Ansible Definition

Ansible is a powerful, open-source automation tool designed to streamline IT tasks

such as configuration management, application deployment, and orchestration. Its
core strengths are its simplicity, scalability, and ease of use. Automation tasks in
Ansible are defined using human-readable YAML files called Playbooks.

Key Features of Ansible

Agentless Operation
Ansible does not require additional software or agents on managed systems. It
connects using SSH for Linux/Unix or WinRM for Windows.

Push-based Model
The control node sends commands directly to the managed nodes, ensuring
efficient task execution.

Platform Independence
Ansible works seamlessly across diverse environments—cloud, on-premises, or
hybrid.

Security by Design
Uses OpenSSH for secure communication and avoids storing sensitive information
by default.

Benefits of Using Ansible

● Automates repetitive IT tasks, saving time and effort.

● Reduces human error in configuration and system setup.
● Supports multiple operating systems and environments.
● Simple to learn, making it accessible even for teams new to automation.

Installation Steps
Ubuntu

sudo apt update

sudo apt install ansible

CentOS/RHEL

sudo yum install epel-release

sudo yum install ansible -y

macOS (using Homebrew)

brew install ansible

Practical Setup: Example with AWS EC2

Step 1: Launch EC2 Instances

● Create 4 EC2 instances:

○ 1 Master server (Ansible control node)
○ 2 Web servers
○ 1 Database server

Step 2: Install Ansible on the Master Server

SSH into the Master server:

ssh -i <key.pem> ubuntu@<server_ip>
Update packages and install Python:
sudo apt update

sudo apt install python3 python3-pip -y

sudo apt install ansible -y

Configure SSH Key Authentication

Generate SSH Keys on the Master Server

ssh-keygen

Copy the Public Key to Managed Nodes

cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub ubuntu@<target_ip>

Verify passwordless login:

ssh ubuntu@<target_ip>

Create Inventory and Test Connectivity

Inventory File Example

ini

[web_servers]
192.168.1.101

192.168.1.102

[db_server]

192.168.1.103

Test Connectivity

ansible all -i inventory -m ping

Writing and Running Playbooks

Example: Install and Start Nginx

yaml

---

- name: Install and configure Nginx

hosts: web_servers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install Nginx

apt:

name: nginx
 state: present

- name: Start Nginx

service:

name: nginx

state: started

Playbooks Example

1. Simple Playbook to Install a Package

yaml

---

- name: Install Nginx web server

hosts: webservers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install nginx package

apt:
 name: nginx

state: present

In this example, the playbook installs the Nginx web server on a group of hosts
called webservers.

2. Playbook to Start and Enable a Service

yaml

---

- name: Ensure Nginx is running

hosts: webservers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Start Nginx service

service:

name: nginx

state: started

enabled: yes

This playbook ensures the Nginx service is started and enabled to start on boot.

3. Playbook to Configure a File

yaml

---
- name: Configure Nginx

hosts: webservers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Copy the Nginx configuration file

template:

src: /path/to/nginx.conf.j2

dest: /etc/nginx/nginx.conf

notify:

- restart nginx

handlers:

- name: restart nginx

service:

name: nginx

state: restarted

This playbook copies a customized Nginx configuration file using the template
module and restarts the Nginx service if the configuration changes.

4. Playbook to Install Multiple Packages

yaml
---

- name: Install common utilities

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install packages

apt:

name:

- curl

- vim

- git

state: present

This playbook installs multiple packages (curl, vim, and git) on all specified hosts.

5. Playbook to Install Apache Web Server and Configure Virtual Host

yaml

---

- name: Install Apache Web Server and Configure Virtual Host

hosts: webservers

become: yes

tasks:
 - name: Install Apache

apt:

name: apache2

state: present

- name: Copy virtual host configuration file

template:

src: /path/to/vhost.conf.j2

dest: /etc/apache2/sites-available/vhost.conf

notify:

- restart apache

- name: Enable the virtual host

command: a2ensite vhost.conf

notify:

- restart apache

handlers:

- name: restart apache

service:

name: apache2
 state: restarted

This playbook installs Apache, configures a virtual host using a template, and
enables the virtual host configuration.

6. Playbook to Create Users and Set Permissions

yaml

---

- name: Create Users and Set Permissions

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Create a new user

user:

name: "{{ item.username }}"

state: present

shell: /bin/

loop:

- { username: "user1" }

- { username: "user2" }

- name: Create directory and set permissions

file:
 path: "/home/{{ item.username }}/shared"

state: directory

mode: '0775'

owner: "{{ item.username }}"

group: "{{ item.username }}"

loop:

- { username: "user1" }

- { username: "user2" }

This playbook creates two users (user1 and user2), and it also sets up a shared
directory for each user with appropriate permissions.

7. Playbook to Backup a Directory

yaml

---

- name: Backup Directory

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Create backup directory

file:

path: "/backup"

state: directory
 - name: Copy files to backup directory

copy:

src: "/path/to/important_data"

dest: "/backup/"

remote_src: yes

mode: '0644'

- name: Verify backup

stat:

path: "/backup/important_data"

register: backup_status

- name: Display backup status

debug:

msg: "Backup created successfully"

when: backup_status.stat.exists

This playbook creates a backup of a directory (/path/to/important_data) to a

/backup folder and verifies the backup.

8. Playbook to Set Up a MySQL Database

yaml
---

- name: Set up MySQL Database and User

hosts: dbservers

become: yes

vars:

db_name: mydatabase

db_user: dbuser

db_password: "secret"

tasks:

- name: Install MySQL server

apt:

name: mysql-server

state: present

- name: Start MySQL service

service:

name: mysql

state: started

enabled: yes
 - name: Create a database

mysql_db:

name: "{{ db_name }}"

state: present

- name: Create a user and grant privileges

mysql_user:

name: "{{ db_user }}"

password: "{{ db_password }}"

priv: "{{ db_name }}.*:ALL"

state: present

This playbook installs MySQL, starts the MySQL service, creates a database
(mydatabase), and creates a user with privileges on the database.

9. Playbook to Update System Packages

yaml

---

- name: Update System Packages

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Update apt cache

 apt:

update_cache: yes

- name: Upgrade all packages

apt:

upgrade: dist

This playbook updates the system’s package cache and performs a full system
upgrade.

10. Playbook to Manage a Firewall

yaml

---

- name: Manage Firewall Rules

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Ensure ufw is installed

apt:

name: ufw

state: present

- name: Allow SSH through firewall

 ufw:

rule: allow

name: 'OpenSSH'

- name: Deny all incoming traffic

ufw:

default: deny

direction: incoming

- name: Allow outgoing traffic

ufw:

default: allow

direction: outgoing

- name: Enable the firewall

ufw:

state: enabled

This playbook installs the ufw firewall, configures firewall rules to allow SSH and
deny incoming traffic by default while allowing outgoing traffic.

