Ansible

Target Audience:

• System Administrators

• DevOps Engineers

• Network Engineers

• Cloud Engineers

• Anyone interested in automating IT tasks

Course Objectives:

• Grasp the core functionalities and benefits of Ansible.

• Install and configure Ansible on a control machine.

• Design and manage Ansible inventories to define target systems.

• Craft Ansible playbooks to automate configuration management and deployments.

• Leverage Ansible modules for various tasks like user management, file transfers, and package installation.

• Utilize variables, conditionals, and loops to create dynamic and efficient playbooks.

• Manage Ansible roles for modular and reusable automation code.

• Explore advanced topics like Ansible Vault for secure credential management and Ansible Galaxy for sharing automation content.

• Understand how to integrate Ansible with cloud platforms for automated infrastructure provisioning.

Course Structure:

This intensive course combines lectures, coding exercises, and discussions to equip you with the skills to leverage Ansible for IT automation.

Length: 3 days

Module 1: Introduction to Infrastructure Automation

• Explore the advantages of automating IT infrastructure management.

• Unveiling Ansible: Architecture, key features, and its edge over traditional scripting approaches.

Module 2: Installing and Configuring Ansible

• Hands-on exercise: Setting up Ansible on a control machine.

Module 3: Understanding Inventories

• Demystify Ansible inventories: Defining target systems for automation.

• Explore static and dynamic inventories: Choosing the right approach for your needs.

• Learn to manage inventories effectively using groups, hosts, and variables.

Module 4: Playbooks - The Cornerstone of Automation

• Discover playbooks: The core component of Ansible automation.

• Delve into playbook structure, syntax, and execution flow.

• Hands-on exercise: Building your first playbook to manage user accounts.

Module 5: Conquering Tasks with Ansible Modules

• Explore Ansible modules: The building blocks for automating tasks on managed systems.

• Learn about common modules for user management, file transfers, service control, and package installation.

Module 6: Variables and Conditionals for Dynamic Playbooks

• Grasp how variables simplify playbooks by storing and reusing configuration data.

• Craft conditional statements to execute tasks based on specific criteria.

• Leverage loops to automate repetitive tasks efficiently.

Module 7: Reusability and Modularity with Roles

• Discover roles: A powerful approach for packaging reusable automation code for maintainability and scalability.

• Learn to build and utilize custom roles within your playbooks.

• Explore Ansible Galaxy, a community repository for sharing automation content.

Module 8: Securing Credentials with Ansible Vault

• Understand how Ansible Vault safeguards sensitive information within playbooks.

• Hands-on exercise: Encrypting passwords, API keys, and other credentials using Ansible Vault.

Module 9: Integrating Ansible with Cloud Platforms

• Explore how Ansible can be leveraged for automated infrastructure provisioning in cloud environments.

• Discuss real-world examples of using Ansible with popular cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP.

Module 10: Advanced Topics and Best Practices

• Learn error handling and debugging techniques for your Ansible playbooks.

• Explore methods for running playbooks remotely and scheduling automated tasks.

• Discuss best practices for maintaining and scaling Ansible automation effectively.

Module 11: Case Studies and Real-World Applications

• Engage in discussions and explore real-world use cases of Ansible automation across various IT domains.

• Brainstorm and design Ansible playbooks for practical scenarios you might encounter.

Module 12: Continued Learning and Exploration

• Discover valuable resources for further learning and exploration of Ansible.

• Open forum for discussion, troubleshooting, and exploring advanced use cases.