What is Jenkins?

Jenkins is an automation server software that is used frequently to achieve continuous integration and delivery in software projects.

It is one of the most popular continuous integration tools available in the market today. Jenkins is open source and is available free of cost.

Traditionally, developers used to push their code (the process of code commit) to a version control server. Once there was enough code to build into a release, someone would invoke a build tool that took all the pushed code and created a build out of it, that could be released into a specific environment (Dev, QA, UAT/ Stag or Production).

With continuous integration, this ‘build’ operation is invoked each time a developer pushes his or her code to the repository. Jenkins, in this case, would also run tests to make sure that the build is stable and okay for delivery. If there are problems with the build, Jenkins would notify the developers that there is a problem.

Jenkins supports Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, and Unix operating system. It is supported by an active community that regularly contributes to the features and documentation of the tool.

Developers invoke Jenkins in various ways. Some write a program that executes periodically (a cronjob) that allows Jenkins to pick the latest code from the repository and build it. It can also be conditioned to act as soon as there is a new commit in the repository.

Jenkins Plugins

Jenkins comes with a wide range of plugins as well that extend its functionality. The plugins from Jenkins range from ones that give control over the jobs they run to getting statistics on the builds done.

Some of the popular plugins include Post + Build + Task that lets you perform specific actions depending upon the results of a build.

If a build passes you can upload a success file and if it fails, you can roll back your release. Jenkins also has plugins that help you integrate with different version control systems. This comes very handily when you are working on huge projects that have code bases scattered across different servers.

Jenkins also offers plugins that let you do a specific task before doing a build. As mentioned before, Jenkins also has a plugin (called the JobGenerator Plugin) that lets you manage jobs using templates and role-based access.

Here are TOP 50 Jenkins plugins in 2025:

• Git
• Subversion
• Jira
• Ansible
• Kubernetes
• SonarQube
• Docker
• Maven Integration
• Amazon EC2
• Build Pipeline
• Blue Ocean
• Mailer
• Pipeline
• Metrics
• Slack-Jenkins
• JaCoCo
• Copy Artifact
• Folders
• Performance
• Multijob
• Disk-usage
• Green balls
• Incredibuild
• Audit Trail
• Android Lint
• Google Play Android Publisher
• Android Device connector
• Xcode
• iOS Device Connector
• ThinBackup
• JDK Parameter
• LDAP
• SSH Credentials
• Durable Task
• OWASP Markup Formatter
• ECharts
• MapDB
• Locale
• SAML
• Terraform
• Checkmarx
• Synk Security
• LogsStash
• Splunk
• Datadog
• MySQL DB
• Unity3D
• JFrong
• Packer
• HashiCorp Vault

Jenkins Pros

Jenkins is an immensely popular tool that is used in numerous projects needing continuous integration and delivery. Here are a few reasons of Jenkins advantages.

1. Jenkins is open source and free

The main Jenkins Pros is free to download, and the source code is also available. This has spawned a growing community of developers who are actively helping each other and contributing to the Jenkins project. This ensures that you get better and more stable versions each year.

2. Jenkins comes with a wide range of plugins

The second most important Jenkin Pros is it has a wide range of plugins that give a developer a lot of added features and power over the already feature-rich Jenkins installation. These plugins help developers extend Jenkins into their own custom tool for their projects.

3. Jenkins integrates and works with all major tools

Jenkins being the popular tool it is, integrates with all major version control tools like CVS, Subversion, Git, build tools like Apache Ant and Maven and even other tools like Kubernetes and Docker.

4. Jenkins is flexible

With its wide range of plugins and open architecture, Jenkins is very flexible. Teams can use Jenkins in projects of various sizes and complexity.

Jenkins places no limits on the kinds and numbers of servers that can be integrated with it. Teams across the globe can work towards continuous delivery, seamlessly.

5. Jenkins comes with a decent API suite

Jenkins comes equipped with APIs that lets you tailor the amount of data that you fetch. This mechanism helps your server use simple web-hooks to invoke Jenkins for specific purposes.

6. Jenkins is easy to use

An active, vibrant community, regularly updated documentation and support for all major operating systems mean that a person with just decent skills can download and get Jenkins up and run in a few hours.

The active community also readily answers questions on forums and groups that encourage newcomers into taking up this technology, more readily.

7. You have a ready talent base

We all know how difficult it is to find talent for very niche technologies. Jenkins has cemented itself to be a popular tool in software development and it is absolutely possible for a recruiter to find a decent developer who is also good with Jenkins.

Jenkins Cons

The advantages of Jenkins have contributed to its growing popularity and fan-base. There are also certain cons of using Jenkins that one must be aware of.