11. Playbook to Set Up a Node.js Application

yaml

---

- name: Set up Node.js Application

hosts: webservers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install Node.js

apt:

name: nodejs

state: present

- name: Install npm

apt:

name: npm

state: present

- name: Deploy application files

copy:

src: /path/to/app/

dest: /var/www/myapp/

mode: '0755'
 - name: Install dependencies

npm:

path: /var/www/myapp/

state: present

- name: Start the application

shell: nohup node /var/www/myapp/app.js &

This playbook installs Node.js and npm, deploys the application files, installs
dependencies, and starts the Node.js application.

Advanced Features in Playbooks:

● Conditionals: Run tasks based on specific conditions, using when.

● Loops: Repeat tasks using loop.
● Includes and Imports: Organize playbooks using include or import to reuse
common tasks.
● Templates: Use Jinja2 templates to dynamically generate configuration
files.

12. Playbook to Deploy a Web Application (Using Git)

yaml

---

- name: Deploy a Web Application from Git

hosts: webservers

become: yes

vars:

app_repo: "https://github.com/username/repository.git"

app_dest: "/var/www/myapp"

tasks:

- name: Ensure git is installed

apt:

name: git

state: present

- name: Clone the web application from GitHub

git:

repo: "{{ app_repo }}"

dest: "{{ app_dest }}"

clone: yes

update: yes

- name: Install dependencies using npm

npm:

path: "{{ app_dest }}"

 state: present

- name: Start the web application

shell: nohup node {{ app_dest }}/app.js &

This playbook clones a web application from a Git repository, installs

dependencies using npm, and starts the application.

13. Playbook to Install Docker and Run a Container

yaml

---

- name: Install Docker and Run a Container

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install Docker

apt:

name: docker.io

state: present
 - name: Start Docker service

service:

name: docker

state: started

enabled: yes

- name: Pull the Docker image

docker_image:

name: nginx

source: pull

- name: Run the Docker container

docker_container:

name: nginx_container

image: nginx

state: started

published_ports:

- "8080:80"

This playbook installs Docker, pulls an Nginx image, and runs it in a container,
exposing port 8080 on the host machine.
14. Playbook to Set Up a Python Virtual Environment

yaml

---

- name: Set up Python Virtual Environment

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install python3 and pip

apt:

name:

- python3

- python3-pip

state: present

- name: Install virtualenv package

pip:

name: virtualenv

state: present
 - name: Create a virtual environment

command:

cmd: python3 -m venv /home/{{ ansible_user }}/myenv

creates: /home/{{ ansible_user }}/myenv

- name: Install dependencies in the virtual environment

pip:

requirements: /path/to/requirements.txt

virtualenv: /home/{{ ansible_user }}/myenv

This playbook installs Python, pip, and the virtualenv package, creates a virtual
environment, and installs dependencies from a requirements.txt file.

ansible-playbook -i inventory playbook.yml

Advanced Ansible Features

Using Variables
Variables enhance playbook flexibility.

yaml

vars:

package_name: nginx

tasks:
 - name: Install a package

apt:

name: "{{ package_name }}"

state: present

Templates with Jinja2

Use templates for dynamic configurations.

yaml

- name: Apply Nginx configuration

template:

src: nginx.conf.j2

dest: /etc/nginx/nginx.conf

Handlers for Notifications

Trigger actions like service restarts when configurations change.

Roles for Reusability

Organize tasks into reusable roles using:

ansible-galaxy init <role_name>

Summary
Ansible simplifies IT automation with its agentless architecture, human-readable
Playbooks, and robust features for managing tasks across diverse environments.
Whether you’re deploying applications, configuring servers, or orchestrating
complex workflows, Ansible is a versatile solution for all.

Basic Structure of a Playbook

A typical Ansible playbook contains:

● Hosts: Specifies the target systems (can be a group or individual machine).

● Tasks: Defines the actions to be performed, such as installing a package,
copying files, or restarting services.
● Variables: Used to manage configurations dynamically.
● Handlers: Special tasks that are triggered only when notified by other tasks
(e.g., restart a service if a configuration file is changed).

Ansible Playbooks

1. Simple Playbook to Install a Package

yaml

---

- name: Install Nginx web server

hosts: webservers

become: yes

tasks:
 - name: Install nginx package

apt:

name: nginx

state: present

In this example, the playbook installs the Nginx web server on a group of hosts
called webservers.

2. Playbook to Start and Enable a Service

yaml

---

- name: Ensure Nginx is running

hosts: webservers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Start Nginx service

service:

name: nginx

state: started

enabled: yes

This playbook ensures the Nginx service is started and enabled to start on boot.
3. Playbook to Configure a File

yaml

---

- name: Configure Nginx

hosts: webservers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Copy the Nginx configuration file

template:

src: /path/to/nginx.conf.j2

dest: /etc/nginx/nginx.conf

notify:

- restart nginx

handlers:

- name: restart nginx

service:

name: nginx
 state: restarted

This playbook copies a customized Nginx configuration file using the template
module and restarts the Nginx service if the configuration changes.

4. Playbook to Install Multiple Packages

yaml

---

- name: Install common utilities

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install packages

apt:

name:

- curl

- vim

- git

state: present

This playbook installs multiple packages (curl, vim, and git) on all specified hosts.
5. Playbook to Install Apache Web Server and Configure Virtual Host

yaml

---

- name: Install Apache Web Server and Configure Virtual Host

hosts: webservers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install Apache

apt:

name: apache2

state: present

- name: Copy virtual host configuration file

template:

src: /path/to/vhost.conf.j2

dest: /etc/apache2/sites-available/vhost.conf

notify:

- restart apache
 - name: Enable the virtual host

command: a2ensite vhost.conf

notify:

- restart apache

handlers:

- name: restart apache

service:

name: apache2

state: restarted

This playbook installs Apache, configures a virtual host using a template, and
enables the virtual host configuration.

6. Playbook to Create Users and Set Permissions

yaml

---

- name: Create Users and Set Permissions

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:
 - name: Create a new user

user:

name: "{{ item.username }}"

state: present

shell: /bin/

loop:

- { username: "user1" }

- { username: "user2" }

- name: Create directory and set permissions

file:

path: "/home/{{ item.username }}/shared"

state: directory

mode: '0775'

owner: "{{ item.username }}"

group: "{{ item.username }}"

loop:

- { username: "user1" }

- { username: "user2" }

This playbook creates two users (user1 and user2), and it also sets up a shared
directory for each user with appropriate permissions.
7. Playbook to Backup a Directory

yaml

---

- name: Backup Directory

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Create backup directory

file:

path: "/backup"

state: directory

- name: Copy files to backup directory

copy:

src: "/path/to/important_data"

dest: "/backup/"

remote_src: yes

mode: '0644'
 - name: Verify backup

stat:

path: "/backup/important_data"

register: backup_status

- name: Display backup status

debug:

msg: "Backup created successfully"

when: backup_status.stat.exists

This playbook creates a backup of a directory (/path/to/important_data) to a

/backup folder and verifies the backup.

8. Playbook to Set Up a MySQL Database

yaml

---

- name: Set up MySQL Database and User

hosts: dbservers

become: yes

vars:
 db_name: mydatabase

db_user: dbuser

db_password: "secret"

tasks:

- name: Install MySQL server

apt:

name: mysql-server

state: present

- name: Start MySQL service

service:

name: mysql

state: started

enabled: yes

- name: Create a database

mysql_db:

name: "{{ db_name }}"

state: present
 - name: Create a user and grant privileges

mysql_user:

name: "{{ db_user }}"

password: "{{ db_password }}"

priv: "{{ db_name }}.*:ALL"

state: present

This playbook installs MySQL, starts the MySQL service, creates a database
(mydatabase), and creates a user with privileges on the database.

