FAQ

Why did Dispatch choose this transport?

Transport comes from explicit CLI options, job files, inventory metadata, global config, then built-in defaults. Dispatch should not silently fall back to another transport.

Why did plan pass but run fail?

Planning validates local inputs and supported combinations. The actual run can still fail because endpoints are offline, remoting is disabled, policy blocks access, credentials fail, or a script returns an unexpected exit code.

What is the difference between run, apply, and push?

dispatch run is execution-first: Dispatch runs a script, command, or executable and owns the run lifecycle, events, results, stdout/stderr, and artifacts. dispatch apply is declaration-first: it runs supported YAML job tasks in order so repeatable work can live in source control. dispatch push is transfer-first: it copies files to a remote destination, and --execute is an optional follow-up for a pushed single .ps1 file.

Use run ps for normal ad-hoc script execution. Use apply for repeatable job files. Use push when the remote file placement is the primary outcome.

Why can't I pass a password directly?

Command-line secrets are visible to process inspection, shell history, logs, and automation wrappers. Dispatch uses credential references and provider-backed resolution instead.

Is --credential how I pass a secret to my script?

No. --credential <name> selects the endpoint credential for transport authentication. Script secrets use dispatch run ps ... --secret name=reference, where name maps to a script parameter such as -packageSas. Current support validates and renders the redacted plan/dry-run binding without resolving reference; Roadmap 10 owns runtime provider resolution and safe transport parameter binding. Secret values must not be exposed in command lines, logs, results, traces, or artifacts.

Why did target selection not match what I expected?

Check inventory groups, host names, selectors, excludes, and de-duplication. Use hosts list, hosts validate, or --plan where available to inspect the resolved set before execution.

Why was a host skipped?

A host can be skipped or fail early during resolution, probe, payload preparation, credential handoff, or transport setup. Check Admin\results.json, Admin\events.ndjson, and the target failure category.

Why do I have stdout but no artifacts?

stdout.txt and stderr.txt are captured process streams. Artifacts are files created by the script and copied back. If the script did not create logs\ or artifacts\, artifact status can be not-found.

Does Dispatch configure WinRM or firewall rules?

No. Dispatch reports endpoint readiness and failures. Endpoint services and policy remain operator-owned.