Blocks ====== Blocks allow for logical grouping of tasks and in play error handling. Most of what you can apply to a single task can be applied at the block level, which also makes it much easier to set data or directives common to the tasks. This does not mean the directive affects the block itself, but is inherited by the tasks enclosed by a block. i.e. a `when` will be applied to the tasks, not the block itself. .. code-block:: YAML :emphasize-lines: 3 :caption: Block example tasks: - name: Install Apache block: - yum: name: "{{ item }}" state: installed with_items: - httpd - memcached - template: src: templates/src.j2 dest: /etc/foo.conf - service: name: bar state: started enabled: True when: ansible_distribution == 'CentOS' become: true become_user: root In the example above, each of the 3 tasks will be executed after appending the `when` condition from the block and evaluating it in the task's context. Also they inherit the privilege escalation directives enabling "become to root" for all the enclosed tasks. .. versionadded:: 2.3 The ``name:`` keyword for ``block:`` was added in Ansible 2.3. .. _block_error_handling: Error Handling `````````````` Blocks also introduce the ability to handle errors in a way similar to exceptions in most programming languages. .. code-block:: YAML :emphasize-lines: 3,9,15 :caption: Block error handling example tasks: - name: Attempt and graceful roll back demo block: - debug: msg: 'I execute normally' - command: /bin/false - debug: msg: 'I never execute, due to the above task failing' rescue: - debug: msg: 'I caught an error' - command: /bin/false - debug: msg: 'I also never execute :-(' always: - debug: msg: "This always executes" The tasks in the ``block`` would execute normally, if there is any error the ``rescue`` section would get executed with whatever you need to do to recover from the previous error. The ``always`` section runs no matter what previous error did or did not occur in the ``block`` and ``rescue`` sections. It should be noted that the play continues if a ``rescue`` section completes successfully as it 'erases' the error status (but not the reporting), this means it won't trigger ``max_fail_percentage`` nor ``any_errors_fatal`` configurations but will appear in the playbook statistics. Another example is how to run handlers after an error occurred : .. code-block:: YAML :emphasize-lines: 6,10 :caption: Block run handlers in error handling tasks: - name: Attempt and graceful roll back demo block: - debug: msg: 'I execute normally' notify: run me even after an error - command: /bin/false rescue: - name: make sure all handlers run meta: flush_handlers handlers: - name: run me even after an error debug: msg: 'This handler runs even on error' .. versionadded:: 2.1 Ansible also provides a couple of variables for tasks in the ``rescue`` portion of a block: ansible_failed_task The task that returned 'failed' and triggered the rescue. For example, to get the name use ``ansible_failed_task.name``. ansible_failed_result The captured return result of the failed task that triggered the rescue. This would equate to having used this var in the ``register`` keyword. .. seealso:: :doc:`playbooks` An introduction to playbooks :doc:`playbooks_reuse_roles` Playbook organization by roles `User Mailing List `_ Have a question? Stop by the google group! `irc.freenode.net `_ #ansible IRC chat channel