9. Playbook to Update System Packages

yaml

---

- name: Update System Packages

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Update apt cache

apt:

update_cache: yes
 - name: Upgrade all packages

apt:

upgrade: dist

This playbook updates the system’s package cache and performs a full system
upgrade.

10. Playbook to Manage a Firewall

yaml

---

- name: Manage Firewall Rules

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Ensure ufw is installed

apt:

name: ufw

state: present

- name: Allow SSH through firewall

ufw:
 rule: allow

name: 'OpenSSH'

- name: Deny all incoming traffic

ufw:

default: deny

direction: incoming

- name: Allow outgoing traffic

ufw:

default: allow

direction: outgoing

- name: Enable the firewall

ufw:

state: enabled

This playbook installs the ufw firewall, configures firewall rules to allow SSH and
deny incoming traffic by default while allowing outgoing traffic.

11. Playbook to Set Up a Node.js Application

yaml

---

- name: Set up Node.js Application

hosts: webservers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install Node.js

apt:

name: nodejs

state: present

- name: Install npm

apt:

name: npm

state: present

- name: Deploy application files

copy:

src: /path/to/app/

dest: /var/www/myapp/

mode: '0755'
 - name: Install dependencies

npm:

path: /var/www/myapp/

state: present

- name: Start the application

shell: nohup node /var/www/myapp/app.js &

This playbook installs Node.js and npm, deploys the application files, installs
dependencies, and starts the Node.js application.

Advanced Features in Playbooks:

● Conditionals: Run tasks based on specific conditions, using when.

● Loops: Repeat tasks using loop.
● Includes and Imports: Organize playbooks using include or import to reuse
common tasks.
● Templates: Use Jinja2 templates to dynamically generate configuration
files.

12. Playbook to Deploy a Web Application (Using Git)

yaml

---
- name: Deploy a Web Application from Git

hosts: webservers

become: yes

vars:

app_repo: "https://github.com/username/repository.git"

app_dest: "/var/www/myapp"

tasks:

- name: Ensure git is installed

apt:

name: git

state: present

- name: Clone the web application from GitHub

git:

repo: "{{ app_repo }}"

dest: "{{ app_dest }}"

clone: yes

update: yes

- name: Install dependencies using npm

npm:
 path: "{{ app_dest }}"

state: present

- name: Start the web application

shell: nohup node {{ app_dest }}/app.js &

This playbook clones a web application from a Git repository, installs

dependencies using npm, and starts the application.

13. Playbook to Install Docker and Run a Container

yaml

---

- name: Install Docker and Run a Container

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install Docker

apt:

name: docker.io

state: present
 - name: Start Docker service

service:

name: docker

state: started

enabled: yes

- name: Pull the Docker image

docker_image:

name: nginx

source: pull

- name: Run the Docker container

docker_container:

name: nginx_container

image: nginx

state: started

published_ports:

- "8080:80"

This playbook installs Docker, pulls an Nginx image, and runs it in a container,
exposing port 8080 on the host machine.
14. Playbook to Set Up a Python Virtual Environment

yaml

---

- name: Set up Python Virtual Environment

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install python3 and pip

apt:

name:

- python3

- python3-pip

state: present

- name: Install virtualenv package

pip:

name: virtualenv

state: present

- name: Create a virtual environment

 command:

cmd: python3 -m venv /home/{{ ansible_user }}/myenv

creates: /home/{{ ansible_user }}/myenv

- name: Install dependencies in the virtual environment

pip:

requirements: /path/to/requirements.txt

virtualenv: /home/{{ ansible_user }}/myenv

This playbook installs Python, pip, and the virtualenv package, creates a virtual
environment, and installs dependencies from a requirements.txt file.

15. Playbook to Secure a Server (SSH, Firewall, and Users)

yaml

---

- name: Secure the Server (SSH, Firewall, and Users)

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Disable root login over SSH

lineinfile:
 path: /etc/ssh/sshd_config

regexp: '^#?PermitRootLogin'

line: 'PermitRootLogin no'

notify:

- restart ssh

- name: Configure UFW to allow SSH

ufw:

rule: allow

name: 'OpenSSH'

- name: Add a user for remote login

user:

name: "remoteuser"

state: present

shell: /bin/

- name: Disable password authentication in SSH

lineinfile:

path: /etc/ssh/sshd_config

regexp: '^#?PasswordAuthentication'
 line: 'PasswordAuthentication no'

notify:

- restart ssh

handlers:

- name: restart ssh

service:

name: ssh

state: restarted

This playbook improves server security by:

● Disabling root login via SSH.

● Setting up the UFW firewall to allow SSH traffic.
● Adding a user for secure login.
● Disabling password-based SSH authentication (requires SSH key
authentication).

16. Playbook to Set Up Redis

yaml

---

- name: Install and Configure Redis

hosts: dbservers

become: yes
tasks:

- name: Install Redis

apt:

name: redis-server

state: present

- name: Start Redis service

service:

name: redis-server

state: started

enabled: yes

- name: Configure Redis to bind to all IP addresses

lineinfile:

path: /etc/redis/redis.conf

regexp: '^#?bind 127.0.0.1'

line: 'bind 0.0.0.0'

notify:

- restart redis

handlers:
 - name: restart redis

service:

name: redis-server

state: restarted

This playbook installs Redis, starts the service, and configures it to listen on all IP
addresses by modifying the configuration file.

17. Playbook to Create a Backup of MySQL Database

yaml

---

- name: Backup MySQL Database

hosts: dbservers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Backup MySQL database to a file

command:

cmd: mysqldump -u root -p{{ mysql_root_password }} {{ mysql_db }} >

/backup/{{ mysql_db }}_backup.sql

args:

chdir: /tmp

environment:
 MYSQL_PWD: "{{ mysql_root_password }}"

- name: Verify backup file

stat:

path: "/backup/{{ mysql_db }}_backup.sql"

register: backup_status

- name: Display backup status

debug:

msg: "Backup created successfully"

when: backup_status.stat.exists

This playbook creates a backup of a MySQL database using mysqldump and stores
it in a specified backup directory. It verifies the existence of the backup file and
prints a message.

18. Playbook to Install and Configure Postfix Mail Server

yaml

---

- name: Install and Configure Postfix Mail Server

hosts: mailservers

become: yes
 tasks:

- name: Install Postfix

apt:

name: postfix

state: present

- name: Configure Postfix to relay emails

lineinfile:

path: /etc/postfix/main.cf

regexp: '^#?relayhost'

line: 'relayhost = [smtp.example.com]:587'

notify:

- restart postfix

handlers:

- name: restart postfix

service:

name: postfix

state: restarted

This playbook installs the Postfix mail server, configures it to relay emails through
a remote SMTP server, and restarts the service.
19. Playbook to Perform System Cleanup

yaml

---

- name: System Cleanup

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Clean the apt cache

apt:

autoclean: yes

- name: Remove unused packages

apt:

autoremove: yes

- name: Clean old log files

file:

path: "/var/log/{{ item }}"

state: absent

loop:
 - auth.log

- syslog

- dpkg.log

This playbook cleans up the system by:

● Autocleaning the APT cache.

