Ansible ad-hoc commands are a quick and efficient way to execute tasks on multiple systems without creating a full-fledged playbook. They are ideal for one-off tasks or simple configurations.

Syntax:

ansible -m -a ""

• : Specifies the target hosts. It can be a hostname, IP address, group name, or a pattern using regular expressions.

• -m : Specifies the Ansible module to use.

• -a "": Specifies the arguments to pass to the module.

Examples:

1. ansible all -m pingUse code

2. ansible webserver -m shell -a "df -h"

3. ansible webservers -m service -a "name=apache state=restarted"

4. ansible all -m copy -a "src=/path/to/file dest=/remote/path/to/file"

Additional options:

• -u : Specifies the username to use for authentication.

• -k: Prompts for a password.

• -i : Specifies the SSH key to use for authentication.

• -b: Enables sudo.

• -c : Specifies the connection method (ssh, local, etc.).

Key points to remember:

• Ad-hoc commands are useful for simple, one-time tasks.

• For more complex or recurring tasks, it's recommended to use playbooks.

• Ad-hoc commands can be combined with other Ansible features like groups, roles, and variables.