80+ Ansible Interview Questions and Answers [2025]

This guide provides 83 scenario-based Ansible interview questions with detailed answers for DevOps professionals. Covering playbook creation, module usage, inventory management, role development, integrations, security, troubleshooting, and scalability, it equips candidates to excel in technical interviews with robust automation solutions for enterprise infrastructure management.

Ansible Fundamentals

1. What is Ansible and its role in automation?

Ansible is an open-source automation tool for configuration management, application deployment, and orchestration. It uses YAML playbooks for idempotent operations, ensuring consistent infrastructure states. Beginners can use ad-hoc commands for quick tasks, while advanced users leverage playbooks with Git version control to automate complex workflows, ensuring reliable infrastructure management in production environments.

2. Why is Ansible agentless compared to other tools?

Ansible’s agentless design uses SSH or WinRM, eliminating the need for software on managed nodes. This simplifies setup and reduces overhead. Configure ansible.cfg, test connectivity with ansible -m ping, and monitor logs to ensure reliable automation across diverse systems for beginners and advanced users.

3. How do you install Ansible on a control node?

Install Ansible using pip install ansible or yum install ansible on RHEL-based systems. Configure ansible.cfg for inventory paths, verify with ansible --version, and test with a simple playbook. Monitor logs for errors to ensure a stable setup for automation tasks in development environments.

4. When should you use Ansible over manual configuration?

Use Ansible for repeatable, scalable infrastructure tasks. It’s ideal for managing multiple servers consistently. Create a basic playbook, test on a local VM, and monitor execution to ensure reliable automation, helping beginners transition from manual to automated configuration management.

5. Where do you store Ansible configurations for projects?

• ansible.cfg in /etc/ansible or project directory.
• Git repository for version control.
• GitHub or Bitbucket for team access.
• Automate updates with scripts.
• Monitor logs for consistency. Store configurations in Git, test locally, and ensure reliable automation setups.

6. Which components form Ansible’s architecture?

• Control Node: Executes playbooks and commands.
• Managed Nodes: Configured via SSH/WinRM.
• Inventory: Lists target hosts.
• Playbooks: YAML files for tasks.
• Modules: Reusable automation scripts. These ensure scalable, reliable infrastructure automation for enterprise systems.

7. Who uses Ansible in a DevOps team?

DevOps engineers use Ansible to automate infrastructure and deployments. They create playbooks, test in staging, and monitor execution to ensure consistent configurations. Beginners start with ad-hoc commands, while advanced users integrate with Git for versioned automation in production.

8. What causes an Ansible playbook to fail execution?

• Incorrect YAML syntax in playbook.
• Missing modules on control node.
• SSH connectivity issues to hosts.
• Invalid inventory configurations.
• Permission errors on nodes. Check syntax with ansible-playbook --syntax-check, test locally, and monitor logs for reliable execution.

9. Why does Ansible support multiple operating systems?

Ansible uses Python and SSH/WinRM for cross-platform compatibility, ensuring consistent automation. Test on local VMs, verify module compatibility, and monitor logs to maintain reliable configuration management across Linux, Windows, and other systems in diverse environments.

10. How do you run an ad-hoc command in Ansible?

Use ansible all -m command -a 'args' for ad-hoc tasks, like ansible all -m ping for connectivity checks. Specify inventory with -i, test on a local host, and monitor output to ensure reliable execution, ideal for beginners learning node management.

Playbook Creation

11. What do you do when a playbook fails to execute tasks?

Playbook failures disrupt automation. Use ansible-playbook --syntax-check to validate YAML, fix errors, and test on a single host. Update the playbook, rerun, and monitor logs to restore reliable task execution and ensure consistent infrastructure automation in production.

12. Why does a playbook fail to apply changes idempotently?

Idempotency failures occur when tasks lack state checks. Use modules like apt with state=present to ensure idempotency. Test in staging, rerun the playbook, and monitor output to maintain consistent states and reliable automation across infrastructure deployments.