● Removing unused packages.
● Deleting old log files.

20. Playbook to Set Up a Jenkins Server

yaml

---

- name: Set up Jenkins Server

hosts: jenkins_servers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install Java

apt:

name: openjdk-11-jdk

state: present

- name: Add Jenkins repository

 apt_repository:

repo: "deb http://pkg.jenkins.io/debian/ stable main"

state: present

- name: Install Jenkins

apt:

name: jenkins

state: present

- name: Start Jenkins service

service:

name: jenkins

state: started

enabled: yes

This playbook installs Java, adds the Jenkins repository, installs Jenkins, and starts
the Jenkins service.

Advanced Playbook Features:

● Conditionals with when: Used to run tasks based on conditions.

● Loops: Helps repeat a task multiple times with different variables.
● Templates: Use Jinja2 templating for dynamic file generation.
● Error Handling: Implement block, rescue, and always to manage error
scenarios.
21. Playbook to Configure NTP (Network Time Protocol)

yaml

---

- name: Configure NTP on Servers

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install ntp package

apt:

name: ntp

state: present

- name: Ensure NTP service is started

service:

name: ntp

state: started

enabled: yes

- name: Configure NTP server

 lineinfile:

path: /etc/ntp.conf

regexp: '^server'

line: 'server time.nist.gov iburst'

notify:

- restart ntp

handlers:

- name: restart ntp

service:

name: ntp

state: restarted

This playbook installs the ntp package, configures the NTP server to synchronize
with an NTP source (e.g., time.nist.gov), and ensures the NTP service is running.

22. Playbook to Install and Configure a Web Server (Apache)

yaml

---

- name: Install and Configure Apache Web Server

hosts: webservers
become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install Apache

apt:

name: apache2

state: present

- name: Ensure Apache is running

service:

name: apache2

state: started

enabled: yes

- name: Copy the website files

copy:

src: /local/path/to/website/

dest: /var/www/html/

owner: www-data

group: www-data

mode: '0755'
 - name: Configure Apache virtual host

template:

src: /local/path/to/vhost.conf.j2

dest: /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf

notify:

- restart apache

handlers:

- name: restart apache

service:

name: apache2

state: restarted

This playbook installs Apache, starts the service, copies website files to the web
server's document root, and configures a virtual host using a template file.

23. Playbook to Install and Configure MariaDB

yaml

---

- name: Install and Configure MariaDB

hosts: dbservers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install MariaDB

apt:

name: mariadb-server

state: present

- name: Start MariaDB service

service:

name: mariadb

state: started

enabled: yes

- name: Secure MariaDB installation

mysql_secure_installation:

login_user: root

login_password: "{{ mysql_root_password }}"

root_password: "{{ mysql_root_password }}"

set_root_password: yes

remove_anonymous_users: yes
 disallow_root_login_remotely: yes

remove_test_db: yes

state: present

This playbook installs MariaDB, ensures the service is running, and secures the
installation by setting the root password and disabling remote root login.

24. Playbook to Install and Configure Redis Cluster

yaml

---

- name: Install and Configure Redis Cluster

hosts: redis_nodes

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install Redis

apt:

name: redis-server

state: present

- name: Configure Redis for clustering

 lineinfile:

path: /etc/redis/redis.conf

regexp: '^#?cluster-enabled'

line: 'cluster-enabled yes'

notify:

- restart redis

- name: Open Redis cluster ports

ufw:

rule: allow

name: 'Redis Cluster'

port: '6379:6380'

handlers:

- name: restart redis

service:

name: redis-server

state: restarted

This playbook installs Redis, configures it for clustering, and opens the required
ports on the firewall.
25. Playbook to Install and Configure a Filebeat Agent (for Log Shipping)

yaml

---

- name: Install and Configure Filebeat

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install Filebeat package

apt:

name: filebeat

state: present

- name: Configure Filebeat to ship logs

template:

src: /local/path/to/filebeat.yml.j2

dest: /etc/filebeat/filebeat.yml

notify:

- restart filebeat

- name: Enable Filebeat service

 service:

name: filebeat

state: started

enabled: yes

handlers:

- name: restart filebeat

service:

name: filebeat

state: restarted

This playbook installs Filebeat, configures it using a template file to ship logs to a
centralized log management system, and ensures the Filebeat service is started.

26. Playbook to Install and Configure Jenkins Agent

yaml

---

- name: Install and Configure Jenkins Agent

hosts: jenkins_agents

become: yes

tasks:
 - name: Install Java

apt:

name: openjdk-11-jdk

state: present

- name: Download Jenkins agent JAR

get_url:

url: "https://<jenkins-url>/jnlpJars/agent.jar"

dest: /opt/jenkins/agent.jar

- name: Run Jenkins agent

shell: java -jar /opt/jenkins/agent.jar -jnlpUrl <jenkins-url>/computer/{{

inventory_hostname }}/slave-agent.jnlp

async: 60

poll: 0

This playbook installs Java, downloads the Jenkins agent JAR, and runs the agent
as a background process to connect to the Jenkins master.

27. Playbook to Set Up a Vault Server (HashiCorp Vault)

yaml

---
- name: Install and Configure Vault Server

hosts: vault_servers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install Vault

apt:

name: vault

state: present

- name: Enable Vault service

systemd:

name: vault

enabled: yes

state: started

- name: Initialize Vault (first-time setup)

command: vault operator init -key-shares=1 -key-threshold=1

register: vault_init

when: vault_init.rc != 0

- name: Unseal Vault

 command: vault operator unseal "{{ vault_init.stdout_lines[0] }}"

when: vault_init.rc == 0

This playbook installs HashiCorp Vault, starts the service, and initializes and
unseals Vault on the first run.

28. Playbook to Install and Configure Kubernetes Worker Nodes

yaml

---

- name: Configure Kubernetes Worker Nodes

hosts: kubernetes_workers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install kubelet, kubeadm, and kubectl

apt:

name:

- kubelet

- kubeadm

- kubectl

state: present
 - name: Join the Kubernetes cluster

command: kubeadm join {{ master_ip }}:6443 --token {{ token }}

--discovery-token-ca-cert-hash sha256:{{ ca_hash }}

when: inventory_hostname != "master"

- name: Ensure kubelet is running

service:

name: kubelet

state: started

enabled: yes

This playbook installs the necessary Kubernetes packages on worker nodes, joins
the node to the Kubernetes cluster, and ensures the kubelet service is running.

29. Playbook to Set Up Docker Swarm Cluster

yaml

---

- name: Configure Docker Swarm Cluster

hosts: swarm_masters

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install Docker

 apt:

name: docker.io

state: present

- name: Initialize Docker Swarm on Master Node

command: docker swarm init

when: inventory_hostname == "master"

- name: Join Swarm cluster as worker node

command: docker swarm join --token {{ swarm_token }} {{ master_ip

}}:2377

when: inventory_hostname != "master"

This playbook configures a Docker Swarm cluster with master and worker nodes
by initializing the swarm on the master and joining worker nodes.

