Memory hook: Save the automation, prove the result, then prove repeatability.
Must remember
Use Git to clone the supplied project, inspect status/diffs, stage intended files, commit and push to the required repository when the task calls for it. A local commit is not a remote push. Exclude Vault passwords, private keys, execution artifacts and other secrets; encrypting one variable file does not make every project file safe to commit.
VS Code and the Ansible extension support editing, navigation and diagnostics. A development container can provide a repeatable Ansible toolchain. Confirm workspace mounts, SSH/authentication forwarding, collection availability and selected execution environment; editor syntax coloring does not prove navigator will use the same runtime.
Run navigator commands from the intended project directory and inspect its effective settings. Use installed module documentation and examples appropriate to the booked runtime. Product versions and collection availability can differ from the newest public web documentation, so do not memorize unsupported options from a newer release.
Translate the requested end state into independent checks: target hosts, package versions, configuration contents, ownership/mode, users/groups, mounted storage, listening service, firewall behavior and reboot persistence. Run against a clean baseline, then rerun to detect unnecessary changes. A playbook that only works because you manually created a directory is incomplete.
Budget time for diagnosis and verification. Fix the smallest root cause, rerun the affected scope and then confirm the overall requirement. Preserve required project files in the specified location. Practical performance is earned by correct persistent systems and reusable playbooks, not by a large number of green tasks or memorized command lists.
Choose under exam pressure
| Requirement | Choice and reason |
|---|---|
| Editor works but navigator cannot find content | Compare container/runtime paths, mounts and installed collections. |
| Requirement must survive restart | Verify enabled/persistent configuration and a practice reboot. |
| Playbook fails on a fresh node | Find the missing prerequisite instead of manually patching only that node. |
Traps
- A green syntax check cannot prove the system meets the task.
- A committed playbook is not necessarily pushed or saved in the required location.
Active recall
1. Why compare editor and execution environments?
They may have different tools, paths and dependencies.
2. What should a clean-baseline test reveal?
Hidden dependencies on manual setup or old state.
3. Why rerun?
To test convergence and unnecessary changes.
4. What should be excluded from Git?
Private credentials, decryption passwords and unrelated transient outputs.
5. What is the final success criterion?
The required functional state persists and can be reproduced by the submitted automation.