13. How do you create a playbook for installing Nginx?

• hosts: all
  tasks:
  • name: Install Nginx
    apt:
    name: nginx
    state: present

Test on local hosts, automate with ansible-playbook, and monitor logs to ensure reliable package installation and automation for beginners.

14. When should you use handlers in a playbook?

Use handlers for conditional tasks, like restarting services after configuration changes. Define in YAML, notify from tasks, and test in staging. Rerun the playbook and monitor output to ensure efficient execution and reliable automation for infrastructure management.

15. Where do you store playbooks for team access?

Playbooks are stored in Git for collaboration.

• Commit to GitHub or Bitbucket.
• Store in repository root directory.
• Automate updates with webhooks.
• Monitor with Prometheus for metrics.
• Test in staging for reliability. This ensures traceable, consistent automation workflows.

16. Which elements are critical for a playbook?

• Hosts: Targets managed nodes.
• Tasks: Defines automation steps.
• Variables: Stores reusable data.
• Handlers: Executes conditional tasks.
• Modules: Performs specific actions. These elements ensure robust, scalable automation for infrastructure management.

17. Who writes playbooks in a DevOps team?

DevOps engineers write playbooks, defining tasks in YAML for automation. They test in staging, commit to Git, and monitor execution to ensure reliable infrastructure management and consistent software delivery across team projects in production environments.

18. What causes a playbook to fail on specific hosts?

Host-specific failures stem from connectivity or module issues. Check ansible.cfg for host settings, verify SSH access, and ensure module availability. Update the playbook, test on the host, and monitor logs to restore reliable execution and automation stability.

19. Why is idempotency critical for playbooks?

Idempotency ensures playbooks can run repeatedly without unintended changes, maintaining consistency. Use modules like file with state=touch for state checks. Test in staging and monitor output to ensure reliable, predictable automation for infrastructure management in production.

20. How do you debug a playbook with errors?

Debugging playbook errors requires detailed analysis. Run ansible-playbook --verbose for output, check task errors, and fix YAML syntax. Test on a single host, rerun the playbook, and monitor logs to resolve issues and ensure reliable automation for beginners.

Module Management

21. What do you do when a module fails to execute?

Module failures disrupt automation. Check module parameters in YAML, verify installation with ansible-doc, and ensure host compatibility. Update the playbook, test on a local host, and monitor logs to restore reliable module execution and automation stability in production.

22. Why does a module fail to install a package?

Package installation failures often result from missing repositories or incorrect parameters. Validate apt/yum module settings in YAML, add repositories, and test connectivity. Rerun the playbook and monitor logs to ensure successful installation and reliable automation for package management.

23. How do you use the copy module to transfer files?

• name: Copy configuration file
  copy:
  src: /local/config.conf
  dest: /remote/config.conf
  Test on local hosts, rerun the playbook, and monitor output to ensure reliable file transfer and automation for beginners in configuration tasks.

24. When should you use the command module?

Use the command module for shell commands not covered by specific modules, like custom scripts. Define in YAML with command: /bin/script.sh, test locally, and monitor output to ensure reliable execution and automation for unique tasks in projects.

25. Where do you find module documentation?

• ansible-doc module_name for local details.
• docs.ansible.com for online examples.
• Test modules on local hosts.
• Monitor logs for execution errors.
• Save configurations for reference. Access documentation, test locally, and ensure reliable module usage for automation.

26. Which modules are essential for automation?

• apt/yum: Manages package installations.
• copy: Transfers files to nodes.
• service: Controls system services.
• file: Manages file properties.
• command: Executes shell scripts. These modules enable basic automation for infrastructure management tasks.

27. Who uses Ansible modules in a team?

DevOps engineers use modules to automate tasks, defining them in playbooks for consistency. They test in staging, rerun playbooks, and monitor output to ensure reliable infrastructure management and consistent execution across team projects in production environments.