30. Playbook to Install and Configure Prometheus Server

yaml

---

- name: Install and Configure Prometheus Server

hosts: prometheus_servers

become: yes
tasks:

- name: Install Prometheus

apt:

name: prometheus

state: present

- name: Configure Prometheus server

template:

src: /local/path/to/prometheus.yml.j2

dest: /etc/prometheus/prometheus.yml

notify:

- restart prometheus

- name: Ensure Prometheus service is started

service:

name: prometheus

state: started

enabled: yes

handlers:

- name: restart prometheus

 service:

name: prometheus

state: restarted

This playbook installs Prometheus, configures it with a template file, and ensures
the Prometheus service is started and enabled.

31. Playbook to Set Up an Nginx Reverse Proxy

yaml

---

- name: Set Up Nginx Reverse Proxy

hosts: webservers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install Nginx

apt:

name: nginx

state: present

- name: Configure Nginx as reverse proxy

template:

src: /local/path/to/nginx_reverse_proxy.conf.j2

dest: /etc/nginx/sites-available/default
 notify:

- restart nginx

- name: Ensure Nginx is started and enabled

service:

name: nginx

state: started

enabled: yes

handlers:

- name: restart nginx

service:

name: nginx

state: restarted

This playbook installs Nginx, configures it as a reverse proxy using a template file,
and ensures that the service is running and enabled on the system.

32. Playbook to Configure System Security (Firewall)

yaml
---

- name: Configure Firewall (UFW)

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall)

apt:

name: ufw

state: present

- name: Allow SSH traffic

ufw:

rule: allow

name: OpenSSH

- name: Allow HTTP traffic

ufw:

rule: allow

name: 'Apache Full'

- name: Enable UFW

 ufw:

state: enabled

default: deny

This playbook installs and configures the Uncomplicated Firewall (UFW) to allow
SSH and HTTP traffic while denying other inbound connections.

33. Playbook to Install and Configure Prometheus Node Exporter

yaml

---

- name: Install and Configure Prometheus Node Exporter

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Download Prometheus Node Exporter

get_url:

url:
https://github.com/prometheus/node_exporter/releases/download/v1.3.1/node_expo
rter-1.3.1.linux-amd64.tar.gz

dest: /tmp/node_exporter.tar.gz

- name: Extract Node Exporter

 unarchive:

src: /tmp/node_exporter.tar.gz

dest: /opt/

remote_src: yes

- name: Create systemd service for Node Exporter

copy:

content: |

[Unit]

Description=Prometheus Node Exporter

After=network.target

[Service]

User=nobody

ExecStart=/opt/node_exporter-1.3.1.linux-amd64/node_exporter

[Install]

WantedBy=multi-user.target

dest: /etc/systemd/system/node_exporter.service

notify:

- reload systemd
 - name: Start Node Exporter

service:

name: node_exporter

state: started

enabled: yes

handlers:

- name: reload systemd

systemd:

daemon_reload: yes

This playbook installs the Prometheus Node Exporter, creates a systemd service for
it, and ensures the service is started and enabled.

34. Playbook to Set Up a MySQL Database Backup

yaml

---

- name: Set Up MySQL Database Backup

hosts: dbservers

become: yes
 tasks:

- name: Install MySQL client and cron

apt:

name:

- mysql-client

- cron

state: present

- name: Create backup directory

file:

path: /var/backups/mysql

state: directory

mode: '0755'

- name: Create cron job for backup

cron:

name: "Daily MySQL Backup"

minute: "0"

hour: "2"

job: "/usr/bin/mysqldump -u root -p{{ mysql_root_password }}

--all-databases > /var/backups/mysql/backup_$(date +\%F).sql"

state: present
This playbook installs the MySQL client and cron service, creates a backup
directory, and sets up a cron job to back up the MySQL databases every day at 2
AM.

35. Playbook to Set Up a Jenkins Master Node

yaml

---

- name: Install and Configure Jenkins Master Node

hosts: jenkins_masters

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install Java OpenJDK 11

apt:

name: openjdk-11-jdk

state: present

- name: Add Jenkins repository key

apt_key:

url: https://pkg.jenkins.io/jenkins.io.key

- name: Add Jenkins repository

 apt_repository:

repo: deb http://pkg.jenkins.io/debian/ stable main

- name: Install Jenkins

apt:

name: jenkins

state: present

- name: Start Jenkins service

service:

name: jenkins

state: started

enabled: yes

This playbook installs Java (required by Jenkins), adds the Jenkins repository, and
installs Jenkins on the master node, ensuring the service is started and enabled.

36. Playbook to Install and Configure Elasticsearch

yaml

---

- name: Install and Configure Elasticsearch

hosts: elasticsearch_servers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install Java (required for Elasticsearch)

apt:

name: openjdk-11-jdk

state: present

- name: Add Elasticsearch GPG key

apt_key:

url: https://artifacts.elastic.co/GPG-KEY-elasticsearch

- name: Add Elasticsearch APT repository

apt_repository:

repo: "deb https://artifacts.elastic.co/packages/7.x/apt stable main"

- name: Install Elasticsearch

apt:

name: elasticsearch

state: present
 - name: Start Elasticsearch service

service:

name: elasticsearch

state: started

enabled: yes

This playbook installs Elasticsearch on a server, ensures Java is present, and

configures Elasticsearch to start automatically.

37. Playbook to Set Up Docker Registry

yaml

---

- name: Set Up Docker Registry

hosts: registry_servers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install Docker

apt:

name: docker.io

state: present
 - name: Create Docker Registry directory

file:

path: /var/lib/registry

state: directory

- name: Run Docker Registry container

docker_container:

name: registry

image: registry:2

state: started

ports:

- "5000:5000"

volumes:

- /var/lib/registry:/var/lib/registry

This playbook installs Docker, creates a directory for storing Docker images, and
runs the Docker Registry container.

38. Playbook to Install and Configure GitLab CI/CD Runner

yaml

---
- name: Install and Configure GitLab CI/CD Runner

hosts: ci_cd_servers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install GitLab Runner

apt:

name: gitlab-runner

state: present

- name: Register GitLab Runner

command: gitlab-runner register --url https://gitlab.com/ --registration-token {{

gitlab_runner_token }} --executor shell --description "{{ inventory_hostname }}"

when: ansible_facts['distribution'] == 'Ubuntu'

- name: Start GitLab Runner

service:

name: gitlab-runner

state: started

enabled: yes

This playbook installs the GitLab CI/CD runner, registers it with the GitLab
instance using a registration token, and ensures the service is started.
39. Playbook to Set Up a Redis Sentinel Cluster

yaml

---

- name: Set Up Redis Sentinel Cluster

hosts: redis_sentinels

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install Redis

apt:

name: redis-server

state: present

- name: Configure Redis Sentinel

template:

src: /local/path/to/sentinel.conf.j2

dest: /etc/redis/sentinel.conf

notify:

- restart redis sentinel

- name: Start Redis Sentinel service

 service:

name: redis-sentinel

state: started

enabled: yes

handlers:

- name: restart redis sentinel

service:

name: redis-sentinel

state: restarted

This playbook installs Redis and sets up Redis Sentinel to provide high availability
and failover for a Redis cluster.

