How to patch multiple hosts / servers concurrently using Ansible ?

Solution Verified - Updated -

Environment

  • Ansible Engine

Issue

  • When patching on one server is done it should not wait for another server to complete patching rather than continue with next tasks.

Resolution

  • The behaviour of Ansible can be controlled with strategy plugins.

  • By default Ansible uses the linear plugin, All hosts will run each task before any host starts the next task, using the number of forks (default 5) to parallelize.

  • Another strategy available is free. Task execution is in lockstep per host batch as defined by serial (default all). Up to the fork limit of hosts will execute each task at the same time and then the next series of hosts until the batch is done, before going on to the next task.

    Set the strategy like this:

    - hosts: all
strategy: free
tasks:

  • If it is not possible to use free strategy you could set batches with the serial directive.

  • Controlling playbook execution: strategies and more

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