Getting started with Ansible - Your learning path guide.

Introduction ✨

I’ve put together a learning path that significantly helped me improve my automation skills, and I believe it can do the same for you! 🚀

So, how does this work for you if you’re just starting out, whether you’re fresh out of university 🎓, switching careers 🔄, or have basic (or no) knowledge of the tools around automation? 🤖

In that case, I highly recommend starting with the prerequisites first. 🛠️ You’ll need to get familiar with the tools you’ll be using and the systems you’ll be automating to lay a strong foundation before diving into Ansible.

On the other hand, if you’re like me and come from a different IT background—whether it’s programming 💻, infrastructure administration 🖧, cloud administration ☁️, or something else—you can skip the prerequisites and jump straight into the core content.

This path is designed to get you up to speed and enhance your automation skills, no matter where you’re starting from! 🌟

Prerequirements

Close Prerequirements

Ansible Understanding the Basics:

What is Ansible? 🤔

Ansible is a powerful tool that helps automate a wide range of IT tasks, such as configuring networks, installing software, setting up servers and cloud infrastructure, managing configurations, sending and receiving messages, and more.

It uses a simple YAML format text file to define tasks and connects to target machines using SSH — no additional software or agents are required. Built on top of Python, Ansible leverages Python’s capabilities, meaning it can accomplish anything that Python can. What makes Ansible especially popular is that it doesn’t require you to be a Python programmer, and it’s incredibly easy to use.

This video will provide you with an introduction to Ansible, helping you understand its core concepts and getting you started on your learning path.

Ansible Tutorial - What is Ansible with TechWorldWithNana

infrastructure as code (IaC) 🛠️

Familiarize yourself with the concepts of configuration management and infrastructure as code (IaC).

Configuration management refers to the process of handling and maintaining consistent software configurations across systems, while Infrastructure as Code is the practice of managing and provisioning IT infrastructure through code rather than manual processes.

Ansible’s architecture 🏗️

Next, dive into Ansible’s architecture.

Ansible operates with a control node (the machine running Ansible commands), managed nodes (the machines being configured or automated), and inventory (the list of managed nodes). Understanding how these components work together is key to leveraging Ansible’s full potential.

After the installation section, let’s go over some key points to solidify your understanding.

Installation 💾

Install Ansible on your local machine or a control node. Ansible can be installed on Linux, macOS, or Windows.

Follow the official for your operating system.

You can follow the official Ansible installation Guide for your operating system. Below are the installation commands for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and macOS

• RHEL:

sudo dnf install ansible

• MacOS

brew install ansible

Are you on Mac? but you don’t have homebrew yet? then go get brew here.🍺

Ansible Key Concepts 🗝️

Before you start coding with Ansible, make sure to review these key concepts.

Where does Ansible run? 🏃‍♂️💻

Ansible runs on the control host and uses SSH to communicate with target hosts, performing tasks and applying configurations.

Ansible Control Host 🖥️🎮

The Ansible control host is the machine where Ansible is installed, and from which you run Ansible commands and playbooks.

Ansible Target Hosts 🎯💻

Target hosts, or managed nodes, are the machines that Ansible manages and configures.

Ansible Playbook ▶️📚

An Ansible playbook is a YAML file that outlines the tasks Ansible will execute on managed systems in a specific order. It defines steps to configure servers, deploy applications, or install software on cloud platforms.

Here a hello world ansible playbook example:

---
- name: Hello World Playbook
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Print Hello World
      ansible.builtin.debug:
        msg: "Hello, World!"

Run your first Ansible Playbook 🏃

To execute the playbook and simplify the process:

1. Copy and Save: Copy the YAML content into a file, e.g., hello_world.yml.

2. Run with Inventory:
   • If hosts: all is defined, you need an inventory file. Run:

     ansible-playbook -i <inventory> hello_world.yml
     

3. Simplify with localhost:
   • Change hosts: all to hosts: localhost in the playbook.
   • This removes the need for an inventory file. Run:

     ansible-playbook hello_world.yml
     

This works because localhost tells Ansible to execute directly on the control node without requiring an external inventory.

Ansible Inventory 📋🔧

In Ansible, the inventory defines the hosts where tasks will be executed.

You can create a simple inventory file with one or more hosts and groups.

Open your preferred text editor (I use VSCode) and create a file like this:

[webservers]
web1.example.com
web2.example.com

[webservers:vars]
ansible_user=webadmin
ansible_python_interpreter=/usr/bin/python3

[databases]
db1.example.com
db2.example.com

[databases:vars]
ansible_user=dbadmin

Conclusion 🚀

Embarking on your Ansible journey can be both exciting and rewarding. By following the outlined learning path, you’ll gain a solid understanding of automation, empowering you to streamline IT tasks and manage complex environments efficiently. Whether you’re building foundational skills or expanding your existing expertise, Ansible provides a versatile toolkit to transform your workflow. ⚙️💻

Remember, mastery comes with practice. Start small, experiment with playbooks, and gradually tackle more advanced scenarios. The automation landscape evolves rapidly, so keep exploring, stay curious, and share your insights with the community. 🌟 Happy automating! 🎉 See you next time with more! 🚀✨

This page was last update at 2025-01-16 15:51