The Importance of Ansible and Configuration Management Systems

In this series of articles, we’ll explore a lot of different topics, starting from the basics and moving to more advanced parts of Ansible. You’ll get to see exactly how Ansible works together with CMS, and how you can use it to build a better and more efficient IT setup.

In today’s fast-changing tech world, managing IT infrastructure can be a real challenge. With servers, network devices, databases, and so much more, it can quickly become a complicated mess. This is where Configuration Management Systems (CMS) come in — they help automate and control all these pieces. But is there a tool that makes this complicated job simpler? Yes, there is! That tool is Ansible!

The Relationship Between Ansible and CMS

Ansible is a tool that helps automate tasks for Configuration Management. Put simply, Ansible enables you to keep your systems in the state you want and configure many machines quickly and easily. Its simplicity and flexibility have made it very popular among IT pros. But why choose Ansible?

Simplicity: Ansible uses YAML (Yet Another Markup Language), which is straightforward and easy to learn.

Versatility: It works with many operating systems like Linux, Windows, and macOS, and offers lots of modules and integration options to handle a wide range of infrastructure.

Security: Ansible has features like encryption and session management, which help keep your systems safe.

Understanding Ansible Concepts: A Comprehensive Guide

Ansible is a powerful tool that helps automate Configuration Management and more. To really master Ansible, it’s important to understand the core ideas behind it. But what do these concepts mean in real-world situations? Let’s dive into these ideas and see how they work in practice. This will help you understand how Ansible fits into the bigger picture of managing systems and networks.

Users

In Ansible, “users” usually means system admins, DevOps engineers, or anyone who writes and runs Ansible playbooks. These are the people who work directly with the Ansible control node. In bigger organizations, system admins and DevOps engineers use Ansible to automate boring, repetitive tasks so they have more time to focus on more challenging work.

Ansible Playbooks

Playbooks are YAML files that tell Ansible what to do when it works with a managed node. Think of them like recipes — they list the tasks that need to be run on the managed nodes. Playbooks are easy to write, read, and understand. For example, an e-commerce company could use playbooks to automatically scale their infrastructure based on how much traffic the website gets. Here’s a simple YAML example of a playbook that installs the Apache web server:

---
- hosts: web_servers
  tasks:
    - name: Install Apache
      apt:
        name: apache2
        state: present

API (Application Programming Interface)

Ansible’s API lets it connect with other software and services. This is helpful for more advanced automation, where Ansible needs to work alongside other tools or databases. For example, a cloud provider could use Ansible’s API to add it to their existing services, giving users automated, self-service options.

Modules

Modules are pieces of code that Ansible runs. Each module does something specific, like installing a package or creating a file. Ansible comes with hundreds of built-in modules, but you can also make your own. IT teams in financial institutions use specific modules to enforce security standards across thousands of servers. Here’s an example of using the “copy” module to copy a file:

tasks:
  - name: Copy file
    copy:
      src: /source/file
      dest: /destination/file

Inventory

The inventory is a list of nodes (or machines) that Ansible manages. It can be a static file or be generated dynamically from a source like a CMDB. In a multi-cloud environment, dynamic inventories help organizations manage resources across different cloud providers easily. Here’s an example of a simple static inventory file:

[web_servers]
192.168.1.10
192.168.1.11

Plugins

Plugins add extra features to Ansible. They can run extra tasks, work with data, or connect with other services. Examples include inventory plugins, filter plugins, and callback plugins. In a DevSecOps pipeline, plugins can be used to add security checks at different stages of the development process.

Hosts

Hosts are the machines that Ansible manages. They are listed in the inventory and can be grouped by things like functionality, location, or other criteria. In a large company, hosts might be grouped by their location, making it easier to apply settings or updates based on where they are.

Networking

Ansible can manage network devices from different vendors. It has specific modules that can work with networking hardware and software. For example, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) might use Ansible to manage the settings of their routers and switches in different data centers.

Public/Private Cloud

Ansible can also manage cloud resources. It has modules for working with popular cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. From startups to big companies, many use Ansible to automate setting up and managing their cloud resources, helping them control their operational costs.

CMDB (Configuration Management Database)

CMDBs can be used as dynamic inventory sources for Ansible, giving real-time information about the items in the infrastructure. Healthcare organizations might use CMDBs as dynamic inventories to make sure all systems follow healthcare regulations.

Control Node

The control node is the machine where Ansible is installed, and it’s used to run tasks and playbooks. In a multi-site retail business, the control node could be a central server at the head office. From there, IT managers can send updates or security patches to all point-of-sale systems across the different store locations.

Managed Nodes

Managed nodes are the servers controlled by the Ansible control node. These are the target machines where Ansible runs its modules. In a cloud-native company, managed nodes could be virtual machines or containers that are created as needed. Ansible can automatically set up these nodes as they start, making sure they meet the company’s security and performance standards.

Tasks

Tasks are the smallest actions in Ansible. They run one after the other and use Ansible modules to do specific things. In a digital marketing agency, tasks in a playbook might include getting the latest code from a Git repository, running tests, and then deploying a website to a production server. These tasks can be run automatically whenever there’s a new code commit, making sure the client’s website is always up to date. Here’s an example of a task to install a package:

tasks:
  - name: Install package
    apt:
      name: some_package
      state: present

Understanding these concepts will give you a solid foundation in Ansible. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to write better playbooks, handle complex inventories, and use Ansible in larger automation plans.

How to Install Ansible

Now that you know the key concepts and real-world uses of Ansible, you might be excited to start using it. The good news is that installing Ansible is usually pretty easy. For step-by-step instructions on how to install Ansible on your operating system, check out the official Ansible documentation. It has detailed guides for installing Ansible on Linux, macOS, and Windows.

👉 Ansible Installation Guide

By following the official guide, you can make sure you’re setting up Ansible correctly and following best practices. Once it’s installed, you’ll be ready to start automating your tasks and improving your workflows.

As a DevSecOps enthusiast, I hope you enjoy this article. In this column called “Mindful Monday Musings” here every Monday, I will share articles on Dev(Sec)Ops and Cloud. You can support M3 (aka Mindful Monday Musings) by following me and sharing your opinions. Please send me your contributions, criticisms, and comments, it would make me glad.