28. What causes a module to fail on Windows hosts?

Windows module failures often stem from incorrect WinRM settings or incompatible modules. Validate ansible.cfg for WinRM, use win_copy for files, and test on Windows hosts. Update the playbook and monitor logs to ensure reliable execution on Windows systems.

29. Why does the apt module fail to update packages?

Apt module failures occur due to missing repositories or network issues, disrupting package updates. Validate apt module parameters in YAML, add repositories, and test connectivity in staging. Rerun the playbook and monitor logs to ensure successful updates and reliable automation for package management in production environments.

30. How do you restart a service using the service module?

• name: Restart Nginx
  service:
  name: nginx
  state: restarted
  Test on local hosts, rerun the playbook, and monitor output to ensure reliable service management and automation for beginners in system administration.

Inventory Management

31. What do you do when Ansible fails to connect to a host?

Connection failures halt playbooks. Check ansible.cfg for inventory paths, verify SSH keys, and ensure host availability. Update inventory, test with ansible -m ping, and monitor logs to restore reliable playbook execution and automation stability across infrastructure.

32. Why does an inventory fail to group hosts?

• Incorrect syntax in inventory.ini.
• Missing group definitions.
• Invalid hostnames or IPs.
• DNS resolution failures.
• Permission issues. Validate groups, update inventory, test with ansible-inventory, and monitor output for reliable host grouping.

33. How do you create a dynamic inventory for AWS?

Configure the AWS EC2 plugin in ansible.cfg, set ec2.ini for filters, and test with ansible-inventory. Run playbooks in staging, automate with scripts, and monitor logs to ensure reliable dynamic host discovery and automation for cloud environments.

34. When should you use host variables in inventory?

Use host variables for host-specific configurations like ports. Define in inventory.ini with host: vars, test in staging, and rerun playbooks. Monitor output to ensure reliable variable application and automation for customized host management.

35. Where do you store inventory files for traceability?

• Git repository for version control.
• inventory.ini in project root.
• GitHub or Bitbucket for access.
• Automate updates with scripts.
• Monitor with Prometheus for metrics. Store in Git, test in staging, and ensure reliable host management.

36. Which inventory types are supported by Ansible?

• Static Inventory: INI or YAML files.
• Dynamic Inventory: Cloud discovery scripts.
• AWS EC2 Plugin: Auto-discovers instances.
• Custom Scripts: Environment-specific hosts.
• Test inventories locally for reliability. These types ensure flexible automation for host management.

37. Who manages inventory in a DevOps team?

DevOps engineers manage inventory, defining hosts in inventory.ini, testing in staging, and automating updates. They monitor output to ensure reliable infrastructure management and consistent playbook execution across team projects in production environments.

38. What causes inventory host resolution failures?

• Incorrect DNS settings in inventory.
• Invalid hostnames or IPs.
• Network connectivity issues.
• Missing SSH configurations.
• Firewall restrictions. Validate inventory.ini, test with ansible -m ping, and monitor logs for reliable host access.

39. Why is dynamic inventory useful for cloud environments?

Dynamic inventory auto-discovers cloud hosts, reducing manual updates. Use the AWS EC2 plugin, test in staging, and monitor logs to ensure reliable host discovery and automation for scalable infrastructure management in dynamic cloud environments.

40. How do you define group variables in inventory?

Define in inventory.ini with [group:vars], set values like ansible_user=admin, and test in staging. Rerun playbooks and monitor output to ensure reliable variable application and automation for group-specific configurations in infrastructure management.

Role Development

41. What do you do when a role fails to apply tasks?

Role failures disrupt automation. Check roles/role/tasks/main.yml for syntax errors, validate dependencies, and test on a single host. Update the role, rerun the playbook, and monitor logs to restore reliable task execution and automation stability in production.

