Ansible Cheatsheet

Ansible is an open-source automation tool that simplifies configuration management, application deployment, and task automation. It uses a simple YAML syntax and requires no agents on remote systems, relying instead on SSH for secure communication.

Ansible playbooks are YAML files that define automation tasks. They describe a set of plays, each targeting specific hosts and containing tasks to be executed in sequence. Playbooks provide a way to express configurations, deployments, and orchestration in a simple, human-readable format.

Ansible roles provide a way to organize playbooks into reusable, modular components. They encapsulate tasks, handlers, variables, templates, and other resources into a standardized directory structure, making complex automation workflows more maintainable and shareable.

Ansible inventory defines the hosts and groups you're managing. It can be static (defined in files) or dynamic (generated by scripts). Inventories support variables at host and group levels, and can use patterns to target specific hosts.

Variables in Ansible store values that can be used throughout playbooks and roles. They can be defined in multiple places with different precedence levels, allowing for flexible configuration management and dynamic task execution.

Ansible modules are reusable units of code that perform specific tasks. They are the building blocks of playbooks, allowing you to manage files, packages, services, and more across various platforms.

Control flow in Ansible allows you to make decisions, handle errors, and repeat tasks. This includes conditionals, loops, error handling blocks, and task delegation.

Templates in Ansible use Jinja2, a powerful templating language that allows for dynamic content generation. Templates are processed on the Ansible controller before being transferred to the managed nodes, enabling configuration files to be customized for each host.

Testing and debugging Ansible code is essential for reliable infrastructure automation. Ansible provides various tools to validate playbooks before execution, simulate changes, and troubleshoot issues when they occur.

Security in Ansible involves protecting sensitive data, securing connections, managing access control, and implementing best practices to ensure your automation infrastructure remains protected from vulnerabilities.

Ansible performance can be significantly improved by configuring parallel execution, optimizing SSH connections, and implementing caching strategies. These techniques are especially important when managing large infrastructures.