Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQ) about Ansible, a popular open-source automation tool used for configuration management, application deployment, and task automation:
Ansible is an open-source IT automation tool. It simplifies the automation of tasks such as configuration management, software deployment, and orchestration of IT environments, without requiring an agent on the managed systems.
Ansible uses a push model to send instructions from a control node to managed hosts. It uses SSH for communication (or WinRM for Windows systems), requiring no additional software (agents) on the managed nodes. The instructions are written in YAML files called Playbooks.
A Playbook is a YAML file containing a series of tasks that Ansible executes on managed hosts. It allows you to define automation instructions in a human-readable format. Each task is a module call that does specific things like installing software, configuring services, etc.
The inventory is a file or directory that lists all the managed nodes (or hosts) that Ansible interacts with. It can be as simple as a static file (/etc/ansible/hosts), or it can be dynamic, such as from a cloud provider, database, or external system.
Ansible modules are reusable, standalone scripts that Ansible executes on the managed nodes. Modules perform tasks such as installing software, managing services, and handling files. Modules are idempotent, meaning they are designed to make only necessary changes, keeping the system in the desired state.
An Ansible Role is a way to organize Playbooks and other files, making it easier to reuse and share configurations. Roles allow you to group tasks, variables, files, and templates into a directory structure.
Ansible Galaxy is a repository of community-contributed roles. Users can share, download, and reuse roles for different tasks. It helps speed up automation by allowing you to import pre-built roles for common tasks.
Ansible uses SSH for secure communications by default. For additional security:
AllowUsers or AllowGroups directives.vault to encrypt sensitive data, such as passwords and private keys, in Playbooks.Ansible Vault is a feature that allows you to securely encrypt sensitive data, such as passwords and credentials, in your Playbooks or variable files. Encrypted data can only be decrypted using a password or vault key, ensuring that secrets are protected.
You can run an Ansible Playbook using the command:
ansible-playbook <playbook.yml>
Additional options such as inventory selection, variable overriding, and verbosity can be specified through the command-line arguments.
ansible and ansible-playbook commands?ansible: Used for running ad-hoc commands on managed nodes.ansible-playbook: Used for running Playbooks, which consist of multiple tasks organized in a YAML file.Ad-hoc commands are one-off Ansible commands that do not require Playbooks. They are typically used for quick tasks like checking system uptime or restarting services. Example:
ansible all -m ping
Yes, Ansible can automate network devices (like routers, switches) from vendors such as Cisco, Arista, Juniper, etc. Ansible includes specialized modules for networking equipment.
Ansible Facts are system information gathered from the managed nodes at the start of a Playbook run. These facts provide data about the node’s operating system, network settings, hardware information, etc., and can be used in Playbooks for dynamic configuration.
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