# Run Multiple hosts error **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Tags:** windows\ **Created:** [March 29, 2022, 4:38pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/run-multiple-hosts-error/36493 "2022-03-29T16:38:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nitrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/dfb087/32.png) [@Nitrous](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Nitrous)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2022, 4:38pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/run-multiple-hosts-error/36493/1 "2022-03-29T16:38:12Z")
I have a playbook called multiple.yml that tests for ping: - name: Playbook for multiple hosts hosts: bgrsuistg tasks: - name: ping win\_ping: My host file for bgrsuistg looks like this: [bgrsuistg] server1 ansible\_host=10.125.xx.xx server2 ansible\_host=10.125.xx.xx server3 ansible\_host=10.125.xx.xx server4 ansible\_host=10.125.xx.xx server5 ansible\_host=10.125.xx.xx When I run: ansible-playbook playbooks/multiple.yml -i bgrsuistg -vvvv, I get the below error: root@ansiblectrl01:/etc/ansible# ansible-playbook playbooks/multiple.yml -i bgrsuistg -vvvv ansible-playbook [core 2.12.0] config file = /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg configured module search path = [‘/root/.ansible/plugins/modules’, ‘/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules’] ansible python module location = /usr/local/lib/python3.8/dist-packages/ansible ansible collection location = /root/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections executable location = /usr/local/bin/ansible-playbook python version = 3.8.10 (default, Mar 15 2022, 12:22:08) [GCC 9.4.0] jinja version = 2.10.1 libyaml = True Using /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg as config file setting up inventory plugins host\_list declined parsing /etc/ansible/bgrsuistg as it did not pass its verify\_file() method Skipping due to inventory source not existing or not being readable by the current user script declined parsing /etc/ansible/bgrsuistg as it did not pass its verify\_file() method auto declined parsing /etc/ansible/bgrsuistg as it did not pass its verify\_file() method Skipping due to inventory source not existing or not being readable by the current user yaml declined parsing /etc/ansible/bgrsuistg as it did not pass its verify\_file() method Skipping due to inventory source not existing or not being readable by the current user ini declined parsing /etc/ansible/bgrsuistg as it did not pass its verify\_file() method Skipping due to inventory source not existing or not being readable by the current user toml declined parsing /etc/ansible/bgrsuistg as it did not pass its verify\_file() method [WARNING]: Unable to parse /etc/ansible/bgrsuistg as an inventory source [WARNING]: No inventory was parsed, only implicit localhost is available [WARNING]: provided hosts list is empty, only localhost is available. Note that the implicit localhost does not match ‘all’ redirecting (type: modules) ansible.builtin.win\_ping to ansible.windows.win\_ping Loading collection ansible.windows from /usr/local/lib/python3.8/dist-packages/ansible\_collections/ansible/windows Loading callback plugin default of type stdout, v2.0 from /usr/local/lib/python3.8/dist-packages/ansible/plugins/callback/default.py Skipping callback ‘default’, as we already have a stdout callback. Skipping callback ‘minimal’, as we already have a stdout callback. Skipping callback ‘oneline’, as we already have a stdout callback. PLAYBOOK: multiple.yml \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* Positional arguments: playbooks/multiple.yml verbosity: 4 connection: smart timeout: 10 become\_method: sudo tags: (‘all’,) inventory: (‘/etc/ansible/bgrsuistg’,) forks: 5 1 plays in playbooks/multiple.yml [WARNING]: Could not match supplied host pattern, ignoring: bgrsuistg PLAY [ping windows hosts] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* skipping: no hosts matched PLAY RECAP \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* What am I doing wrong? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![mahespth](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/mahespth/32/252_2.png) [@mahespth](https://forum.ansible.com/u/mahespth)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2022, 4:44pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/run-multiple-hosts-error/36493/2 "2022-03-29T16:44:51Z")
Hey, It works here so its likely your inventory is not in the path you think it is, its for some reason unreadable but unlikely as it looks like your logged in as root. Regards ---
**Author:** ![Nitrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/dfb087/32.png) [@Nitrous](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Nitrous)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2022, 4:54pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/run-multiple-hosts-error/36493/3 "2022-03-29T16:54:08Z")
Thanks, where can I specify the path to the inventory? We usually just add a list of VMs and their IP in the /etc/ansible/host file. ---
**Author:** ![utoddl](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/utoddl/32/249_2.png) [@utoddl](https://forum.ansible.com/u/utoddl)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2022, 5:06pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/run-multiple-hosts-error/36493/4 "2022-03-29T17:06:34Z")
Use `ansible-config dump` to see what’s being set where. The command you ran is looking for your inventory at `/etc/ansible/bgrsuistg`. If that’s wrong, list the full path or relative path in the parameter to the `-i` option, like `-i ./bgrsuistg` ---
**Author:** ![Nitrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/dfb087/32.png) [@Nitrous](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Nitrous)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2022, 5:18pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/run-multiple-hosts-error/36493/5 "2022-03-29T17:18:30Z")
This is what ansible dump shows: root@ansiblectrl01:/etc/ansible/playbooks# ansible-config dump ACTION\_WARNINGS(default) = True AGNOSTIC\_BECOME\_PROMPT(default) = True ALLOW\_WORLD\_READABLE\_TMPFILES(default) = False ANSIBLE\_CONNECTION\_PATH(default) = None ANSIBLE\_COW\_ACCEPTLIST(default) = [‘bud-frogs’, ‘bunny’, ‘cheese’, ‘daemon’, ‘default’, ‘dragon’, ‘elephant-in-snake’, ‘elephant’, ‘eyes’, ‘hellokitty’, ‘kitty’, ‘luke-koala’, ‘meow’, ‘milk’, ‘moofas\> ANSIBLE\_COW\_PATH(default) = None ANSIBLE\_COW\_SELECTION(default) = default ANSIBLE\_FORCE\_COLOR(default) = False ANSIBLE\_NOCOLOR(default) = False ANSIBLE\_NOCOWS(default) = False ANSIBLE\_PIPELINING(default) = False ANY\_ERRORS\_FATAL(default) = False BECOME\_ALLOW\_SAME\_USER(default) = False BECOME\_PASSWORD\_FILE(default) = None BECOME\_PLUGIN\_PATH(default) = [’/root/.ansible/plugins/become’, ‘/usr/share/ansible/plugins/become’] CACHE\_PLUGIN(default) = memory CACHE\_PLUGIN\_CONNECTION(default) = None CACHE\_PLUGIN\_PREFIX(default) = ansible\_facts CACHE\_PLUGIN\_TIMEOUT(default) = 86400 There is no file at /etc/ansible/bgrsuistg, I usually use host file to specify VMs, for e.g: [bgrsuistg] server1 ansible\_host=10.125.xx.xx server2 ansible\_host=10.125.xx.xx server3 ansible\_host=10.125.xx.xx server4 ansible\_host=10.125.xx.xx server5 ansible\_host=10.125.xx.xx ---
**Author:** ![utoddl](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/utoddl/32/249_2.png) [@utoddl](https://forum.ansible.com/u/utoddl)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2022, 6:43pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/run-multiple-hosts-error/36493/6 "2022-03-29T18:43:37Z")
What do you get if you use `-i ./bgrsuistg` instead of `-i bgrsuistg` ? ---
**Author:** ![Nitrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/dfb087/32.png) [@Nitrous](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Nitrous)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2022, 2:00pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/run-multiple-hosts-error/36493/7 "2022-03-30T14:00:05Z")
Thanks Everyone. Ok, I think I managed to figure this out, the below works: root@ansiblectrl01:/etc/ansible# **ansible-playbook -i hosts playbooks/multiple.yml**