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I use pssh often (not this tool, but as I understand is similar). The reasons I find it over Ansible are: - takes the same syntax and options as plain SSH, just run over multiple hosts. So if you already know SSH, you know how to use pssh that is an extension of the command. Ansible requires to study it. The configuration format is trivial, just a file that contains on each line one host, no need to study complex formats like Ansible - doesn't require dependencies on the target machine. Ansible, as far as I know, requires a python3 installation on the target machine. Something that, for example, is not granted in all settings (e.g. embedded devices, that are not strictly GNU/Linux machines, for example consider a lot of network devices that espose an SSH server, like Microtik devices, with PSSH is possible to configure them in batch), or in some settings you maybe need to work on legacy machines that have an outdated python version. - sometimes simpler tool that just do one thing are just better. Especially for tools like pssh that are to me like a swiss army knife, the kind of tool that you use obviously when you are bodging something up to make something work because you are in an hurry and saves your day Of course if you already use Ansible to manage your infrastructure you may as well use it to run a simple command. But if you have to run a command on some devices, that were not previously setup for Ansible, and devices trough which you may not have a lot of control (e.g. a bunch of embedded devices of some sort), pssh is a tool that can come handy. |
I do agree with your point, sometimes it's just easier to use native tools or simple wrappers around native tools. Use whatever makes your job easier