40. Playbook to Set Up a Kubernetes Dashboard

yaml

---

- name: Install and Configure Kubernetes Dashboard

hosts: master_nodes

become: yes

tasks:
- name: Deploy Kubernetes Dashboard

kubernetes:

name: kubernetes-dashboard

state: present

api_version: apps/v1

kind: Deployment

namespace: kube-system

definition:

apiVersion: apps/v1

kind: Deployment

metadata:

name: kubernetes-dashboard

namespace: kube-system

spec:

replicas: 1

selector:

matchLabels:

k8s-app: kubernetes-dashboard

template:

metadata:

labels:
 k8s-app: kubernetes-dashboard

spec:

containers:

- name: kubernetes-dashboard

image: kubernetesui/dashboard:v2.0.0

ports:

- containerPort: 9090

This playbook deploys the Kubernetes Dashboard on the master nodes of a

Kubernetes cluster.

41. Playbook to Install and Configure Docker

yaml

---

- name: Install and Configure Docker

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Update apt repository

apt:

update_cache: yes

- name: Install dependencies for Docker

 apt:

name:

- apt-transport-https

- ca-certificates

- curl

- software-properties-common

state: present

- name: Add Docker GPG key

apt_key:

url: https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg

- name: Add Docker repository

apt_repository:

repo: deb [arch=amd64] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu

$(lsb_release -cs) stable

- name: Install Docker

apt:

name: docker-ce

state: present
 - name: Start and enable Docker service

service:

name: docker

state: started

enabled: yes

This playbook installs Docker on an Ubuntu machine, adds the official Docker
repository, and ensures the service is started and enabled.

42. Playbook to Configure NTP (Network Time Protocol)

yaml

---

- name: Install and Configure NTP

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install NTP service

apt:

name: ntp

state: present
 - name: Start and enable NTP service

service:

name: ntp

state: started

enabled: yes

- name: Configure NTP servers

lineinfile:

path: /etc/ntp.conf

regexp: '^server'

line: 'server time.google.com iburst'

notify:

- restart ntp

handlers:

- name: restart ntp

service:

name: ntp

state: restarted

This playbook installs the NTP service, configures a specific NTP server, and
ensures the service is running and enabled.
43. Playbook to Install and Configure MySQL Server

yaml

---

- name: Install and Configure MySQL Server

hosts: dbservers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install MySQL server

apt:

name: mysql-server

state: present

- name: Ensure MySQL service is started

service:

name: mysql

state: started

enabled: yes

- name: Create a database

 mysql_db:

name: example_db

state: present

- name: Create a MySQL user

mysql_user:

name: example_user

password: "{{ mysql_user_password }}"

state: present

priv: "example_db.*:ALL"

This playbook installs MySQL, creates a new database and user, and grants the
necessary privileges.

44. Playbook to Install and Configure Apache Kafka

yaml

---

- name: Install and Configure Apache Kafka

hosts: kafka_nodes

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install Java (required for Kafka)

 apt:

name: openjdk-11-jdk

state: present

- name: Download Kafka

get_url:

url: https://downloads.apache.org/kafka/2.8.0/kafka_2.13-2.8.0.tgz

dest: /tmp/kafka.tgz

- name: Extract Kafka

unarchive:

src: /tmp/kafka.tgz

dest: /opt/

remote_src: yes

- name: Create a Kafka systemd service

copy:

content: |

[Unit]

Description=Apache Kafka

After=network.target
 [Service]

User=nobody

ExecStart=/opt/kafka_2.13-2.8.0/bin/kafka-server-start.sh
/opt/kafka_2.13-2.8.0/config/server.properties

[Install]

WantedBy=multi-user.target

dest: /etc/systemd/system/kafka.service

notify:

- reload systemd

- name: Start Kafka service

service:

name: kafka

state: started

enabled: yes

handlers:

- name: reload systemd

systemd:

daemon_reload: yes
This playbook installs Apache Kafka, configures a systemd service for it, and
ensures the service is running.

45. Playbook to Configure AWS EC2 Instances Using Ansible

yaml

---

- name: Configure AWS EC2 Instances

hosts: localhost

gather_facts: no

tasks:

- name: Launch an EC2 instance

ec2_instance:

key_name: "{{ aws_key_name }}"

id: "{{ aws_instance_id }}"

instance_type: t2.micro

region: "{{ aws_region }}"

image_id: ami-0c55b159cbfafe1f0

wait: yes

count: 1

security_group: "{{ aws_security_group }}"

 subnet_id: "{{ aws_subnet_id }}"

instance_tags:

Name: "MyEC2Instance"

assign_public_ip: yes

register: ec2_instances

- name: Output instance details

debug:

var: ec2_instances.instances

This playbook launches an EC2 instance in AWS, waits for it to be ready, and
outputs the instance details.

46. Playbook to Install and Configure Elasticsearch and Kibana

yaml

---

- name: Install and Configure Elasticsearch and Kibana

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install Elasticsearch

 apt:

name: elasticsearch

state: present

- name: Start Elasticsearch service

service:

name: elasticsearch

state: started

enabled: yes

- name: Install Kibana

apt:

name: kibana

state: present

- name: Start Kibana service

service:

name: kibana

state: started

enabled: yes

This playbook installs and starts both Elasticsearch and Kibana services on the
server.
47. Playbook to Install and Configure Nginx as a Load Balancer

yaml

---

- name: Install and Configure Nginx as a Load Balancer

hosts: load_balancer

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install Nginx

apt:

name: nginx

state: present

- name: Configure Nginx for load balancing

template:

src: /local/path/to/nginx_load_balancer.conf.j2

dest: /etc/nginx/nginx.conf

notify:

- restart nginx
 - name: Start Nginx service

service:

name: nginx

state: started

enabled: yes

handlers:

- name: restart nginx

service:

name: nginx

state: restarted

This playbook installs Nginx and configures it as a load balancer using a template
file for the configuration.

48. Playbook to Install and Configure Redis

yaml

---

- name: Install and Configure Redis

hosts: all

become: yes
tasks:

- name: Install Redis

apt:

name: redis-server

state: present

- name: Ensure Redis is running

service:

name: redis-server

state: started

enabled: yes

- name: Configure Redis to listen on all IPs

lineinfile:

path: /etc/redis/redis.conf

regexp: '^bind 127.0.0.1'

line: 'bind 0.0.0.0'

notify:

- restart redis

handlers:
 - name: restart redis

service:

name: redis-server

state: restarted

This playbook installs Redis, configures it to listen on all IPs, and ensures the
service is running.

49. Playbook to Install and Configure Prometheus

yaml

---

- name: Install and Configure Prometheus

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install Prometheus

apt:

name: prometheus

state: present
 - name: Ensure Prometheus is started

service:

name: prometheus

state: started

enabled: yes

This playbook installs and ensures Prometheus is running.