42. Why does a role fail to include dependencies?

Dependency failures result from missing meta/main.yml or incorrect paths. Validate dependencies in meta/main.yml, update paths, and test in staging. Rerun the playbook and monitor output to ensure successful dependency inclusion and reliable automation for roles.

43. How do you create a role for user management?

Create roles/user/tasks/main.yml with: ---

• name: Create user
  user:
  name: appuser
  state: present
  Include in playbook, test locally, and monitor output to ensure reliable user management and automation for consistent configurations.

44. When should you use Ansible Galaxy for roles?

Use Ansible Galaxy for reusable, community-tested roles. Install with ansible-galaxy install role_name, include in playbooks, and test in staging. Monitor logs to ensure reliable role integration and automation for standardized infrastructure configurations.

45. Where do you store custom roles for reusability?

• Git repository for version control.
• roles/ directory in project root.
• GitHub or Bitbucket for access.
• Automate updates with scripts.
• Monitor with Prometheus for metrics. Store in Git, test in staging, and ensure reliable role automation.

46. Which directories are required for an Ansible role?

• tasks: Defines main automation steps.
• vars: Stores role-specific variables.
• defaults: Sets default variables.
• meta: Lists role dependencies.
• handlers: Manages conditional tasks. These ensure structured, reliable role automation for configuration management.

47. Who develops Ansible roles in a team?

DevOps engineers develop roles, creating YAML tasks for reusability. They test in staging, commit to Git, and monitor output to ensure reliable infrastructure management and consistent playbook execution across team projects in production environments.

48. What causes a role to fail variable overriding?

• Incorrect variable precedence in vars/.
• Missing vars/main.yml in role.
• Playbook-level variable conflicts.
• Invalid YAML syntax.
• Untested changes. Validate precedence, update vars, test in staging, and monitor logs for reliable variable application.

49. Why are role dependencies critical for automation?

Role dependencies enable modular automation by including required roles. Define in meta/main.yml, install with ansible-galaxy, and test in staging. Monitor output to ensure reliable dependency resolution and consistent automation for complex infrastructure playbooks.

50. How do you use an Ansible Galaxy role in a playbook?

Install with ansible-galaxy install geerlingguy.apache, include in playbook with roles: - geerlingguy.apache, test in staging, and monitor output to ensure reliable role integration and automation for standardized infrastructure configurations in production.

Security and Compliance

51. What do you do when a playbook exposes sensitive data?

Sensitive data exposure risks security breaches. Use Ansible Vault to encrypt variables, update playbook with vaulted files, and test in staging. Audit with logging tools, automate updates, and monitor with Prometheus to ensure secure, compliant automation in production environments.

52. Why does a playbook fail to enforce access controls?

Access control failures stem from misconfigured SSH keys or user permissions. Validate ansible.cfg for connection settings, update host access, and test in staging. Rerun playbooks and monitor logs to ensure secure, compliant automation and restricted access.

53. How do you encrypt sensitive data with Ansible Vault?

Create a vaulted file with ansible-vault create secrets.yml, store sensitive data, and reference in playbooks with !vault. Test decryption in staging, automate with scripts, and monitor logs to ensure secure data handling and reliable automation in production.

54. When does a playbook fail compliance checks?

Compliance failures occur due to unencrypted data or insecure modules. Use Ansible Vault for secrets, integrate security modules, and test in staging. Rerun playbooks and monitor with Prometheus to ensure compliant, secure automation in production environments.

55. Where do you store encrypted vault files?

• Git repository with encrypted secrets.yml.
• Secure vault password in Credentials Manager.
• Automate updates with scripts.
• Monitor with Prometheus for access logs.
• Test in staging for reliability. Store in Git, ensuring secure, compliant automation workflows.

56. Which tools enhance Ansible security?

• Ansible Vault: Encrypts sensitive data.
• SSH Key Management: Secures connections.
• Audit Logging: Tracks playbook actions.
• Security Modules: Scans configurations.
• Prometheus: Monitors access metrics. These ensure secure, compliant automation for infrastructure management.

