# start-at-task arguments

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/start-at-task-arguments/21957>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [July 8, 2016, 8:59am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/start-at-task-arguments/21957 "2016-07-08T08:59:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Steven\_Graham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Steven\_Graham](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Steven_Graham)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 8:59am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/start-at-task-arguments/21957/1 "2016-07-08T08:59:54Z")

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I have ansible 1.9.4  
Trying to understand the use of --start-at-task flag. I can start at a task by using something like “start the Cassandra instance” or if its in a role can use a | to separate the role from the task name “cassandra | start the Cassandra instance”. However I have several plays in my playbook and each of those plays are actually running the same role with a few different variables or hosts groups to setup different instances of the same application. For example when I run list-tasks:

…

play #6 (Install Cassandra App1): TAGS:   
create Cassandra Directories TAGS:

copy and unzip DataStax TAGS:   
configure cassandra config file TAGS:   
configure cassandra-env file TAGS:

configure the cassandra site and rac config file for this node TAGS:   
delete the existing symlink (if exists) TAGS:   
create the symlink TAGS:   
start the Cassandra instance TAGS:   
status of the Cassandra instance TAGS:   
show Cassandra status TAGS:

play #7 (Install Cassandra App2): TAGS:   
create Cassandra Directories TAGS:

copy and unzip DataStax TAGS:   
configure cassandra config file TAGS:   
configure cassandra-env file TAGS:   
configure the cassandra site and rac config file for this node TAGS:   
delete the existing symlink (if exists) TAGS:   
create the symlink TAGS:   
start the Cassandra instance TAGS:   
status of the Cassandra instance TAGS:   
show Cassandra status TAGS:

…

If there were to be a failure during play#7 say ‘start the Cassandra instance’ failed and I went and fixed the issue and wanted to restart from that point, is that possible?  
does the --start-at-task accept the format delivered by the --show-tasks option, for example:  
–start-at-task “Install Cassandra App2 | start the Cassandra instance” or  
–start-at-task “play #7 | start the Cassandra instance” or  
–start-at-task “play #7 (Install Cassandra App2) | start the Cassandra instance”

Thank you