When working with Ansible, it’s important to follow best practices for structuring your roles. This ensures that your playbooks are maintainable, reusable, and easy to understand. Here are some guidelines to help you achieve this:
Use a consistent directory structure for roles. A typical role directory might look like this:
my_role/
├── defaults/
│ └── main.yml
├── files/
│ └── ...
├── handlers/
│ └── main.yml
├── meta/
│ └── main.yml
├── tasks/
│ └── main.yml
├── templates/
│ └── ...
├── tests/
│ └── ...
├── vars/
│ └── main.yml
└── README.md
- defaults/: Contains default variables for the role.
- files/: Contains static files that are used by the role.
- handlers/: Contains handlers, which are tasks that are triggered by other tasks.
- meta/: Contains metadata about the role, such as dependencies.
- tasks/: Contains the main list of tasks to be executed by the role.
- templates/: Contains Jinja2 templates used by the role.
- tests/: Contains tests for the role.
- vars/: Contains variables that are meant to be static and not overridden.
- README.md: Provides documentation about the role.
- Organize Role Files: Keep role files organized and easy to read. Break down complex tasks into smaller, manageable files.
- Use Defaults and Vars: Use the
defaults and vars directories to make roles flexible and configurable.
- Document Your Roles: Always include a
README.md file to document the purpose and usage of the role.
- Use Handlers: Use handlers to manage service restarts and other actions that should only occur once after a series of tasks.
- Follow Naming Conventions: Use clear and consistent naming conventions for your tasks, variables, and files.
By following these best practices, you can create Ansible roles that are robust, reusable, and easy to maintain.