Go from the basics of using Ansible to becoming proficient at implementing configuration management in your projects. This book uses a unique approach to teaching Ansible and configuration management while including realistic examples in its day-to-day use from server-based infrastructure to Amazon cloud-based deployments.

Practical Ansible is separated into seven chapters that allow you to build your knowledge with each chapter, developing further as we move through the examples provided. It begins with the basics of Ansible, providing you with details on how to install and configure your environment while working with different Ansible modules from the command line. Next, it introduces you to working with Ansible tasks and organizing configuration code into playbooks.

The book then shows you how to extend playbooks further, using roles and templates within the configuration code. Then, it extends your knowledge further by covering custom Ansible modules using Python and Linux shell scripts, and demonstrating how you can start to keep your secret values encrypted and secure using Ansible Vault. You’ll also extend Ansible roles with the use of Ansible Galaxy to reuse existing roles other users have created.

The second half of the book moves configuration management to the Amazon cloud providing an introduction on what Amazon Web Services are, and how you can start to work with Ansible roles in AWS. The AWS examples use EC2 and CloudFormation services with Ansible template functions, Ansible Pull, and Ansible Git code deployment.

The final part of the book includes a demonstration on how to use the numerous tools available to both Ansible and supporting libraries and modules to allow you to troubleshoot and test your configuration code before you deploy your changes to production systems.

By the end of this book, you will have the skills for managing technology configuration management. You will be ready to work on real-world projects and be able to implement Ansible in your own technology projects.

What You Will Learn

• Understand the basics of Ansible and how to install and configure the application on your system
• Make changes to your system using Ansible directly in the command line using some of the more common Ansible modules
• Group your modules together as tasks in Ansible playbooks for more efficient deployment of configuration changes
• Use Ansible roles to help group and reuse configuration management changes and deployments
• Search for community-created roles using Ansible Galaxy and how you can also host your own Ansible roles
• Deploy code to Amazon Web Services and how to utilize different AWS services in your deployment projects
• Use external modules and libraries such as Molecule and Ansible Lint to help test your configurations before the configuration code is deployed

Who This Book Is For

System administrators, DevOps engineers, software engineers, and developers wanting to extend their current knowledge of computer systems and incorporate Ansible as a configuration management tool within them.

从使用Ansible的基础知识到熟练地在项目中实施配置管理。本书采用独特的方法来教授Ansible和配置管理，同时包括从基于服务器的基础设施到基于亚马逊云的部署的日常使用中的现实例子。

实用Ansible分为七章，让你在每一章中积累知识，在我们通过所提供的例子中进一步发展。它从Ansible的基础知识开始，为你提供了如何安装和配置环境的细节，同时从命令行中使用不同的Ansible模块。接下来，它向你介绍了如何使用Ansible任务，并将配置代码组织到playbook中。

然后，本书向你展示了如何进一步扩展playbook，在配置代码中使用角色和模板。然后，它通过使用Python和Linux shell脚本的自定义Ansible模块进一步扩展了你的知识，并演示了如何使用Ansible Vault开始保持你的秘密值的加密和安全。你还会通过使用Ansible Galaxy来扩展Ansible角色，以重用其他用户创建的现有角色。

本书的后半部分将配置管理转移到亚马逊云，介绍了什么是亚马逊网络服务，以及如何在AWS中开始使用Ansible角色。AWS的例子使用EC2和CloudFormation服务与Ansible模板功能、Ansible Pull和Ansible Git代码部署。

本书的最后一部分包括演示如何使用Ansible和支持库和模块的众多工具，让你在将变化部署到生产系统之前对配置代码进行故障排除和测试。

在本书结束时，你将拥有管理技术配置管理的技能。你将准备好在现实世界的项目中工作，并能够在你自己的技术项目中实施Ansible。

你将会学到什么

了解Ansible的基础知识，以及如何在系统上安装和配置该应用程序

使用Ansible直接在命令行中使用一些比较常见的Ansible模块对你的系统进行修改

将模块组合成Ansible playbook中的任务，以更有效地部署配置变化

使用Ansible角色来帮助分组和重复使用配置管理的变化和部署

使用Ansible Galaxy搜索社区创建的角色，以及如何托管自己的Ansible角色

将代码部署到亚马逊网络服务，以及如何在部署项目中利用不同的AWS服务

使用外部模块和库，如Molecule和Ansible Lint，帮助在配置代码部署前测试你的配置。

本书适用对象

系统管理员、DevOps工程师、软件工程师以及希望扩展其现有计算机系统知识并将Ansible作为配置管理工具纳入其中的开发人员。