# Ansible task, how to confirm if a process is actually running? **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [June 3, 2016, 5:45pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-task-how-to-confirm-if-a-process-is-actually-running/21662 "2016-06-03T17:45:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Howard\_Lee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/aca169/32.png) [@Howard\_Lee](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Howard_Lee)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 5:45pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-task-how-to-confirm-if-a-process-is-actually-running/21662/1 "2016-06-03T17:45:02Z")
Ansible 2.1 In the playbook, I started a process: ```auto - name: Start Automation Agent, and enable start on boot service: name=mongodb-mms-automation-agent state=started enabled=yes ``` From play recap, it appears the process has successfully started. ```auto TASK [install : Start automation agent, and enable start on boot] ************** changed: [server1] ``` However, when log in to remote host and do a `ps`, the process is not running. Checking on process log it had failed some pre-requisite (intended for testing). How do I write a task in a playbook to confirm the process has successfully started? ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Fennemore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Mike\_Fennemore](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Mike_Fennemore)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 6:25pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-task-how-to-confirm-if-a-process-is-actually-running/21662/2 "2016-06-03T18:25:55Z")
You could use register: to register a variable for the result then use debug: var= \.\ ---
**Author:** ![Johannes\_Kastl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Johannes\_Kastl](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Johannes_Kastl)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 7:43pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-task-how-to-confirm-if-a-process-is-actually-running/21662/3 "2016-06-03T19:43:58Z")
But if starting the service fails, shouldn't ansible report the task as failed? Johannes ---
**Author:** ![Howard\_Lee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/aca169/32.png) [@Howard\_Lee](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Howard_Lee)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 10:28pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-task-how-to-confirm-if-a-process-is-actually-running/21662/4 "2016-06-03T22:28:31Z")
@Johannes That’s what I thought, but unfortunately Ansible does not verify if it had successfully ran. ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Fennemore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Mike\_Fennemore](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Mike_Fennemore)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 9:51am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-task-how-to-confirm-if-a-process-is-actually-running/21662/5 "2016-06-04T09:51:59Z")
Indeed it will. If that is a possibility then I add ignore\_errors:true and still register a variable for the result. The variable will then give you a status and msg if the service fails. ---
**Author:** ![Kai\_Stian\_Olstad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kai\_Stian\_Olstad](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Kai_Stian_Olstad)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 1:27pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-task-how-to-confirm-if-a-process-is-actually-running/21662/6 "2016-06-04T13:27:52Z")
Yes, and Ansible would do that, but the problem is that the init script is reporting everything is OK when it isn't. So you have some options, - fix the init script or, - use ansible shell or command to check if the process is running or, - use the service command a second time and fail it if the second one also report changed. ---
**Author:** ![Howard\_Lee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/aca169/32.png) [@Howard\_Lee](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Howard_Lee)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2016, 9:12pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-task-how-to-confirm-if-a-process-is-actually-running/21662/7 "2016-06-07T21:12:03Z")
This is what I do now. Ansible 1.4 has “failed\_when”. [http://docs.ansible.com/ansible/playbooks\_error\_handling.html#controlling-what-defines-failure](http://docs.ansible.com/ansible/playbooks_error_handling.html#controlling-what-defines-failure) - name: Confirm Automation Agent is running command: service mongodb-mms-automation-agent status register: agent\_status failed\_when: “‘NOT’ in agent\_status.stdout” changed\_when: False (Added “changed\_when: False” to suppress “changed” status)