57. Who manages Ansible security in a team?

Security engineers manage Ansible security, encrypting data with Vault, configuring SSH, and auditing actions. They test in staging, automate with scripts, and monitor with Prometheus to ensure secure, compliant automation and reliable infrastructure management in production.

58. What prevents unauthorized playbook executions?

• SSH key-based authentication for nodes.
• Ansible Vault for encrypted variables.
• Role-based access in ansible.cfg.
• Audit logging for tracking actions.
• Prometheus for monitoring access. Configure access, test in staging, and ensure secure automation.

59. Why does a playbook fail to decrypt vaulted data?

Vault decryption failures occur due to incorrect passwords or misconfigured vault files. Validate vault passwords, update secrets.yml, and test decryption in staging. Rerun the playbook and monitor logs to ensure secure data access and reliable automation in production.

60. How do you implement security scanning in playbooks?

Use security modules like lynis in YAML: ---

• name: Run security scan
  command: lynis audit system
  Test in staging, automate with ansible-playbook, and monitor with Prometheus to ensure compliant, secure automation in production environments.

Integrations

61. What do you do when Ansible fails to integrate with AWS?

AWS integration failures halt cloud automation. Verify AWS credentials in ansible.cfg, update ec2.ini for filters, and test with ansible-inventory. Rerun playbooks in staging and monitor logs to restore reliable host discovery and automation for cloud infrastructure.

62. Why does a playbook fail to deploy to Docker containers?

Docker deployment failures result from incorrect module settings or container access issues. Validate docker_container module parameters, update credentials, and test in staging. Rerun the playbook and monitor logs to ensure reliable container deployments and automation stability.

63. How do you integrate Ansible with Kubernetes?

Install kubernetes.core collection with ansible-galaxy collection install kubernetes.core, define tasks like: ---

• name: Deploy pod
  kubernetes.core.k8s:
  state: present
  definition: "{{ lookup('file', 'pod.yml') }}"
  Test in staging, automate, and monitor logs for reliable Kubernetes automation.

64. When does a playbook fail to trigger from Git commits?

Git trigger failures stem from incorrect webhooks or credentials. Validate webhook URLs in GitHub, update ansible.cfg credentials, and test in staging. Rerun playbooks and monitor with Prometheus to ensure reliable automation triggered by commits.

65. Where do you store integration credentials?

• Ansible Vault for encrypted credentials.
• Git repository for configuration backups.
• ansible.cfg for connection settings.
• Prometheus for monitoring access.
• Test in staging for reliability. Store securely, automate updates, and ensure reliable integration automation.

66. Which tools enhance Ansible integrations?

• AWS EC2 Plugin: Discovers cloud hosts.
• kubernetes.core: Manages Kubernetes resources.
• docker_container: Deploys containers.
• Git Plugin: Integrates with repositories.
• Prometheus: Monitors integration metrics. These ensure scalable, reliable automation workflows.

67. Who configures Ansible integrations in a team?

DevOps engineers configure integrations with AWS, Kubernetes, and Docker, setting up modules and testing in staging. They automate with scripts and monitor with Prometheus to ensure reliable, scalable automation and consistent infrastructure management in production.

68. What causes a playbook to fail Kubernetes deployments?

• Incorrect kubeconfig in credentials.
• Invalid YAML in pod definitions.
• Missing kubernetes.core collection.
• Network connectivity issues.
• Permission errors. Validate settings, test in staging, and monitor logs for reliable Kubernetes automation.

69. Why does a playbook fail to push Docker images?

Docker image push failures result from registry authentication or network issues. Validate docker_login module credentials, update playbook, and test in staging. Rerun and monitor logs to ensure reliable image pushes and automation stability in production.

