Ansible Playbooks Example

An Ansible playbook is a configuration management and automation script written in YAML format. Playbooks define a set of tasks, configuration settings, and roles that Ansible should execute on a group of hosts. Playbooks are a fundamental component of Ansible and enable you to automate complex tasks and manage infrastructure as code.

Purpose

The primary purpose of Ansible playbooks is to automate tasks and configurations on remote hosts. Playbooks allow you to define a series of steps, known as “tasks,” to be executed on target hosts, ensuring consistent and repeatable deployment and management of systems.

Structure

A typical Ansible playbook consists of the following key components:

• Plays
• Hosts
• Tasks
• Handlers
• Conditions
• Roles

YAML Format

Playbooks are written in YAML (Yet Another Markup Language), a human-readable data serialization format. YAML’s simplicity and readability make it well-suited for describing tasks and configurations.

In YAML, it’s important to start each new YAML document --- to indicate the beginning of a new document. This is especially important when you have multiple documents in a single YAML file.

Hosts

Playbooks specify the hosts or groups of hosts where the defined tasks will be executed. You can target a single host, multiple hosts, or groups of hosts.

---
- hosts: webserver
  become: yes
  tasks:
    - name: Ensure Apache is installed
      package:
        name: httpd
        state: present

Example Playbook: install httpd

Tasks

Tasks are the individual steps or actions you want Ansible to perform on the target hosts. Each task consists of a name, a module (which defines the action to be taken), and relevant module parameters.

- hosts: webserver
  become: yes
  tasks:
    - name: Ensure Apache is installed
      package:
        name: httpd
        state: present #Change state to absent if you want uninstall 

    - name: Ensure Apache is started 
      service:
        name: httpd
        state: started

Example Playbook: install and start httpd

Handlers

Handlers are tasks that are triggered by other tasks. They are typically used to restart services or perform actions when certain conditions are met.

- hosts: webserver
  become: yes
  tasks:
    - name: Ensure Apache is installed
      package:
        name: httpd
        state: present #Change state to absent if you want uninstall 
      notify: apache_started

  handlers:
    - name: apache_started
      service:
        name: httpd
        state: started

Example Playbook: install and start httpd

Variables

Playbooks can define and use variables to make them more dynamic and reusable. Variables can be set at the playbook level, role level, or task level.

- hosts: webserver
  vars:
    http_port: 80
  tasks:
    - name: Configure Apache virtual host
      template:
        src: templates/vhost.conf.j2
        dest: /etc/apache2/sites-available/my-site.conf

Roles

Roles are a way to organize and package tasks, variables, and files into reusable units. They make playbooks more modular and maintainable.

- hosts: webserver
  roles:
    - webserver

Playbook Execution

To execute a playbook, you use the ansible-playbook command followed by the playbook file name. For example:

ansible-playbook my_playbook.yml

Use Cases

Ansible playbooks are used for a wide range of automation tasks, including:

Server provisioning

Creating and configuring new servers with required software.

Configuration management

Enforcing consistent configurations across multiple servers.

Application deployment

Automating the deployment of applications and updates.

Infrastructure orchestration

Managing complex multi-tier infrastructures.

Backup and data synchronization

Implementing backup and synchronization tasks.

Example Playbook

Here’s a simple example of an Ansible playbook that installs and starts the Apache web server:

- hosts: webserver
  tasks:
    - name: Ensure Apache is installed
      apt:
        name: apache2
        state: present

    - name: Start Apache service
      service:
        name: apache2
        state: started

This playbook targets hosts in the webserver group and executes two tasks to install Apache and start the Apache service.

Conclusion

Ansible playbooks are a powerful tool for automating and orchestrating tasks across your infrastructure, and they play a central role in DevOps and automation workflows.