1. Unpredictable costs

The costs of hosting the server (which isn’t free) that Jenkins runs on cannot be predicted easily. It is not always possible to predict the kind of load (depending on the number of commits, volume of code, volume of assets etc.) that the server is going to serve. Hence the cost factor, even if Jenkins itself is free, remains unpredictable.

2. Lack of governance

Jenkins’ management is generally done by a single user and that leads to tracking and accountability problems with the pushed code.

There is tracking that exists on the Version Control Server but there is no tracking of that kind of Jenkins itself, which is a concern.

3. No collaboration features

Jenkins doesn’t allow one developer to see the commits done by another team member, readily. This makes tracking the overall release progress a rather difficult job for larger projects. This can cause a lot of trouble to the release manager.

4. Lack of analytics

Jenkins doesn’t provide any analytics (there are plugins, but they are not enough) on the end-to-end deployment cycle. This again goes back to the lack of overall tracking that contributes to the lack of analytics as well.

5. Needs personnel

While Jenkins is indeed a powerful and useful tool, managing a Jenkins server needs special attention and many times, a dedicated developer. This adds man hours to the project and pushes up the overall project cost as well.

Some Important Links

Jenkins is extremely powerful, extendable, and flexible and also remains one of the most popular continuous integration and delivery software in the world.

With its new versions, one can hope that it eliminates some of the cons and grows, even more, to become every developer’s and IT company’s favourite continuous integration tool.

What are Jenkins pipelines and why are they important?

Jenkins pipelines are a suite of plugin features that support automating the process of building, testing, and deploying code within Jenkins. A pipeline defines your entire CI/CD workflow as code, using a Jenkinsfile.

There are two types of pipelines in Jenkins:

Declarative Pipeline: Simple, structured syntax ideal for most use cases
Scripted Pipeline: Uses full Groovy syntax; gives more flexibility for complex logic

Why Are Jenkins Pipelines Important?

• Pipelines automate every stage of the software delivery lifecycle, reducing manual errors and speeding up deployment.
• Defining the pipeline in a version-controlled Jenkinsfile brings transparency, repeatability, and easier debugging.
• Developers, testers, and DevOps teams can work with a shared, readable pipeline configuration.
• Supports parallel builds, conditional logic, parameterized inputs, and complex branching workflows.
• Automatically running tests and builds on every commit helps catch bugs early in the development cycle.
• Easily integrates with Git, Docker, Kubernetes, Slack, SonarQube, and other tools to streamline end-to-end workflows.

pipeline {
    agent any
    stages {
      stage('Build') {
        steps {
          echo 'Building...'
        }
      }
      stage('Test') {
        steps {
          echo 'Testing...'
        }
      }
      stage('Deploy') {
        steps {
          echo 'Deploying...'
        }
      }
    }
  } 

What are the key benefits of using Jenkins for CI/CD?

• Open Source & Free: Jenkins is free to use, actively maintained, and supported by a large global community.
• Highly Extensible: With over 1,800+ plugins, Jenkins integrates with almost every DevOps tool – Git, Docker, Maven, Slack, AWS, Kubernetes, and more.
• Pipeline as Code: Automate build, test, and deployment processes using Jenkinsfile — enabling version control, easy rollback, and better collaboration.
• Cross-Platform Support: Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. You can use it on-premise, on VMs, or in cloud environments.
• Automated Workflows: Jenkins triggers jobs automatically on code pushes, pull requests, or schedule, enabling faster feedback and reducing manual intervention.
• Scalability: Supports distributed builds with master-agent architecture, helping teams scale CI/CD across large projects and teams.
• Customizable & Scriptable: Whether it’s a simple task or complex DevOps pipeline, Jenkins can be tailored using Groovy scripting or plugin configurations.
• Rich Ecosystem: Jenkins integrates with modern DevOps tools and supports parallelism, testing frameworks, static analysis, and more.

What is the difference between freestyle project and pipeline in Jenkins?

Recommendation: Use Freestyle Projects for simple tasks and quick experiments. For modern, scalable, and collaborative CI/CD workflows, use Pipelines.

How to implement parallel builds in Jenkins pipelines?

Jenkins Pipelines – Implement Parallel Builds – Ezeelive TechnologiesIn Jenkins, parallel builds help speed up your CI/CD process by running multiple steps or jobs at the same time – ideal for tasks like testing across environments, compiling modules independently, or deploying to multiple servers.

Jenkins Parallel Build Syntax (Declarative Pipeline):

pipeline {
  agent any

  stages {
    stage('Parallel Tasks') {
      parallel {
        stage('Unit Tests') {
          steps {
            echo 'Running unit tests...'
          }
        }
        stage('Linting') {
          steps {
            echo 'Running lint checks...'
          }
        }
        stage('Build Docs') {
          steps {
            echo 'Building documentation...'
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Why is my Jenkins build failing? Common errors and solutions

Is Jenkins still relevant in 2025?

