rsync-remote.yml

---

- name: create an admin user (i.e. a non-root sudoer)
  hosts: all:!development
  remote_user: root

  roles:
    - create_admin_user

- name: rsync between remote machines
  hosts: ansible-pocs-1
  remote_user: "{{ admin_user.name }}"
  become: no
  become_method: sudo
  become_user: root

  tasks:

    - name: create folder on src to sync
      file:
        state: directory
        path: ~/syncthis
      delegate_to: ansible-pocs-2

    - name: create file on src to sync
      file:
        state: touch
        path: ~/syncthis/{{ ansible_date_time.epoch }}
      delegate_to: ansible-pocs-2

    ## This playbook is run against host ansible-pocs-1, but this task is
    ## delegated to ansible-pocs-2. In practice this means that the task
    ## first logs into ansible-pocs-2 and then runs rsync from there back
    ## to ansible-pocs-1.
    - name: sync remote folder to remote folder
      synchronize:
        src: /home/admin/syncthis
        dest: /home/admin
        # archive: yes ## default is yes
        # recursive: yes ## default is value of 'archive'
        ## hence, it is not necessary to explicitly set recursive: yes
        # mode: push ## default is push
      delegate_to: ansible-pocs-2

    - name: check file was synced
      stat:
        path: ~/syncthis/{{ ansible_date_time.epoch }}
      register: stat_result

    - fail:
        msg: 'file was not synced'
      when: stat_result.stat.exists == False

    ## This task does the same as the earlier sync task, except we are
    ## supplying the delegate host as a variable - in this case, the
    ## second machine listed in the staging group (index 1).
    ## Left here as a reminder of this technique.
    - name: sync remote folders using var as delegate
      synchronize:
        src: /home/admin/syncthis
        dest: /home/admin
      delegate_to: "{{ groups['staging'][1] }}"