50. Playbook to Set Up Docker Swarm Cluster

yaml

---

- name: Set Up Docker Swarm Cluster

hosts: swarm_masters

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Initialize Docker Swarm

shell: docker swarm init

when: inventory_hostname == groups['swarm_masters'][0]

- name: Join Docker Swarm cluster

shell: docker swarm join --token {{ swarm_token }} {{

groups['swarm_masters'][0] }}:2377
 when: inventory_hostname != groups['swarm_masters'][0]

Ansible Project
LAMP Stack Setup and Web Application
Deployment with Ansible
This Ansible project demonstrates automating the setup of a LAMP stack (Linux,
Apache, MySQL, PHP) and deploying a simple PHP-based web application. The
tasks are modularized into separate playbooks, ensuring clarity and flexibility for
managing each stack component.

Project Overview
● Goal: Automate the installation of a LAMP stack and deployment of a
PHP-based web application.
● Technologies: Ansible, Apache, MySQL, PHP.
● Environment: Ubuntu 20.04 (can be adapted for other distributions).

Project Structure
graphql

lamp_project/

├── ansible/

│ ├── inventory.ini # Defines hosts and

groups
│ ├── lamp_playbook.yml # Main playbook for
running all tasks

│ ├── vars.yml # Common variables

│ └── files/

│ └── index.php # Simple PHP application

├── README.md

└── playbooks/

├── install_apache.yml # Playbook for Apache

installation

├── install_php.yml # Playbook for PHP

installation

├── install_mysql.yml # Playbook for MySQL

installation

└── deploy_application.yml # Playbook for

application deployment

Configuration Files

Inventory File (inventory.ini)

Defines the target hosts for playbook execution:

ini
[web_servers]

webserver1 ansible_host=192.168.1.10

webserver2 ansible_host=192.168.1.11

[db_servers]

dbserver1 ansible_host=192.168.1.20

Variables File (vars.yml)

Stores common configuration variables:

yaml

apache_package: apache2

mysql_root_password: "rootpassword"

php_packages:

- php

- libapache2-mod-php

- php-mysql

webapp_name: "myapp"
Playbooks

1. Install Apache (install_apache.yml)

Installs and configures Apache on web servers:

yaml

---

- name: Install Apache web server

hosts: web_servers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install Apache

apt:

name: "{{ apache_package }}"

state: present

- name: Ensure Apache is running and enabled

service:
 name: apache2

state: started

enabled: yes

2. Install PHP (install_php.yml)

Installs PHP and its necessary modules:

yaml

---

- name: Install PHP

hosts: web_servers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install PHP packages

apt:

name: "{{ item }}"

state: present

loop: "{{ php_packages }}"

 - name: Restart Apache to apply PHP configurations

service:

name: apache2

state: restarted

3. Install MySQL (install_mysql.yml)

Sets up the MySQL database server:

yaml

---

- name: Install MySQL database server

hosts: db_servers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Install MySQL server

apt:

name: mysql-server

state: present
 - name: Set MySQL root password

mysql_user:

name: root

password: "{{ mysql_root_password }}"

host: "localhost"

state: present

- name: Ensure MySQL is started and enabled

service:

name: mysql

state: started

enabled: yes

4. Deploy PHP Application (deploy_application.yml)

Deploys the PHP application on web servers:

yaml

---

- name: Deploy PHP application

hosts: web_servers

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Copy the PHP application file

copy:

src: files/index.php

dest: /var/www/html/index.php

- name: Set ownership and permissions

file:

path: /var/www/html/index.php

owner: www-data

group: www-data

mode: '0644'

- name: Restart Apache to apply changes

service:

name: apache2
 state: restarted

Main Playbook (lamp_playbook.yml)

Coordinates all playbooks:

yaml

---

- name: Set up LAMP stack and deploy web app

hosts: all

become: yes

tasks:

- name: Include Apache installation

import_playbook: playbooks/install_apache.yml

- name: Include PHP installation

import_playbook: playbooks/install_php.yml

- name: Include MySQL installation

import_playbook: playbooks/install_mysql.yml
 - name: Deploy PHP application

import_playbook: playbooks/deploy_application.yml

Application File (files/index.php)

A simple PHP web application:

php

<?php

echo "Hello, World! This is your web application

running on the LAMP stack!";

?>

How to Run the Project

1. Ensure you have Ansible 2.9+ installed on your control node.
2. Configure the inventory.ini file with the target server IPs.
3. Adjust vars.yml to match your desired settings.
Run the main playbook:

ansible-playbook -i ansible/inventory.ini
ansible/lamp_playbook.yml

Verifying the Setup

● After execution, open a web browser and navigate to the IP address of any
web server, e.g., http://192.168.1.10.
● You should see:
"Hello, World! This is your web application running on the LAMP
stack!"

Summary
This project simplifies LAMP stack deployment using Ansible. The modular
design allows you to extend or customize components, such as adding virtual hosts,
configuring advanced MySQL settings, or deploying a more complex web
application.

Interview Questions And Answers

Basic Questions
What is Ansible, and why is it used?
Ansible is an open-source automation tool used for configuration management,
application deployment, and task automation. It uses YAML-based Playbooks and
operates without agents, connecting to managed nodes via SSH or WinRM.

What are the main components of Ansible?

● Control Node: The machine where Ansible is installed.

● Managed Nodes: The servers or devices Ansible manages.
● Inventory: A file listing managed nodes.
● Modules: Predefined tools Ansible uses to execute tasks.
● Playbooks: YAML files describing automation tasks.
● Plugins: Extensions for additional functionality.

What makes Ansible different from other automation tools?

● Agentless (uses SSH/WinRM).

● Uses a simple push-based model.
● YAML syntax is easier to read and write compared to other tools like Puppet
or Chef.

What is an Ansible Playbook?

A Playbook is a YAML file containing a set of tasks to automate configurations or
workflows across managed nodes.

What is the purpose of an Inventory file?

The Inventory file defines the managed nodes and organizes them into groups. It
can be static or dynamically generated from sources like AWS or databases.
Intermediate Questions

What is Ansible Vault, and how is it used?

Ansible Vault encrypts sensitive data like passwords or secrets. Commands
include:

● ansible-vault create secrets.yml

● ansible-vault encrypt secrets.yml
● ansible-vault decrypt secrets.yml

How do you use Handlers in Ansible?

Handlers are triggered only when notified by a task.

yaml

tasks:

- name: Update config

template:

src: config.j2

dest: /etc/myapp/config

notify: Restart service

handlers:

- name: Restart service

service:

name: myapp

state: restarted
What is a Dynamic Inventory?
Dynamic Inventory retrieves host information from external sources at runtime
(e.g., AWS, Azure). It’s defined by custom scripts or plugins.

What is gather_facts?
gather_facts collects system information about managed nodes (e.g., OS, IP). It's
enabled by default but can be turned off:

yaml

gather_facts: no

How do you loop tasks in Ansible?

Using with_items:

yaml

tasks:

- name: Install packages

apt:

name: "{{ item }}"

with_items:

- nginx

- git

How do you manage dependencies in Ansible Roles?

