Advanced Ansible Configuration and Administration

Outline

• Review of Control Code and Managed Node Required Configuration
  • Ansible components review
  • Running Ansible in escalated privilege mode
  • SSH key setup
  • Ansible common account creation, setup, and features
  • Required components for a Linux and networking device-managed node
• Advanced Control Node Setup and Configuration
  • Ansible Core installation methods: rpm, pip, and Tower (changes)
  • Ansible command and module documentation
  • Inventory (hosts) file contents (Linux/Unix and network device nodes)
  • Dynamic inventory (hosts) file contents and usage
  • Ansible configuration file (locations and parameter definitions)
  • Special use configuration parameter definitions
  • Fact caching using jsonfile and redis
  • Creating and using local system facts
  • Understanding the hostvars dictionary (usage)
  • All methods of variable creation and usage
• Ansible Playbooks
  • Using the FQCN (fully qualified collection path) for module access
  • Playbook: loops, conditionals, tags, notifications, plugins, filters, and lookups
  • Controls: output formatting and inclusion with callbacks
  • Advanced Jinja 2 template usage
  • Using “inner” and “outer” playbooks
  • The meta module
• Ansible Modules
  • Including external tasks in a playbook
  • Controls over node and task scheduling
  • Configuration parameters that control rolling updates
  • Using Ansible (playbook) debugging capabilities
  • Writing a customized module (and embedded documentation)
  • Asynchronous task scheduling
  • Block control - rescue always
• Roles in Ansible
  • Overview of a role (review)
  • Creating a role (review)
  • Using (a) role(s) (review)
  • Packaging up a role (review)
  • Ansible Galaxy - capabilities and usage with roles (review)
  • Git repo (role) repository (creation) on a non-control node
  • Local access of a Git repo role repository
  • Remote access of a Git repo role repository
  • Importing role definitions (on a control node)
  • Role dependencies definitions and usage
• Collections in Ansible
  • Overview of collections
  • Creating a collection (structure)
  • Using roles in a collection
  • Packaging up a collection (tar file and Git repository)
  • Installing a collection (from a tar file and Git repository)
  • Putting and using playbooks in a collection
  • Putting and using modules in a collection
• Network Device Managed Nodes
  • Requirements for a network device-managed node
  • Inventory and access control information on the control node
  • Required setup of a network device-managed node
  • Module usage for a network device-managed node
• Ansible Tower (AWX can be substituted in place of the Ansible Tower)
• • Features of the Ansible Tower (review)
  • Preparation and installation of the Ansible Tower (review)
  • Components (files and services) of the Ansible Tower (review)
  • Starting and stopping the Ansible Tower (review}
  • Logging into the Ansible Tower (review)
  • Using AWX-manage
  • Ansible Tower smart inventory
  • Defining manual and Git (SCM) projects
  • Creating job templates for an existing project
  • Watching and chaining (multi-) playbooks (workflows)
  • Using roles in the Ansible Tower
  • Interfacing with the Ansible Tower API
  • Installing and using the tower-CLI/AWS utility
  • Ansible Core tower_ modules (to the Ansible Tower)
  • Backing up and restoring Ansible tower objects
  • Backing up and restoring the Ansible Tower database
  • Updating the Ansible Tower
  • Introduction to Ansible Tower clusters
  • Ansible Tower virtual environment (setup and usage)
• Conclusion