As of 2025, Jenkins continues to be a powerful and flexible solution for implementing Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipelines. Its extensive plugin architecture, active community, and ability to integrate with virtually any tool make it a reliable choice for teams seeking control over their software delivery processes.

While newer CI/CD platforms offer cloud-native features and simplified workflows, Jenkins remains highly relevant especially for enterprises with complex, hybrid, or on-premise infrastructures. With continuous updates and support from the community, Jenkins is still evolving to meet the needs of modern software development.

Why Jenkins is still relevant?

• Massive Ecosystem & Flexibility: Jenkins remains one of the most flexible CI/CD tools with a huge plugin ecosystem. If you have unique or legacy needs, Jenkins can likely handle them.
• Mature & Stable: It’s a battle-tested solution, especially for enterprises with complex build pipelines and on-prem infrastructure.
• Custom Workflows: Jenkins excels at handling highly customized or hybrid deployment scenarios.
• Active Community: It’s still maintained and receives updates, even if it’s not the coolest kid in the DevOps playground anymore.

Where Jenkins might fall behind?

• Steeper Learning Curve: Compared to modern alternatives like GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or CircleCI, Jenkins can feel bulky and harder to set up.
• Plugin Maintenance Issues: Some Jenkins plugins are outdated or poorly maintained, leading to fragility in pipelines.
• UI/UX: Still clunky compared to newer, more polished solutions.

Jenkins declarative vs scripted pipeline: Which should you use?

Use Declarative: if you want simplicity, structure, and better visualization.
Use Scripted: if you need complex logic, dynamic behavior, or full control.

Jenkins vs Jenkins X: What’s the Difference?

Use Jenkins if:

• Working with traditional VMs or bare metal
• Existing Jenkins pipelines you want to maintain
• Team prefers a familiar UI and rich plugin ecosystem
• Not fully on Kubernetes

Use Jenkins X if:

• Building and deploying cloud-native apps on Kubernetes
• GitOps-style automation
• Automated preview environments and modern CI/CD workflows
• Using containers and microservices extensively

What is Blue Ocean in Jenkins and how to use it?

Blue Ocean is a modern, user-friendly interface for Jenkins plugin that reimagines the classic Jenkins UI, making it cleaner, more visual, and focused on pipeline-first workflows.

Key Features of Blue Ocean

How to Use Blue Ocean

Step 1: Install the Plugin

• Go to Manage Jenkins → Manage Plugins
• Search for Blue Ocean under the Available tab
• Install and restart Jenkins

Step 2: Access Blue Ocean UI

Visit http://<your-jenkins-host>/blue or click “Open Blue Ocean” on the main Jenkins dashboard.

Step 3: Create a Pipeline

• From Git Repository: Authenticate with GitHub/Bitbucket and select your repo
• Visual Pipeline Editor: Create a Jenkinsfile using GUI and commit it

Step 4: Run & Visualize

Click on the pipeline, run it, and view each stage and step. Click any step for logs or debugging info.

When Should You Use Blue Ocean?

• New to Jenkins and prefer visual tools
• Building pipelines frequently
• Managing microservices or multi-branch workflows
• Need easier pipeline debugging

NOTE: As of 2025, Blue Ocean is still usable, but active development has slowed down. Jenkins users looking for modern alternatives may consider other tools or GitOps-based UIs.

Conclusion

Jenkins pros include its open-source flexibility, extensive plugin ecosystem, and strong community support, making it a reliable tool for automating CI/CD pipelines. With easy integration into various development environments and scalable configurations, Jenkins pros help teams accelerate delivery, improve code quality, and support efficient DevOps practices.

What is Puppet?

Puppet is a software configuration management tool that is used mainly by system administrators and cloud administrators today. It helps an administrator declare the system configuration and apply it across one or many systems.

It is useful in growing complexity of IT infrastructure management and the increasing number of mundane, routine tasks that are involved in almost any setup. Puppet is an open-source tool under the Apache License 2.0 license.

What are Puppet Pros and Cons?

Traditionally, system administrators configured computers in a network separately, by carrying out the setup steps on each system locally. As the server-client architecture boomed, it was necessary to configure servers remotely and quickly.

It was still simple enough to be done by a human and by that time people started using some scripts to automate small chunks of tasks.

As the number of servers grew and the list of tasks to do a configuration grew with it, bigger teams were employed to administrate those servers. But there were too many tasks that now which were mundane but important for a successful configuration.

