What is Ansible – Advantages and Disadvantages

Is Ansible free?

What programming language is Ansible written in?

How do i install Ansible?

sudo apt update && sudo apt install ansible -y

sudo yum install ansible -y

brew install ansible

What is an Ansible inventory?

[webservers]
server1.example.com
server2.example.com

What is Playbook in Ansible?

- name: Install Nginx
  hosts: webservers
  tasks:
    - name: Install Nginx
      apt:
        name: nginx
        state: present

What are Ansible modules?

- name: Create a file
  file:
    path: /tmp/testfile.txt
    state: touch

What is Ansible Vault?

ansible-vault encrypt secret.yml

What are Handlers in Ansible?

- name: Restart Apache
  service:
    name: apache2
    state: restarted
  listen: "restart_apache"

How do i run an Ansible playbook?

ansible-playbook playbook.yml

What is Ansible Galaxy?

ansible-galaxy install geerlingguy.nginx

How do i test an Ansible playbook before running it?

ansible-playbook playbook.yml --check

ansible-playbook playbook.yml -vvv

What is the recommended workflow for using Ansible with Terraform?

• Use Terraform to create cloud resources (VMs, networks, databases).
• Use Terraform output variables to store resource details (IP addresses, SSH keys).
• Use Ansible to configure and manage the provisioned infrastructure.

How do i use Terraform to provision infrastructure and then run Ansible?

resource "aws_instance" "web" {
  ami           = "ami-123456"
  instance_type = "t2.micro"
}
output "public_ip" {
  value = aws_instance.web.public_ip
}

terraform output -json > terraform_outputs.json

ansible-playbook -i inventory.ini playbook.yml

How do i use Terraform’s remote state in Ansible?

- name: Fetch Terraform state
  terraform_state:
    state: path/to/terraform.tfstate
  register: tf_state

Can i use Ansible inside Terraform for post-provisioning tasks?

provisioner "remote-exec" {
  inline = [
    "sudo apt update",
    "sudo apt install nginx -y"
  ]
}

How does Jenkins trigger Ansible playbooks?

• Using the "Ansible" plugin.
• Running Ansible as a shell command (ansible-playbook playbook.yml).
• Using a Jenkins Pipeline Script (sh 'ansible-playbook playbook.yml').

How do i install Ansible on Jenkins?

sudo apt install ansible  # Ubuntu/Debian
sudo yum install ansible  # RHEL/CentOS
brew install ansible      # macOS

How do i run Ansible playbook from Jenkins job?

Method 1: Using the "Ansible" Plugin

1. In Jenkins, create a Freestyle Project.
2. Under Build Steps, select Invoke Ansible Playbook.
3. Provide the playbook path (/path/to/playbook.yml).
4. Add any extra parameters (e.g., -i inventory.ini).

Method 2: Using a Shell Command

1. Create a Freestyle Project.
2. Add a Build Step → Execute Shell and run:

ansible-playbook -i inventory.ini playbook.yml

Method 3: Using a Jenkins Pipeline Script

pipeline {
    agent any
    stages {
        stage('Run Ansible') {
            steps {
                sh 'ansible-playbook -i inventory.ini playbook.yml'
            }
        }
    }
}

How do i pass Jenkins environment variables to Ansible?

ansible-playbook -i inventory.ini playbook.yml -e "version=${BUILD_NUMBER}"

sh 'ansible-playbook -i inventory.ini playbook.yml -e "branch=${GIT_BRANCH}"'

How do i trigger Ansible playbooks after successful Jenkins build?

• Select "Run Ansible Playbook" after a successful build.

post {
    success {
        sh 'ansible-playbook -i inventory.ini deploy.yml'
    }
}

How do i integrate Ansible Tower (AWX) with Jenkins?

• Install the "Ansible Tower Plugin" in Jenkins.
• Configure Tower URL and credentials under Manage Jenkins → Configure System.
• In a Pipeline, trigger an Ansible Tower job:

  ansibleTower(
      towerServer: 'AnsibleTower',
      jobTemplate: 'Deploy App',
      inventory: 'Production'
  )

Can Ansible and Puppet be used together?

When should i use Ansible vs. Puppet?

• Use Puppet for long-term configuration enforcement.
• Use Ansible for orchestration, on-demand tasks, and server provisioning.
• Combine both for robust automation (e.g., use Ansible to deploy Puppet agents).

How do i use Ansible to install and configure Puppet?

- name: Install Puppet Agent
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Install Puppet
      apt:
        name: puppet-agent
        state: present

    - name: Start Puppet Agent
      service:
        name: puppet
        state: started
        enabled: yes

How do i handle conflicts between Ansible and Puppet?

• Avoid overlapping responsibilities (e.g., don’t let both manage the same config files).
• Define clear roles (Ansible for provisioning, Puppet for enforcement).

How do i use Ansible to install and configure Chef?

- name: Install Chef Client
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Download Chef installer
      get_url:
        url: //packages.chef.io/files/stable/chef/17.10.0/el/7/chef-17.10.0-1.el7.x86_64.rpm
        dest: /tmp/chef.rpm

    - name: Install Chef
      yum:
        name: /tmp/chef.rpm
        state: present

    - name: Create Chef client configuration
      copy:
        dest: /etc/chef/client.rb
        content: |
          chef_server_url "//chef-server.example.com"
          validation_client_name "my-validator"

ansible-playbook -i inventory.ini install_chef.yml

How do i use Ansible to install and configure SaltStack?