70. How do you integrate Ansible with Slack for notifications?

Use the slack module: ---

• name: Send Slack notification
  slack:
  token: "{{ slack_token }}"
  channel: "#alerts"
  msg: "Playbook completed"
  Test in staging, automate, and monitor logs for reliable notifications and automation transparency.

Troubleshooting and Optimization

71. What do you do when a playbook fails due to timeouts?

Timeouts halt playbook execution. Increase timeout in ansible.cfg with command_timeout=60, optimize tasks, and test in staging. Rerun the playbook and monitor logs to restore reliable execution and automation stability for infrastructure management in production.

72. Why does a playbook experience inconsistent execution times?

Inconsistent execution times disrupt automation. Variable host performance or network latency often cause delays, impacting reliability. Optimize tasks with async, cache dependencies, and test in staging. Rerun playbooks and monitor with Prometheus to ensure consistent execution and automation stability in production environments.

73. How do you optimize a playbook for large infrastructure?

Use async tasks in YAML: ---

• name: Long task
  command: /bin/long_script.sh
  async: 3600
  poll: 10
  Cache dependencies, test in staging, and monitor with Prometheus to ensure scalable, reliable automation for large infrastructures.

74. When does a playbook require optimization?

• High execution times detected.
• Large infrastructure slows tasks.
• Resource usage spikes occur.
• Inconsistent performance reported.
• Monitoring alerts triggered. Optimize with async tasks, test in staging, and monitor with Prometheus for efficiency.

75. Where do you implement playbook optimizations?

• Playbook YAML for task efficiency.
• ansible.cfg for global settings.
• Git for versioned configurations.
• Prometheus for performance metrics.
• Staging for testing changes. Optimize tasks, automate updates, and ensure scalable automation workflows.

76. Which techniques improve playbook performance?

• Async tasks for long-running operations.
• Dependency caching for efficiency.
• Parallel execution for speed.
• Optimized module usage.
• Prometheus for monitoring metrics. These ensure fast, reliable automation for infrastructure management.

77. Who optimizes playbooks in a team?

DevOps engineers optimize playbooks, using async tasks and caching in YAML. They test in staging, commit to Git, and monitor with Prometheus to ensure efficient, reliable automation and consistent infrastructure management in production environments.

78. What causes a playbook to consume excessive resources?

• Unoptimized tasks increase runtimes.
• Large file transfers strain nodes.
• High parallel task counts.
• Inefficient module usage.
• Lack of monitoring. Optimize YAML, test in staging, and monitor with Prometheus for efficient automation.

79. Why does a playbook fail to scale for large node counts?

Scalability failures occur due to resource constraints or unoptimized tasks. Use async tasks, cache dependencies, and scale control node resources. Test in staging, rerun playbooks, and monitor with Prometheus to ensure reliable automation for large infrastructures.

80. How do you debug a playbook with intermittent failures?

Run ansible-playbook --verbose, analyze logs for patterns, and stabilize host environments. Test on a single host, update YAML, and monitor output to resolve intermittent issues and ensure reliable automation for infrastructure management in production.

GitOps and Compliance

81. What do you do when a playbook violates GitOps principles?

GitOps violations disrupt declarative automation. Store playbooks in Git, configure webhooks for triggers, and test in staging. Automate with scripts and monitor with Prometheus to ensure GitOps-compliant, reliable automation and consistent infrastructure management in production.

82. Why does a playbook fail to meet compliance requirements?

Compliance failures result from unencrypted data or missing audits. Use Ansible Vault for secrets, integrate audit logging, and test in staging. Rerun playbooks and monitor with Prometheus to ensure compliant, secure automation for infrastructure management in production.

83. How do you implement GitOps with Ansible playbooks?

Store playbooks in a Git repository, configure webhooks for automatic triggers, and test in staging. Automate playbook execution with scripts and monitor with Prometheus to ensure GitOps-compliant, reliable automation and consistent infrastructure delivery in production environments.