Ansible

Ansible is a Command Line Interface management tool that runs on Linux, MacOS, Windows (Operating System) locally or using SSH. It is built in Python.

Definitions

• Collections: a way to distribute and bundle together playbooks, roles, module and plugins
• Control node: a machine where Ansible is installed on and runs from
• Inventory: a list of nodes managed by Ansible
• Module: a unit of code executed by Ansible to do specific things
• Playbook: is a blueprint/ ordered list of automation tasks—which are complex IT actions executed with limited or no human involvement.
• Role: Groups of tasks with associated variables, templates, files etc
• Task: A unit of action in ansible

Example task of installing web server on Linux

   # roles/example/tasks/main.yml
    - name: Install the correct web server for RHEL
      import_tasks: redhat.yml
      when: ansible_facts[‘os_family’]|lower == ‘redhat’
    
    - name: Install the correct web server for Debian
      import_tasks: debian.yml
      when: ansible_facts[‘os_family’]|lower == ‘debian’
    
    # roles/example/tasks/redhat.yml
    - name: Install web server
      ansible.builtin.yum:
        name: “httpd”
        state: present
    
    # roles/example/tasks/debian.yml
    - name: Install web server
      ansible.builtin.apt:
        name: “apache2”
        state: present