apply` - `ansible-execute` **Hint:** It is a hyphenated command starting with the tool name. ### 2. What is the default file path for the Ansible inventory file? - `/etc/ansible/hosts` - `/etc/ansible/inventory` - `/var/ansible/hosts` - `/usr/ansible/inventory` **Hint:** It is located in the /etc/ directory. ### 3. Which keyword defines the remote user Ansible uses for SSH connections? - `user` - `remote_user` - `login_user` - `ssh_user` **Hint:** It is often set at the play level. ### 4. What is the primary purpose of the "become: yes" directive? - Enable remote logging - Enable privilege escalation - Enable SSH key sharing - Enable multi-user access **Hint:** Think of the "sudo" command in Linux. ### 5. Which module is recommended for installing packages on RHEL-based systems? - `apt` - `dnf` - `pkg` - `rpm` **Hint:** It is the successor to the "yum" module. ### 6. In Ansible, what is a "Fact"? - A hard-coded variable - System information gathered - A task failure message - An encrypted vault secret **Hint:** Information gathered about the remote system. ### 7. Which module transfers files from the control node to the remote server? - `move` - `copy` - `push` - `fetch` **Hint:** The name is very straightforward. ### 8. What does "Idempotency" mean in the context of automation? - Increased execution speed - Consistent state results - Parallel task execution - Secure data encryption **Hint:** Run it once, run it ten times, the result is the same. ### 9. Which keyword allows a task to run only if a specific condition is met? - `when` - `only_if` - `check` - `match` **Hint:** It works like an "if" statement. ### 10. Which tool is used to encrypt sensitive variables or files in Ansible? - `ansible-crypt` - `ansible-vault` - `ansible-secret` - `ansible-secure` **Hint:** Think of a secure room for valuables. ### 11. Which module is used to ensure a service is running and enabled on boot? - `systemd` - `service` - `daemon` - `process` **Hint:** The module name matches the Linux system manager. ### 12. What is the specific purpose of "Handlers" in an Ansible play? - Handle execution errors - Run tasks upon notification - Define global variables - Manage remote SSH keys **Hint:** They only run if something has "changed". ### 13. Which file extension is standard for Ansible playbooks? - `.json` - `.yml` - `.ans` - `.cfg` **Hint:** Yet Another Markup Language. ### 14. What does the "ansible_all_ipv4_addresses" variable represent? - Control node IP list - Target host IP list - Cloud gateway IP list - Subnet mask IP list **Hint:** It is a type of "Fact". ### 15. Which flag validates playbook syntax without executing any tasks? - `--check` - `--syntax-check` - `--validate` - `--dry-run` **Hint:** You are "checking" the "syntax". ### 16. Which module is designed to modify a single specific line in a file? - `file` - `lineinfile` - `replace` - `template` **Hint:** It uses a "regex" (regular expression). ### 17. Which keyword is used to iterate over a list of items in a task? - `repeat` - `for_each` - `loop` - `iterate` **Hint:** It replaced the older "with_items". ### 18. What is an Ansible "Role" in a production environment? - User access level - Reusable task structure - Remote host type - Privilege level flag **Hint:** A way to bundle playbooks and files into a reusable package. ### 19. Which module executes commands through the remote shell environment? - `command` - `shell` - `raw` - `script` **Hint:** It is generally discouraged in favor of specific modules. ### 20. What is the default SSH port Ansible uses for Linux connections? - 80 - 443 - 22 - 5985 **Hint:** Standard SSH port. ### 21. Which file defines global settings like fork count and SSH timeouts? - `ansible.cfg` - `settings.yml` - `ansible.ini` - `hosts.cfg` **Hint:** Found in /etc/ansible/ or the current directory. ### 22. What does the "register" keyword do within a task? - Adds a new host - Saves task output - Defines a handler - Encrypts a variable **Hint:** Saves the output of a task for later use. ### 23. Which directive allows a playbook to continue if a task fails? - `ignore_errors: yes` - `on_failure: skip` - `force: yes` - `continue: yes` **Hint:** Use this for tasks that might fail but aren't critical. ### 24. Which module manages file properties like permissions and ownership? - `directory` - `file` - `chown` - `attributes` **Hint:** A very common Linux command name. ### 25. What is "Ansible Galaxy"? - Cloud hosting provider - Content repository hub - System monitoring tool - Variable encryption tool **Hint:** A hub for sharing Ansible content. ### 26. How is a host group defined in an INI-style inventory file? - `` - `[group_name]` - `{group_name}` - `group: group_name` **Hint:** Use square brackets. ### 27. What characterizes "Ad-hoc mode" in Ansible? - Advanced debugging mode - Single task execution - Parallel execution mode - Windows-only access mode **Hint:** Running a single command without a playbook. ### 28. Which module is used to create files from Jinja2 templates? - `jinja` - `template` - `render` - `format` **Hint:** The name is exactly what it does. ### 29. What is the primary function of the "debug" module? - Stopping execution flow - Displaying variable values - Fixing syntax errors - Logging into systems **Hint:** It prints information to the console. ### 30. What does the "Forks" setting control in Ansible? - Ansible version count - Parallel host connections - CPU core requirements - Playbook play count **Hint:** Number of parallel processes.