# how to exit the ansible run, or handle it, when any remote node fails a task

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-to-exit-the-ansible-run-or-handle-it-when-any-remote-node-fails-a-task/18965>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [August 6, 2015, 7:05pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-to-exit-the-ansible-run-or-handle-it-when-any-remote-node-fails-a-task/18965 "2015-08-06T19:05:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Kathy\_Allen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/839c29/32.png) [@Kathy\_Allen](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Kathy_Allen)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 7:05pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-to-exit-the-ansible-run-or-handle-it-when-any-remote-node-fails-a-task/18965/1 "2015-08-06T19:05:11Z")

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Hi.

I’m working on some orchestration where I need to run a task across sets of N remote nodes. If that task fails on any one of the remote nodes, the orchestration needs to halt (or be handled somehow). In my test, I cause one node to fail and I expected the entire ansible run to bomb out, but that’s not what happened. The failed node is reported, but the playbook continues on.

How can I make ansible exit upon the failure of any one of these nodes?

Or, how can I have some kind of handler to pause the run before continuing? (I’ve not yet looked into handlers)

Playbook, plays, tasks, and output are shown below. One question about the output: for the node that failed, the task “debug: var=output” is absent. That task only fires for the successful node. Should I expect that task to also fire for the failed node? I was surprised by that.

Thanks!  
kallen

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$ cat testplaybook.yml

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jorginator74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@jorginator74](https://forum.ansible.com/u/jorginator74)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 7:50pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-to-exit-the-ansible-run-or-handle-it-when-any-remote-node-fails-a-task/18965/2 "2015-08-06T19:50:29Z")

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Hi

> Hi.
> 
> I'm working on some orchestration where I need to run a task across  
> sets of N remote nodes. If that task fails on any one of the remote  
> nodes, the orchestration needs to halt (or be handled somehow). In my  
> test, I cause one node to fail and I expected the entire ansible run  
> to bomb out, but that's not what happened. The failed node is  
> reported, but the playbook continues on.

That is by design.

> How can I make ansible exit upon the failure of any one of these  
> nodes?

[http://docs.ansible.com/ansible/playbooks\_delegation.html#maximum-failure-percentage](http://docs.ansible.com/ansible/playbooks_delegation.html#maximum-failure-percentage)

You can set mail\_fail\_percentage: 0

> Or, how can I have some kind of handler to pause the run before  
> continuing? (I've not yet looked into handlers)

Don't think so ....

> Playbook, plays, tasks, and output are shown below. One question about  
> the output: for the node that failed, the task "debug: var=output" is  
> absent. That task only fires for the successful node. Should I expect  
> that task to also fire for the failed node? I was surprised by that.

No - once a node fails (without "ignore\_errors: True"), it is no longer  
part of the remainder of the play, so no further tasks will be executed  
on the failed node.

Hope this helps

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kathy\_Allen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/839c29/32.png) [@Kathy\_Allen](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Kathy_Allen)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 8:15pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-to-exit-the-ansible-run-or-handle-it-when-any-remote-node-fails-a-task/18965/3 "2015-08-06T20:15:36Z")

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Ah! Fantastic. Thank you. I put in max\_fail\_percentage, and the thing I wanted to happen happened.

I do wonder about how to more elegantly handle one of the nodes failing, with a handler. Like something simple to start: “prompt: pause here, go fix that node if you can. If you can’t, ctrl-c now.” Perhaps I should add “ignore\_failures: true” and experiment?

It’s strange … I do have another task that runs per webapp node that runs a local check script – it’s a ruby program that will exit non-zero upon error condition. When any node has failed that check, the ansible run comes to a screeching halt. That play contains no max\_fail\_percentage and no ignore\_failure: true.

We use ansible 1.8.2.

I’ll move forward with your advice. And, FWIW … this bombs out the entire run when any node fails:

`