These problems were set to grow to bigger volumes with the advent of cloud computing. Also, servers started becoming more disparate with different platforms and operating systems coming into the picture.

How Puppet Works?

Puppet has a configuration language, which is simpler than a traditional programming language. It is more like a markup language such as XML.

A user uses this language to declare the items to be configured and the actions to be taken. This collection of instructions is saved as a ‘manifest’ file.

While the user is doing this, they do not need to worry about the actual underlying platform. This is due to the resource abstraction feature of Puppet.

To execute the configuration, Puppet picks the instructions while maintaining a graphical representation of the resources it has to act on (with their interdependencies). The configuration to be achieved (called the desired state) is achieved and the result of it is sent across to the server.

Puppet Advantages

Puppet is one the most popular configuration management tools around and has plenty of advantages.

1. Puppet is open source

It is important for a technology to be open source and hence be extendable. This is one of the biggest Puppet Pros. Puppet can be extended to build custom libraries and modules to suit the needs individual project.

2. Automation

Puppet allows for the automation of repetitive tasks involved in managing infrastructure, such as configuration changes, software installation, and updates. This automation reduces human error and saves time by eliminating the need for manual intervention.

3. Consistency

With Puppet, you can define the desired state of your infrastructure using code (in Puppet’s domain-specific language), ensuring consistency across all your servers and environments. This consistency helps maintain stability and reliability in your infrastructure.

4. Scalability

Puppet is designed to scale from small to large infrastructures, making it suitable for organizations of all sizes. Whether you have a handful of servers or thousands, Puppet can efficiently manage them.

5. Reusability

Puppet’s modular architecture allows you to create reusable components called modules. Modules encapsulate configuration logic and can be shared across teams and organizations via Puppet Forge, a repository for Puppet modules. This encourages code reuse and standardization.

6. Version Control

Puppet code can be managed using version control systems such as Git, enabling you to track changes, collaborate with teammates, and roll back to previous configurations if needed. This ensures transparency and accountability in managing infrastructure changes.

7. Reporting and Monitoring

Puppet provides reporting and monitoring capabilities that give insights into the state of your infrastructure. You can track changes, detect drifts from the desired configuration, and troubleshoot issues more effectively.

8. Puppet allows resource abstraction

It is possible for a configuration task today to be needed across a range of servers that all have different operating systems and other platform specific identities.

Hoping that a system administrator actually remembers the commands and syntax of the individual platforms and reproducing that error-free is hoping for a lot.

Puppet doesn’t need one to do that since it derives the system specific data using a utility called Factor. Factor helps Puppet know the system details like operating system, IP address etc. that helps Puppet achieve abstraction.

9. Puppet does a transaction only if needed

When the number of servers is as large as some systems have today, it is possible to encounter some form of redundancy. It is possible to have an instruction that doesn’t bring about any change in the system.

Puppet has the feature of ‘idempotency’ which means it applies the changes asked for only when the changes would actually change something in the system. If the changes asked for are already done, Puppet doesn’t do anything. This is useful for achieving efficiency.

10. Puppet boosts manageability and productivity

Puppet achieves significant improvements to the productivity of the system administrators. They are freed up from their mundane tasks and can actually concentrate on more advanced tasks that require human intervention. It also helps the server become more manageable with lesser effort and time.

11. Puppet is cross-platform

Puppet works on Fedora, RHEL, Debian, Gentoo, Solaris, OS X, and Windows. It helps the user to cover a wider range of platforms which makes more servers come into the configuration fold.

12. Puppet’s language is clean and easily learnable

Puppet’s declarative language is quite easy like writing an XML file. A person with limited programming knowledge can easily pick it up.

13. Puppet has cron-like support

Puppet can also help schedule specific maintenance actions on a periodic basis. This helps the administrators carry out some cronjobs in the maintenance cycle.

14. Puppet has override mechanism

The language supports a mechanism to override an instruction with a specific one for a different scenario. This is useful when exceptions are to be made while applying the configuration.

15. Puppet has an active community

It has an active and popular community with plenty of active discussion boards, forums and experts willing to help out.

Puppet Disadvantages

For all its advantages, Puppet has a few following drawbacks as well:

1. Ruby can be complex to understand
2. If one wants to extend Puppet, one has to work with Ruby (which Puppet is written in) and it may not be easy as Ruby is not hugely popular.
3. Rapid releases and evolution
4. Puppet releases new versions quite fast, and it can be quite a task to keep up with the new features and breaking changes (if any).
5. Puppet doesn’t have comprehensive reporting features
6. It is not possible to look at comprehensive reports on the transactions that Puppet carries out. Those features are still upcoming and not very mature.
7. Puppet may not be suitable for smaller setups and businesses
8. Smaller setups have seen more success with Chef and Ansible and do not prefer Puppet to avoid complexity.
9. Puppet can be difficult for those new to programming
10. This is not exactly a con but people who do system administration may not be versed with programming. They can find puppet a bit daunting to start with.

