Ansible

• Installation
• Understanding YAML
• Ansible Inventory
• Inventory file
• Inventory Parameters
• Ansible Playbooks
• Ansible Plays
• Ansible Modules
• Command Module
• Script Module
• Service Module
• Ansible Variables
• Ansible Conditionals
• Ansible Roles

Installation

• For everyone who hates Windows.WSL is here to save our ass.Yayyy!
• Ansible through Windows

Understanding YAML

• Data should be represented in Key-Value pairs

Ansible Inventory

• Has data about target systems
• Default inventory: etc/ansible/hosts
• A List of servers

Inventory file

• To define a group
• [Group name]--List servers
• Multiple nested groups possible
• To define a group in a group
• [parent_group:"children"] List child groups
• Default group: All
• Example Inventory file

Inventory Parameters

• Examples
• 1. Ansible_host: Define localhost in absence of other hosts
• 2. Ansible_Port: Tells which port to connect
• 3. Ansible_SSH_pass: Define the SSH password for Linux

Ansible Playbooks

• Ansible's Orchestration Language
• Set of instructions
• Written in YAML format

Ansible Plays

• Define a set of activities(tasks)
• Task
• 1. An action performed on the host
• 2. Ex-run a script,install package
• Tasks are represented in the playbook as an array
• The position of entries here matters
• Indentation and orientation necessary

Ansible Modules

• Example: System,DataBase etc
• Ensure idempotency in all the modules

Command Module

• A free form parameter
• Execute command on a remote node
• Module Name: Command
• Refrence:
• Official Documentation

Script Module

• Executes a script local to Ansible
• Takes care of copying scripts and executing on remote systems
• Syntax: script: location

Service Module

• Start,Stop or Restart a service

[x] Started

[-] Start

• Started:to endure the service is started
• Ensures idempotency of an operation

Ansible Variables

• Hold information about the hosts
• Example:ansible_host,ansible_connection etc in inventory
• To add to playbook use vars directive
• Can be defined in a seperate file as well
• Format used:jinja 2 templating name{{}}

Ansible Conditionals

• Use when <>
• Example when: variable=="name"
• Use ==
• Use and

Ansible Roles

• Can be used for better code
• Get it from Ansible Directory
• Ansible Galaxy
• These roles can be specified at etc/ansible
• ansible-galaxy search
• ansible-galaxy run
• ansible-galaxy list
• Specify under roles