Define dependencies in meta/main.yml:
yaml

dependencies:

- role: common

- role: webserver

Advanced Questions

What is delegate_to, and how is it used?

delegate_to executes a task on a different host.

yaml

tasks:

- name: Run command on another server

command: uptime

delegate_to: 192.168.1.100

How do you ensure idempotency in Ansible?

Ansible modules are designed to make changes only when required. For example,
installing a package that’s already installed won't perform redundant actions.

What are lookup plugins?

Lookup plugins fetch data from external sources during execution.

yaml

tasks:
 - name: Retrieve file content

debug:

msg: "{{ lookup('file', '/path/to/file.txt') }}"

What are the differences between vars, vars_files, and vars_prompt?

● vars: Inline variable declaration.

● vars_files: External variable files.
● vars_prompt: Prompts for user input at runtime.

How do you debug Ansible Playbooks?

● Use -v, -vv, or -vvv for verbose output.

● Add the debug module to print variables.

yaml

tasks:

- debug:

var: my_variable

What is the purpose of block, rescue, and always?

They handle error scenarios gracefully:

yaml

tasks:

- block:

- name: Try something

command: /bin/true
 rescue:

- name: Handle failure

debug:

msg: "Something went wrong"

always:

- name: Cleanup

debug:

msg: "Cleanup actions"

Scenario-Based Questions

Scenario: Install a specific version of a package on some hosts and remove it on

others.

yaml

tasks:

- name: Install nginx

apt:

name: nginx=1.18.0

state: present

when: "'install_nginx' in group_names"

 - name: Remove nginx

apt:

name: nginx

state: absent

when: "'remove_nginx' in group_names"

Scenario: How do you manage different environments like dev, staging, and
production?

● Use group-specific variables in group_vars/.

● Separate inventory files: inventory_dev, inventory_staging.

Pass environment variables:

ansible-playbook site.yml -e "env=staging"

Scenario: Ensure a file exists with specific content and permissions.

yaml

tasks:

- name: Create a file

copy:

dest: /tmp/example.txt

content: "Hello, World!"

owner: root

group: root
 mode: '0644'

Troubleshooting and Optimization

What do you do if tasks take too long?

● Increase forks in ansible.cfg.

● Use async and poll for background execution.
● Disable facts gathering if unnecessary: gather_facts: no.

How do you handle SSH authentication issues?

● Use key-based SSH authentication.

● Ensure managed nodes are reachable with ansible all -m ping.

How do you test a Playbook without applying changes?

Use the --check flag for a dry run and --diff to see changes.

Basic to Intermediate Questions

What is the difference between a Task and a Play in Ansible?

● Task: A single unit of work in a Playbook. Example: installing a package.

● Play: A collection of tasks applied to a group of hosts.

How do you manage Ansible configurations?

Configurations are managed via ansible.cfg, which can be located in:

1. The current directory.

2. The user’s home directory (~/.ansible.cfg).
 3. /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg (global).
Key settings include inventory location, privilege escalation, retries, and
connection parameters.

What is the difference between static and dynamic inventory?

● Static Inventory: Manually lists hosts and groups in an inventory file.

● Dynamic Inventory: Uses scripts or plugins to fetch real-time host data
from external sources like cloud providers.

What are Facts in Ansible, and how do you use them?

Facts are system properties gathered automatically by Ansible (e.g., OS type, IP
address). They are accessible as variables. Example:

yaml

tasks:

- debug:

msg: "The system IP is {{ ansible_default_ipv4.address }}"

How does Ansible handle parallelism?

Ansible runs tasks in parallel on multiple hosts. The degree of parallelism is
controlled by the forks parameter in ansible.cfg (default is 5).

What is the ansible-pull command?

ansible-pull allows nodes to pull configurations from a centralized Git repository,
enabling a pull-based model.
What are some commonly used Ansible Modules?

● File Management: copy, template, fetch, lineinfile.

● Package Management: apt, yum, dnf.
● System Management: user, service, cron.
● Networking: uri, firewalld, iptables.

Advanced Questions

What is the difference between include_tasks and import_tasks?

● include_tasks: Dynamically includes tasks during runtime. Variables can be

evaluated dynamically.
● import_tasks: Statically includes tasks during Playbook parsing. Variables
are evaluated at parse time.

What are Filters in Ansible, and how do you use them?

Filters modify variables or results in a Playbook. Example:

yaml

tasks:

- debug:

msg: "{{ mylist | join(', ') }}"

How do you optimize Ansible Playbooks?

● Avoid running tasks on all hosts unnecessarily. Use when conditions.

● Use async for long-running tasks.
● Use tags to run specific parts of Playbooks.
● Disable gather_facts if not needed.
What are Custom Modules in Ansible?
Custom modules are Python scripts written to extend Ansible functionality. They
follow a specific structure and use AnsibleModule for interaction.

What are Callback Plugins?

Callback plugins alter or extend Ansible’s output. Example: Adding custom
logging, notifications, or real-time updates.

How do you use the register keyword in Ansible?

register stores the output of a task into a variable.

yaml

tasks:

- name: Check free disk space

command: df -h

register: disk_space

- debug:

var: disk_space.stdout

What is the purpose of become, and how do you use it?

become enables privilege escalation (e.g., sudo).

yaml

tasks:

- name: Install nginx

 apt:

name: nginx

state: present

become: yes

Scenario-Based Questions

Scenario: Deploy a web server and ensure it is running.

yaml

- hosts: webservers

tasks:

- name: Install Apache

apt:

name: apache2

state: present

- name: Start and enable Apache

service:

name: apache2

state: started

enabled: yes
Scenario: Copy a file to multiple hosts only if it doesn’t already exist.

yaml

tasks:

- name: Copy file if not present

copy:

src: /local/path/to/file

dest: /remote/path/to/file

remote_src: yes

creates: /remote/path/to/file

Scenario: Perform a health check after deploying an application.

yaml

tasks:

- name: Check application health

uri:

url: http://localhost:8080/health

status_code: 200

register: health_check

- name: Fail if health check fails

 fail:

msg: "Application is not healthy"

when: health_check.status != 200

Troubleshooting Questions

What do you do if ansible-playbook fails to connect to hosts?

● Check SSH connectivity using ssh user@host.

● Verify inventory file syntax.
● Test with ansible all -m ping.
● Confirm Ansible’s control machine can resolve hostnames.

How do you handle undefined variables?

Use the default filter to avoid errors:

yaml

{{ variable_name | default('default_value') }}

●
● Set DEFAULT_UNDEFINED_VAR_BEHAVIOR in ansible.cfg.

What if Ansible is too slow during execution?

● Use pipelining = True in ansible.cfg.

● Disable fact gathering if unnecessary.
● Increase parallelism with -f or forks.

Miscellaneous Questions

How do you handle secrets securely in Ansible?

 ● Use Ansible Vault to encrypt sensitive data.
● Combine with tools like HashiCorp Vault for additional secret management.

What is ansible-galaxy, and how is it used?

ansible-galaxy is a command-line tool to manage roles and collections.

ansible-galaxy install geerlingguy.nginx

What is the purpose of roles_path in ansible.cfg?

roles_path specifies the directory where Ansible looks for roles. This is useful for
organizing large projects.