11. Resource Intensive

    Puppet’s agent-based architecture requires resources (CPU, memory, network bandwidth) on managed nodes to run Puppet agents and apply configurations. This overhead can be significant, especially in large environments with thousands of nodes.

12. Dependency Management

    Puppet relies on external dependencies, such as Ruby and various system libraries, which need to be managed and maintained. Updates to these dependencies may introduce compatibility issues or require manual intervention to resolve.

13. Performance

    While Puppet is designed to be efficient, the performance of Puppet runs can degrade as the size and complexity of the infrastructure increase. Longer convergence times and delays in applying configurations may impact operational efficiency.

14. Limited Real-Time Capabilities

    Puppet operates in a pull-based model where agents periodically check in with the Puppet master server for updates. This can result in delays between configuration changes and their application, limiting Puppet’s suitability for real-time or near-real-time requirements.

15. Single Point of Failure

    The Puppet master server serves as a central point of control for configuration management. If the Puppet master becomes unavailable or experiences issues, it can disrupt the management of the entire infrastructure until the issue is resolved.

16. Lack of Native Windows Support

    While Puppet does support Windows environments, its support for Windows is not as robust as for Unix/Linux systems. Managing Windows nodes with Puppet may require additional effort and configuration.

17. Community vs. Enterprise Features

    Some advanced features and functionalities, such as role-based access control (RBAC) and high availability, are only available in Puppet’s enterprise offering, which may require a separate licensing cost.

18. Competitive Landscape

    The configuration management and automation space are competitive, with several alternatives to Puppet available, such as Chef, Ansible, and SaltStack. Organizations may need to evaluate multiple tools to determine the best fit for their specific requirements.

Puppet vs Terraform

When managing IT infrastructure, selecting the right automation tool is crucial for efficiency, scalability, and consistency. Puppet and Terraform are two popular tools that serve different but sometimes overlapping purposes in the DevOps ecosystem. While Puppet is primarily used for configuration management, Terraform focuses on infrastructure provisioning. Understanding their core differences can help teams choose the right tool based on their specific needs.

Puppet vs Ansible

When automating configuration management and software deployment, both Puppet and Ansible are widely adopted tools in the DevOps ecosystem. While they aim to simplify infrastructure automation, they differ significantly in architecture, ease of use, and operational model. Choosing between them often depends on your team’s preferences, existing infrastructure, and specific use cases.

Puppet vs Chef

Puppet and Chef are two of the most established configuration management tools in the DevOps world. Both are designed to automate infrastructure management, ensure consistency across environments, and reduce manual intervention. While they share many similarities, they differ in language, architecture, and user experience, making each more suitable for different teams and use cases.

Conclusion

Puppet is a powerful and widely-used configuration management tool that streamlines IT automating the tasks of server management both on the premise and on the cloud. Puppet is a great tool to have on the stack to also ensure continuous (and quicker) delivery. Its declarative language, scalability, and extensive community support make it a reliable choice for managing complex environments.

Puppet advantages include consistent configuration across systems, reduced manual errors, and improved deployment speed. Among the key Puppet pros are its strong reporting capabilities, cross-platform support, and integration with other DevOps tools. Whether for small-scale setups or large enterprise systems, Puppet offers a robust solution for maintaining infrastructure as code.

What is Ansible?

Ansible is an automated system which made for you it needs it is a system. It has all capability to handle IT functions it is all in one. The biggest Ansible advantages is its design for multi-tier deployments. Ansible handles IT infrastructure by describing how all systems interrelate.

It uses no agents and no additional custom security infrastructure. It’s easy to deploy – and most importantly, it uses a very simple language (YAML).

Initial release: February 20, 2012
Stable release: 2.18.2 / January, 27 2025

Ansible Advantages

Ansible is an open-source automation tool, offers several advantages:

1. Agentless

An agentless architecture is one of top Ansible advantages. It refers to the absence of software agents that need to be installed and running on remote systems or nodes. Ansible communicates with remote systems using standard network protocols such as SSH for Unix/Linux or WinRM for Windows.

In an agent-based automation tool, a software agent typically runs on each managed node, facilitating communication and executing commands or scripts sent by a central controller.

In an agentless model like Ansible’s, the control machine remotely manages target systems without requiring additional software components on managed nodes.

2. Simplicity

Using YAML syntax has one of key ansible advantages, which is human-readable and easy to understand. It’s simple architecture and intuitive language make it accessible even to those without extensive programming knowledge.

