# Can Ansible support offline files?

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/can-ansible-support-offline-files/24817>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [June 25, 2017, 1:46pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/can-ansible-support-offline-files/24817 "2017-06-25T13:46:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Omer\_Shtivi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Omer\_Shtivi](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Omer_Shtivi)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2017, 1:46pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/can-ansible-support-offline-files/24817/1 "2017-06-25T13:46:19Z")

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Hello,  
I’m new to Ansible.  
I got a task in work to check all the configuration of our switches if they are complaint.  
I can’t SSH to the devices to perform the checks.  
Can Ansible perform such tasks? running over config file and determinate if it’s complaint or not with the playbook?

Thanks!  
Omer Shtivi

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Daniel\_JD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f19dbf/32.png) [@Daniel\_JD](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Daniel_JD)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 6:30am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/can-ansible-support-offline-files/24817/2 "2017-06-27T06:30:40Z")

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Yes, but why use ansible if you cant use ssh?

Use

```auto
ansible-playbook playbook.yml --connection=local

```

```auto
or

```

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**Author:** ![Mehdi\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Mehdi\_B](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Mehdi_B)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2017, 8:46am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/can-ansible-support-offline-files/24817/3 "2017-06-29T08:46:34Z")

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Hi,

Depend on what you plan to check first. If you will use SSH to check if file is ok or config is ok. You can mimick your switches for test or have only one to validate the tests.

But I think most switches use API that won’t use SSH.

What modules do you plan to use ? Shell ? Command ?

M B