ANSIBLE

1. What is Ansible?

Ansible is one of the configuration Management Tools. It is a

method through we automate system admin tasks.
Configuration refers to each and every minute details of a
system. If we do any changes in system means we are changing
the configuration of a machine. That means we are changing the
configuration of the machine. All windows/Linux system
administrators manage the configuration of a machine manually.
All DevOps engineers are managing this configuration automatic
way by using some tools which are available in the market. One
such tool is Ansible. That's why we call Ansible as configuration
management tool.

2. Working process of Ansible?

Here we crate file called playbook and inside playbook we write

script in YAML format to create infrastructure. Once we execute
this playbook, automatically code will be converted into
Infrastructure. We call this process as IAC (Infrastructure as
Code). We have open source and enterprise editions of Ansible.
Enterprise edition we call Ansible Tower.

3. Architecture of Ansible?
We create Ansible server by installing Ansible package in it.
Python is pre-requisite to install ansible. We need not to install
ansible package in nodes. Because, communication establishes
from server to node through “ssh” client. By default all Linux
machine will have “ssh” client. Server is going to push the code
to nodes that we write in playbooks. So Ansible follows pushing
mechanism.

4. Ansible components?

Server: - It is the place where we create playbooks and write

code in YML format
Node: - It is the place where we apply code to create
infrastructure. Server pushes code to nodes.
Ssh: - It is an agent through ansible server pushes code to nodes.
Setup: - It is a module in ansible which gathers nodes
information.
Inventory file:- In this file we keep IP/DNS of nodes.

5. Disadvantages in other SCM (Source Code Management)

tools?

Huge overhead of Infrastructure setup

Complicated setup
Pull mechanism
Lot of learning required
6. Advantages of Ansible over other SCM (Source Code
Management) tools?

Agentless
Relies on “ssh”
Uses python
Push mechanism

7. How Ansible works?

We give nodes IP addresses in hosts file by creating any group in

ansible server why because, ansible doesn't recognize individual
IP addresses of nodes. We create playbook and write code in
YAML script. The group name we have to mention in playbook
and then we execute the playbook. By default, playbook will be
executed in all those nodes which are under this group. This is
how ansible converts code into infrastructure.

8. What do you mean by Ad-Hoc commands in Ansible?

These are simple one liner Linux commands we use to meet

temporary requirements without actually saving for later. Here
we don't use ansible modules. So there, Idempotency will not
work with Ad-Hoc commands. If at all we don't get required
YAML module to write to create infrastructure, then we go for it.
Without using playbooks we can use these Ad-Hoc commands
for temporary purpose.

9. Differences between Chef and Ansible?

Ansible chef
Playbook – Recipe
Module – Resource
Host – Node
Setup – Ohai
Ssh – Knife
Push – Pull

10. What is Playbook in Ansible?

Playbook is a file where we write YAML script to create

infrastructure in nodes. Here, we use modules to create
infrastructure. We create so many sections in playbook. We
mention all modules in task section. You can create any no of
playbooks. There is no limit. Each playbook defines one scenario.
All sections begin with "-" & its attributes & parameters beneath
it.

11. Mention some list of sections that we mention in Playbook?

1. Target section
2. Task section
3. Variable section
4. Handler section

12. What is Target section in Ansible playbook?

This is one of the important sections in Playbook. In this section,

we mention the group name which contains either IP addresses
or Hostnames of nodes. When we execute playbook, then code
will be pushed too all nodes which are there in the group that we
mention in Target section. We use "all" key word to refer all
groups.
-

13. What is Task section in Ansible playbook?

This is second most important section in playbook after target

section. In this section, we are going to mention list of all
modules. All tasks we mention in this task section. We can
mention any no of modules in one playbook. There is no limit. If
there is only one task, then instead of going with big playbook,
simply we can go with arbitrary command where we can use one
module at a time. If more than one module, then there is no
option except going with big playbook.

14. What is Variable section?

In this section we are going to mention variables. Instead of hard
coding, we can mention as variables so that during runtime it
pulls the actual value in place of key. We have this concept in
each and every programming language and scripting language.
We use "vars" key word to use variables.

15. What is Handler section?

All tasks we mention in tasks section. But some tasks where

dependency is there, we should not mention in tasks section.
That is not good practice. For example, installing package is one
task and starting service is one more task. But there is
dependency between them. I.e. after installing package only, we
have to start service. Otherwise it throws error. These kind of
tasks, we mention in handler section. In above example, package
task we mention in task section and service task we mention in
handler section so that after installing task only service will be
started.

16. What is Dry run in playbook?

Dry run is to test playbook. Before executing playbook in nodes,

we can test whether the code in playbook is written properly or
not. Dry run won’t actually executes playbook, but it shows
output as if it executed playbook. Then by seeing the output, we
can come to know whether the playbook is written properly or
not. It checks whether the playbook is formatted correctly or
not. It tests how the playbook is going to behave without running
the tasks.

17. Why are we using loops concept in Ansible?

Sometimes we might need to deal with multiple tasks. For

instance, Installing multiple packages, Creating many users,
creation many groups..etc. In this case, mentioning module for
every task is complex process. So, to address this issue, we have
a concept of loops. We have to use variables in combination with
loops.

18. Where do we use conditionals in Playbooks?

Sometimes, your nodes could be mixture of different flavors of

Linux OS. Linux commands vary in different Linux operating
systems. In this case, we can't execute common set of
commands in all machines, at the same time, we can’t execute
different commands in each node separately. To address this
issue, we have conditionals concept where commands will be
executed based up on certain condition that we give.

19. What is Ansible vault?

Sometimes, we use sensitive information in playbooks like
passwords, keys ...etc. So any one can open these playbooks and
get to know about this sensitive information. So we have to
protect our playbooks from being read by others. So by using
Ansible vault, we encrypt playbooks so that, those who ever is
having password, only those can read this information. It is the
way of protecting playbooks by encrypting them.

20. What do you mean by Roles in Ansible?

Adding more & more functionality to the playbooks will make it

difficult to maintain in a single file. To address this issue, we
organize playbooks into a directory structure called “roles”. We
create separate file to each section and we just mention the
names of those sections in playbook instead of mentioning all
modules in main playbook. When you call main playbook, main
playbook will call all sections files respectively in the order
whatever order you mention in playbook. So, by using this Roles,
we can maintain small playbook without any complexity.

21. Write a sample playbook to install any package?

--- # My First YAML playbook

- hosts: demo
user: ansible
become: yes
connection: ssh
 tasks:
- name: Install HTTPD on centos 7
action: yum name=httpd state=installed

22. Write a sample playbook by mentioning variables instead of

hard coding?

--- # My First YAML playbook

- hosts: demo
user: ansible
become: yes
connection: ssh
vars:
pkgname: httpd
tasks:
- name: Install HTTPD server on centos 7
action: yum name=‘{{pkgname}}’ state=installed