3. Flexibility

Ansible is known for its flexibility, which refers to its ability to adapt to various environments, systems, and use cases. Here are some key ansible advantages aspects:

• Ansible can manage a diverse range of systems and platforms, including Unix/Linux, Windows, network devices, cloud services (AWS, Azure, GCP), containers (Docker, Kubernetes), and more. This broad support allows users to automate tasks across heterogeneous environments using a single tool.
• Ansible’s modular design facilitates extensibility and customization. It provides built-in modules for tasks like package management, file manipulation, and user management. Users can also develop custom modules to extend Ansible’s functionality.
• Ansible promotes role-based organization of tasks and configurations through roles. Roles encapsulate reusable sets of tasks, handlers, templates, and variables, allowing users to modularize and share common configurations across projects and environments. This promotes code reusability and maintainability.
• Ansible supports dynamic inventory, generating inventory files from external sources like cloud providers, virtualization platforms, and databases. This enables dynamic management of infrastructure without the need to maintain static inventory files manually.

4. Idempotency

Ansible maintains consistent system configuration with idempotency, preventing unintended side effects when applying playbooks multiple times.

5. Scalability

Ansible can scale from managing a handful of nodes to thousands of them with ease. Its push-based model allows simultaneous configuration of multiple machines, making it suitable for large-scale deployments.

6. Community and Ecosystem

Ansible benefits from a vibrant community that contributes modules, playbooks, and plugins. The extensive ecosystem provides pre-built solutions for various use cases, saving time and effort in development.

7. Integration

Ansible integrates seamlessly with other tools and platforms, including version control systems (e.g., Git), CI/CD pipelines, monitoring solutions, and configuration management databases (CMDBs). This integration enables end-to-end automation workflows.

8. Declarative Nature

Ansible playbooks describe the desired state of a system rather than the steps to achieve it. This declarative approach simplifies configuration management and promotes better understanding and collaboration among teams.

9. Security

Ansible emphasizes security by using SSH encryption for communication and offering credential management options, including vaults for sensitive data.
Ansible includes modules and playbooks for automating security tasks like system hardening, compliance checks, vulnerability scanning, and patch management. By automating these tasks, organizations can ensure that security measures are consistently applied across their infrastructure and systems, reducing the risk of misconfiguration and vulnerabilities.

10. Cost-Effective

Being open-source, Ansible eliminates licensing costs associated with proprietary automation tools. It also reduces operational expenses by streamlining repetitive tasks and improving efficiency. This is one of the core ansible advantages for it’s popularity.

.@G2dotcom has recognized @Ansible as #1 in Network #Automation Tools, @OpenShift as #1 in Container Orchestration, and #RHEL as #1 in Container Engine and Operating System based on authentic peer reviews. Explore Red Hat’s innovative products today: https://t.co/2k8XNL0Hl9 pic.twitter.com/6VigDJxfwA

— Red Hat (@RedHat) December 9, 2024

Ansible Disadvantages

While Ansible offers many advantages, it’s important to consider potential disadvantages or limitations:

1. Learning Curve

Although Ansible’s YAML syntax is relatively straightforward, mastering advanced features and best practices may require some learning. Understanding concepts such as Jinja templating, roles, and playbooks’ intricacies might take time for beginners.

2. Statelessness

Ansible doesn’t inherently track the state of managed systems beyond the execution of tasks. This can be a disadvantage for scenarios requiring detailed state tracking and management, which are better addressed by tools like Terraform.

3. Scalability

Ansible is designed to scale, managing very large infrastructures with thousands of nodes can become challenging. The lack of built-in state tracking and the inherent overhead of SSH connections might lead to performance issues in large-scale deployments.

4. Limited Parallelism

Ansible allows parallel execution of tasks, it may not fully leverage the available resources on very large infrastructures. This limitation can impact performance in scenarios where rapid execution is critical.

5. Complexity of Tasks

Ansible simplifies automation, complex tasks might require writing intricate playbooks or using external tools and scripts. Managing such complexity can become challenging, especially for users with limited programming experience.

6. Limited Windows Support

Ansible can manage Windows systems, its support is not as extensive as for Unix/Linux environments. Some tasks or modules may have limited functionality or compatibility with Windows, which could pose challenges in heterogeneous environments.

7. Dependencies on External Tools

Ansible relies on external tools for certain tasks, such as version control systems (e.g., Git) for managing playbooks and SSH for communication with managed nodes. Dependency management and integration with these external tools can introduce additional complexity.

8. Community Modules Quality

Ansible’s community provides a vast array of modules, the quality and reliability of these modules can vary. Users might encounter issues with community-contributed modules, necessitating careful evaluation and testing before production use.

