Ansible Labs¶

Intro¶

• This tutorial is for teaching Ansible through hands-on labs designed as practical exercises.
• Each lab is packaged in its own folder and includes the files, playbooks, and assets required to complete the lab.
• Every lab folder includes a README that describes the lab’s objectives, tasks, and how to verify the solution.
• The Ansible Labs are a series of Ansible automation exercises designed to teach players Ansible skills & features.
• The inspiration for this project is to provide practical learning experiences for Ansible.

Pre-Requirements¶

• This tutorial will test your Ansible and Linux skills.
• You should be familiar with the following topics:
  • Basic Linux commands
  • Linux File system navigation
  • Basic knowledge of Docker (if you choose to run it with Docker)
  • Basic knowledge of YAML
• For advanced Labs:
  • Ansible basics (inventory, playbooks, modules)

Usage¶

• There are several ways to run the Ansible Labs.
• Choose the method that works best for you.
  • Killercoda (Recommended)
  • 🐳 Docker
  • 📜 From Source
  • Using Google Cloud Shell

Killercoda (Recommended)🐳 Docker📜 From Source Using Google Cloud Shell

• The easiest way to get started with the labs
• Learn Ansible in your browser without any local installation

🌐 Launch on Killercoda

Benefits:

• No installation required
• Pre-configured environment
• Works on any device with a web browser
• All tools pre-installed

Using Docker is the easiest way to get started locally with the labs:

# Change to the Labs directory
cd Labs/000-setup

# Run the setup lab using Docker Compose
docker-compose up -d

Prerequisites:

• Docker and Docker Compose installed on your system
• No additional setup required

For those who prefer to run it directly on their machine:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/nirgeier/AnsibleLabs.git
# Change to the Labs directory
cd AnsibleLabs/Labs
# Start with the setup lab
cd 000-setup
# Follow the instructions in the README of each lab
cat README.md

Prerequisites:

• Ansible installed on your system
• A Unix-like operating system (Linux, macOS, or Windows with WSL)
• Basic command-line tools

• Google Cloud Shell provides a free, browser-based environment with all necessary tools pre-installed.
• Click on the Open in Google Cloud Shell button below:

• The repository will automatically be cloned into a free Cloud instance.
• Use CTRL + click to open it in a new window.
• Follow the instructions in the README of each lab.

Benefits:

• No local installation required
• Pre-configured environment
• Works on any device with a web browser
• All tools pre-installed
• Free tier available

02. Build From Source¶

• Clone the git repo: git clone https://github.com/nirgeier/AnsibleLabs.git
• Navigate to the Labs directory: cd AnsibleLabs/Labs/000-setup
• The lab contains the docker-compose file along with the Dockerfile(s) The containers are based upon ubuntu and are published to DockerHub as well.
• Build the demo containers
• The docker-compose will create ansible-controller which will server as our controller to execute ansible playbooks on our demo servers defined by the names linux-server-X

• For the demo we will also need a shared folder(s) where the certificates and the configuration will be stored
• The shared folder(s) will be mounted into the containers
• The containers will have access to the shared folder(s) for reading and writing files
• The shared folder(s) will be used to store the Ansible playbooks and inventory files
• The shared folder(s) will be mounted at /labs-scripts in the containers

Preface¶

What is Ansible?¶

• Ansible is an open-source automation tool for IT tasks such as configuration management, application deployment, and task automation.
• Ansible is Configuration Management tool which manage the state of our servers, install the required packages and tools.
• Other optional use cases can be deployments, Provisioning new servers
• The most powerful feature of Ansible is the ability to manage huge scale of servers regardless of their infrastructure (on prem, cloud, vm etc)
• Ansible uses SSH to connect to servers and execute tasks defined in YAML playbooks, making it agentless and easy to use.
• Ansible is widely used for managing infrastructure, ensuring consistency, and automating repetitive processes across various environments (on-premises, cloud, VMs, etc.).

How Ansible Works¶

• Ansible is an agentless tool.
• Ansible uses ssh for pulling modules and for managing the nodes
• Ansible is based upon YAML
• An Ansible playbook is a file that contains a set of instructions that Ansible can use to automate tasks on remote hosts.
• Playbooks are written in YAML, a human-readable markup language. A playbook typically consists of one or more plays, a collection of tasks run in sequence.

How Ansible Playbooks Work¶

• Here’s a brief overview of how Ansible playbooks work:

• Playbooks are one of the core features of Ansible and tell Ansible what to execute.
• They are used in complex scenarios.
• They serve as frameworks of pre-written code that developers can use ad-hoc or as a starting template.
• They can be saved, shared, or reused indefinitely, making it easier for IT teams to codify operational knowledge and ensure that the same actions are performed consistently.