- name: Install Salt Minion
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Install Salt Minion
      apt:
        name: salt-minion
        state: present

    - name: Configure Salt Minion
      copy:
        dest: /etc/salt/minion
        content: |
          master: salt-master.example.com
          id: {{ inventory_hostname }}

    - name: Start Salt Minion
      service:
        name: salt-minion
        state: started
        enabled: yes

Why use Ansible with Docker?

• Container deployment
• Image building
• Networking and volume management
• Container orchestration

Do i need Docker installed on the Ansible control node?

How do i install Docker using Ansible?

- name: Install Docker
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Install dependencies
      apt:
        name: ['apt-transport-https', 'ca-certificates', 'curl', 'software-properties-common']
        state: present

    - name: Add Docker GPG key
      shell: curl -fsSL //download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo apt-key add -

    - name: Add Docker repository
      shell: add-apt-repository "deb [arch=amd64] //download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable"

    - name: Install Docker
      apt:
        name: docker-ce
        state: present

ansible-playbook -i inventory.ini install_docker.yml

How do i create and run Docker container using Ansible?

- name: Run Nginx container
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Start a Docker container
      community.docker.docker_container:
        name: nginx_server
        image: nginx:latest
        state: started
        ports:
          - "80:80"

ansible-playbook -i inventory.ini deploy_nginx.yml

How do i stop and remove Docker container using Ansible?

- name: Stop and remove a Docker container
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Stop container
      community.docker.docker_container:
        name: nginx_server
        state: stopped

    - name: Remove container
      community.docker.docker_container:
        name: nginx_server
        state: absent

How do i pull Docker image using Ansible?

- name: Pull Docker Image
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Pull Nginx image
      community.docker.docker_image:
        name: nginx
        source: pull

How do i build a Docker image using Ansible?

- name: Build Docker Image
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Build an image from a Dockerfile
      community.docker.docker_image:
        name: my_app
        tag: latest
        build:
          path: /path/to/dockerfile

How do i push Docker image to Docker Hub using Ansible?

- name: Push Docker Image
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Push image to Docker Hub
      community.docker.docker_image:
        name: my_dockerhub_user/my_app
        push: yes
        source: local
        repository: my_dockerhub_user/my_app

How do i create Docker network using Ansible?

- name: Create Docker network
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Create custom network
      community.docker.docker_network:
        name: my_network
        state: present

How do i create and mount volume in Docker using Ansible?

- name: Create and mount Docker volume
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Create a Docker volume
      community.docker.docker_volume:
        name: my_volume

    - name: Run container with volume
      community.docker.docker_container:
        name: app_container
        image: my_app
        volumes:
          - my_volume:/app/data

How do i use Ansible to manage Docker without root access?

- name: Add user to Docker group
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Add user to Docker group
      user:
        name: ansible
        groups: docker
        append: yes

How do i log in to private Docker registry using Ansible?

- name: Login to a private registry
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Authenticate Docker
      community.docker.docker_login:
        registry_url: "//registry.example.com"
        username: my_user
        password: my_password

How do i deploy Docker Compose stack using Ansible?

- name: Deploy Docker Compose Stack
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Copy docker-compose file
      copy:
        src: ./docker-compose.yml
        dest: /home/user/docker-compose.yml

    - name: Run Docker Compose
      community.docker.docker_compose:
        project_src: /home/user/

How do i install Kubernetes using Ansible?

- name: Install Kubernetes Cluster
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Install dependencies
      apt:
        name: ['apt-transport-https', 'ca-certificates', 'curl']
        state: present

    - name: Add Kubernetes GPG key
      shell: curl -fsSL //packages.cloud.google.com/apt/doc/apt-key.gpg | apt-key add -

    - name: Add Kubernetes repository
      shell: echo "deb //apt.kubernetes.io/ kubernetes-xenial main" | tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/kubernetes.list

    - name: Install Kubernetes packages
      apt:
        name: ['kubelet', 'kubeadm', 'kubectl']
        state: present

ansible-playbook -i inventory.ini install_k8s.yml

How do i deploy Kubernetes pod using Ansible?

- name: Deploy a Kubernetes pod
  hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Create a pod
      community.kubernetes.k8s:
        api_version: v1
        kind: Pod
        namespace: default
        name: nginx-pod
        definition:
          metadata:
            labels:
              app: nginx
          spec:
            containers:
              - name: nginx
                image: nginx:latest

How do I deploy Kubernetes service using Ansible?

- name: Deploy a Kubernetes Service
  hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Create a Service
      community.kubernetes.k8s:
        api_version: v1
        kind: Service
        name: nginx-service
        namespace: default
        definition:
          metadata:
            labels:
              app: nginx
          spec:
            selector:
              app: nginx
            ports:
              - protocol: TCP
                port: 80
                targetPort: 80

How do i scale deployment using Ansible?

- name: Scale a Kubernetes Deployment
  hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Scale deployment to 5 replicas
      community.kubernetes.k8s:
        api_version: apps/v1
        kind: Deployment
        name: nginx-deployment
        namespace: default
        definition:
          spec:
            replicas: 5

How do I update Kubernetes deployment with Ansible?

- name: Update Kubernetes Deployment Image
  hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Update deployment image
      community.kubernetes.k8s:
        api_version: apps/v1
        kind: Deployment
        name: nginx-deployment
        namespace: default
        definition:
          spec:
            template:
              spec:
                containers:
                  - name: nginx
                    image: nginx:1.21.6