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DevOps / Ansible Interview questions

What are the key features of Ansible?
  • Agentless - connects over SSH/WinRM, no software to install on managed nodes.
  • Declarative YAML playbooks - describe desired state, not step-by-step commands.
  • Idempotent modules - re-running a playbook only changes what's actually out of state.
  • Reusable roles and collections - packaged, shareable units of automation.
  • Extensive module library - covers cloud providers, networking gear, containers, and OS-level tasks.
  • Human-readable output and dry-run (check mode) - preview changes before applying them.

These features combine to make Ansible approachable for teams that want automation without a steep learning curve or heavy new infrastructure, since existing SSH access is often all that's required to get started.

What does an idempotent Ansible module guarantee on repeated runs?
What feature lets you preview changes before actually applying them?

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