9. Performance Overhead

Ansible’s agentless architecture relies on SSH connections for communication, which can introduce overhead, especially in environments with strict security policies or high-latency networks.

10. Enterprise Features

Ansible Tower (or AWX, the open-source upstream project) provides enterprise features such as RBAC, job scheduling, and GUI-based management, these features come with additional costs or setup complexities.

Ansible is a powerful and widely adopted automation tool for configuration management, application deployment, and infrastructure automation. Understanding its limitations helps organizations make informed decisions when selecting automation tools.

Ansible vs Terraform

Ansible and Terraform are both popular infrastructure automation tools, but they serve different purposes and have distinct characteristics.
Here’s a comparison between Ansible and Terraform:

Ansible vs Jenkins

• Ansible focuses on infrastructure automation and configuration management, while Jenkins specializes in CI/CD.
• Ansible can be used to provision infrastructure and deploy applications, while Jenkins can be used to automate the build and test processes for those applications.
• Jenkins has more integrations with CI/CD-related tools and services, while Ansible’s integrations are more focused on infrastructure management and cloud platforms.

Ansible vs Puppet vs Chef vs SaltStack

Ansible vs Docker vs Kubernetes

Some Important Links

AnsibleFest

AnsibleFest is an annual event dedicated to Ansible. In recent years, AnsibleFest has been integrated into the Red Hat Summit, offering attendees a comprehensive experience that combines automation insights with broader enterprise technology discussions.

AnsibleFest 2025 Details:

• Dates: May 19 – 22, 2025
• Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
• Event Overview: AnsibleFest at Red Hat Summit 2025 will feature keynotes, breakout sessions, lightning talks, and significant Ansible announcements. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore tools addressing automation challenges and delve into topics like infrastructure, application development, edge computing, cloud services, and other essential enterprise IT areas all included with the event pass.

Registration and Pricing:

• Earliest Bird (January 15 – February 24): US$1,099
• Early Bird (February 25 – March 19): US$1,499
• Regular (March 20 – May 22): US$1,999
• Group Rate (3+ passes): US$799 per person

For more details and registration, visit the Red Hat Summit & AnsibleFest official pages.

A new year means a new #RHSummit + #AnsibleFest to get excited about. Registration is open now to join us in Boston, MA on May 19-22. Save your seat: https://t.co/Xt4MRKQaSm. pic.twitter.com/6wCLnzWaGG

— Red Hat (@RedHat) January 20, 2025

AnsibleFest History

sudo apt update && sudo apt install ansible -y

sudo yum install ansible -y

brew install ansible

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

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

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

ansible-vault encrypt secret.yml

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

ansible-playbook playbook.yml

ansible-galaxy install geerlingguy.nginx

ansible-playbook playbook.yml --check

ansible-playbook playbook.yml -vvv

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

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

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

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

ansible-playbook -i inventory.ini playbook.yml

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

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

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

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

- 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

- name: Install Chef Client
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Download Chef installer
      get_url:
        url: https://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 "https://chef-server.example.com"
          validation_client_name "my-validator"

ansible-playbook -i inventory.ini install_chef.yml

- 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

- 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 https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo apt-key add -

    - name: Add Docker repository
      shell: add-apt-repository "deb [arch=amd64] https://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

- 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

- 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

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

- 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

- 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

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

- 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

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

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

- 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/

- 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 https://packages.cloud.google.com/apt/doc/apt-key.gpg | apt-key add -

    - name: Add Kubernetes repository
      shell: echo "deb https://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

- 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

- 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

- 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

- 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

- name: Create Kubernetes Role
  hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Create Role
      community.kubernetes.k8s:
        api_version: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
        kind: Role
        name: pod-reader
        namespace: default
        definition:
          rules:
            - apiGroups: [""]
              resources: ["pods"]
              verbs: ["get", "watch", "list"]

    - name: Create RoleBinding
      community.kubernetes.k8s:
        api_version: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
        kind: RoleBinding
        name: pod-reader-binding
        namespace: default
        definition:
          subjects:
            - kind: User
              name: ansible-user
              apiGroup: rbac.authorization.k8s.io
          roleRef:
            kind: Role
            name: pod-reader
            apiGroup: rbac.authorization.k8s.io

There is also an impressive number of downloads of it and a lot of events (like DockerCon) that promote and discuss the ways to use Docker.

What is Docker

Docker is a container software. As with many other things with software, container here means something entirely different than in say, a more programming context.

Container here is mentioned more in the application deployment context. Docker is a tool that helps programmers package their software with all its components, dependencies, and libraries and then ship it as one unit.

The main advantage here is that the exact environment which causes a developed application to run smoothly (with various system resources, accesses etc.) can be reproduced effectively using Docker. It is an open-source tool and widely used to deploy applications to the cloud and also to on-premises data centres.

