ansible/modules-reference.md

Modules Reference

Commonly used Ansible modules:

Core Modules

1. setup (Automatically collects system information):

   - name: Gather system facts
     ansible.builtin.setup:
   

2. debug (For troubleshooting):

   - name: Show variable value
     ansible.builtin.debug:
       msg: "{{ some_variable }}"
   

3. copy (For file transfer):

   - name: Copy file to remote host
     ansible.builtin.copy:
       src: "local_file.txt"
       dest: "/remote/path/"
   

4. service (For service management):

   - name: Restart web service
     ansible.builtin.service:
       name: apache2
       state: restarted
   

Network Modules

5. ping (Test connectivity):

   - name: Test connection to host
     ansible.builtin.ping:
   

6. sshcopy (Copy files via SSH):

   - name: Copy file using SSH
     ansible.builtin.sshcopy:
       src: "local_file.txt"
       dest: "user@host:/remote/path/"
   

Best Practices

• Use ansible-doc to view module details
• Combine with when conditions for targeted execution
• Use --check flag to simulate module operations
• Store sensitive data using Ansible Vault

Troubleshooting

• Use --verbosity=2 for detailed output
• Check module documentation for parameter requirements
• Use ansible-playbook --list-tasks to verify task execution order