LIN374 - Ansible Configuration and Management

Course Description

Short Course | 24 hours | 2.4 CEUs | $3,495

This Intermediate to Advanced level Ansible training course takes a deep-dive into further automating provisioning, configure management, and deployment using Ansible.  Attendees master additional topics in Ansible playbook construction, module utilization, role configuration, and node management. 

This course presents the system management and configuration tool Ansible, from methods, techniques, capabilities to implementation.  Each participant will learn advanced techniques to configure an Ansible control node along with the impact on the Linux system. Time and attention will be spent in learning, writing, and applying complex playbook features - the key part of Ansible that allows the synchronization of environments easily and uniformly.  The Ansible Tower, from installation to both internal and external usage will also be presented.

This course includes all of the topics in the Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform class (DO374) plus a lot more, for example, writing and implementing a custom Ansible Python module.

This course is directed towards working systems administrators, software developers, application testers, and quality assurance personnel.

LIN374 is the second course in the Ansible Certificate. To complete the certificate students will also enroll in LIN300. Click on each course link for more details and to add to cart.

Course 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 and always
• Roles in Ansible
  • overview of a role (review)
  • creating a role (structure)(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 (a) role(s) in a collection
  • packaging up a collection (tar file and Git repository)
  • installing a collection (from a tar file and Git repository)
  • installing a collection from external (vendor) sites
  • installing a collection from the automation hub
  • putting and using playbooks in a collection
  • putting and using modules in a collection
• Introduction to the Ansible Automation Platform
  • components and concepts
  • installation
  • key components: ansible-navigator, ansible-builder, automation controller
  • run playbooks with the automation controller
• Ansible Tower / AWX
  • features of the Ansible Tower / AWX (review)
  • (preparation for and) installation of the Ansible Tower / AWX (review)
  • components (files and services) of the Ansible Tower / AWX (review)
  • starting and stopping the Ansible Tower / AWX (review)
  • logging into the Ansible Tower / AWX (review)
  • using awx-manage
  • Ansible Tower / AWX 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 / AWX
  • interfacing with the Ansible Tower / AWX API
  • installing and using the tower-cli / awx utility
  • Ansible Core tower_ modules (to the Ansible Tower / AWX )
  • backing up and restoring Ansible tower objects
  • backing up and restoring the Ansible Tower / AWX database
  • updating the Ansible Tower / AWX
  • introduction to Ansible Tower / AWX clusters
  • Ansible Tower / AWX virtual environment (setup and usage)

Learner Outcomes

At the completion of the course, participants should be able to:

• perform advanced configuration for an Ansible control node and managed node
• add the usage of conditionals, loops, filters, and loopbacks to playbooks
• use lookups to capture data source in a playbook
• request notification on configuration changes
• create and implement dynamic inventory definitions
• implement reusable roles and collections capabilities and dependencies
• control ad-hoc and playbook output with callback plugins
• create and implement dynamic inventory definitions
• implement reusable roles capabilities and dependencies
• program and use the features of the Ansible Tower
• develop a best practice usage for all Ansible components

Duration