Docker’s container mechanism has even been compared to that of virtualization. While it is not really a case of virtualization, the features are powerful enough to be compared to it. We will also see what makes Docker different from other virtualization solutions.

Why Docker

Developers are generally good at solving a business problem and creating a solution for it. Once their solution is ready, they are quickly embroiled in a different range of problems.

These are worrying about their processes running in the current conditions, their applications getting the right disk access, their applications running with the right permissions as well.

While it was easier to do this in the past, as application complexity and the variety of IT infrastructure grew, it became tougher to keep worrying about the underlying system and impair development in return.

It also became more challenging to keep with the latest trends in deployment and environment management. An effective container solution like Docker makes it easy for the developer to package everything and even capture the exact test environment that the application would optimally function in.

This allows for the application to run as intended without any unexpected behaviour due to the underlying system.

Advantages of deploying applications with docker container

It allows developers to develop without worrying about the system that will be running the applications.
Developers are freed up from thinking about the gritty details of system commands, disk access protocols, and write-access permissions. Docker encapsulates and their applications required dependencies and make the run as intended.

1. Docker reduces the number of systems and operations overhead:

Docker reduces the need for a complete virtualized solution to one which uses only the resources that are needed. This reduces the volume of resources needed.

2. Docker gives applications a performance boost:

Docker takes care of the resources that the application would need and not let the application depend on the availability of system resources. This helps the applications to run faster and becomes a performance boost for them.

3. Docker containers are immutable:

Once the Docker container is ready with the code, configurations and the folder structure, the container itself is unchangeable. This ensures that the container proceeds to the final production environment without any problems.

4. Docker containers are fast:

Docker containers can be started in a matter of seconds compared to virtualized resources that take significantly more time.

5. Avoid Malicious Activity:

While Docker is no sandboxing software, it does impose certainly reasonable restraints on the executing software. That helps Docker containers be more secure in their execution and also add to the credibility.

6. Docker is open source:

The Docker project is open source and very popular on GitHub where it has already got more than 2000 forks. The contributors to it keep making it a more powerful platform to contend with every day.

While there are so many advantages of using Docker, there are also a few things to be kept in mind while deploying your applications with Docker.

Possible cons of Docker Deployment

1. Single layered images are not recommended:

Docker experts always denounce the approach of having single-layered images for execution, saying that it imposes restrictions on the software and isn’t a good practice.

2. Docker is not inherently secure:

It appears very secure and some even believe that it helps any application run anywhere. It is a very loose interpretation of Docker’s capabilities. it doesn’t automatically secure the underlying system.

3. Docker images cannot get big

Docker images are not recommended to be large in size. For any deployment, the size restrictions in standard practice are established to prevent applications from getting too bulky.

How is Docker not a tool for virtualization

It is frequently stated or understood that Docker containers work on the principle of virtualization. Since the application deployed using Docker work inside the host machine, as if they were running in the original environment, it is thought of as a virtualized entity. That is really not the case with Docker.

With Docker deployment, the pieces that are needed to run a particular piece of software are carefully orchestrated so that they run together harmoniously and don’t hamper the application in any way.

It is like a small window to the entire set of the operating system capabilities. It is not the actual operating system in any way, remotely.

This, in fact, is one of the reasons why Docker containers are fast and very lightweight. This is also one of its major advantages.

Docker is a great way to implement micro-service architectures as well. Since components of an application can be run by Docker taking care of all the dependencies, it is possible to develop those components independently of each other, in complete isolation.

This helps the development of micromodules in an application that is tested independently and which also run without needing any dependencies.

Docker is indeed the tool that the cloud computing community has been looking for a long time now. That explains its massive popularity and immense growth. By keeping in mind the caveats, it is possible to deploy applications with Docker containers, successfully.

Some Important Links:

LAMP stack built with Docker Compose in Amazon EC2

Clone this repository on your local computer. Run the docker-compose up -d

git clone https://github.com/ezeelive/docker-aws-lamp-compose.git
cd docker-aws-lamp-compose/
docker-aws-compose up -d

Git Repository URL: https://github.com/ezeelive/docker-aws-lamp-compose

Install Docker on Windows (Docker Toolbox)

1. Download Docker Toolbox for Windows 64-bit operating system running Windows 7 or higher.
2. Right click and click on ‘Run as Administrator’ mode.
   
3. Install in available drive, I am installing in Default C:\Program Files\Docker Toolbox 
4. Verify successful installation use ‘docker -v’ command in command prompt.

   $ docker -v
   Docker version 18.01.0-ce, build 03596f51b1 // Result - showing current installation docker version