Skip to content

Contact sales

By filling out this form and clicking submit, you acknowledge our privacy policy.
  • Labs icon Lab
  • A Cloud Guru
Google Cloud Platform icon
Labs

Getting Started with Ansible

The very first step to harnessing the power of Ansible is configuring your environment. This activity goes over installing Ansible on a control node and configuring two managed servers for use with Ansible. We will also create a simple inventory and run an Ansible command to verify our configuration is correct. *This course is not approved or sponsored by Red Hat.*

Google Cloud Platform icon
Labs

Path Info

Level
Clock icon Intermediate
Duration
Clock icon 30m
Published
Clock icon Apr 05, 2019

Contact sales

By filling out this form and clicking submit, you acknowledge our privacy policy.

Table of Contents

  1. Challenge

    Install Ansible on the control node.

    To install Ansible on the control node, run sudo yum install ansible.

  2. Challenge

    Configure the `ansible` user on the control node for ssh shared key access to managed nodes. Do not use a passphrase for the key pair.

    1. To create a keypair for the ansible user on the control host, run the following:
    • sudo su - ansible
    • ssh-keygen (accept all defaults: press enter for each prompt)
    • Copy the public key to both node1 and node2.
    • As the ansible user on the control host:
      • ssh-copy-id node1 (accept the host key if prompted, authenticate as ansible user)
      • ssh-copy-id node2 (accept the host key if prompted, authenticate as ansible user)
  3. Challenge

    Create a simple Ansible inventory on the control node in `/home/ansible/inventory` containing `node1` and `node2`.

    • On the control host:
    1. sudo su - ansible (if not already ansible user)
    • touch /home/ansible/inventory
    • echo "node1" >> /home/ansible/inventory
    • echo "node2" >> /home/ansible/inventory
  4. Challenge

    Configure sudo access for Ansible on `node1` and `node2` such that Ansible may use sudo for any command with no password prompt.

    • Log in to node1 as cloud_user and edit the sudoers file to contain appropriate access for the ansible user:
      • ssh cloud_user@node1
      • sudo visudo
      • Add the following line to the file and save:
      ansible    ALL=(ALL)       NOPASSWD: ALL
      
    • Repeate these steps for node2.
  5. Challenge

    Verify each managed node is able to be accessed by Ansible from the control node using the `ping` module. Redirect the output of a successful command to `/home/ansible/output`.

    • To verify each node, run the following as the ansible user from the control host:
      • ansible -i /home/ansible/inventory node1 -m ping
      • ansible -i /home/ansible/inventory node2 -m ping
    • To redirect output of a successful command to /home/ansible/output:
      • ansible -i /home/ansible/inventory node1 -m ping > /home/ansible/output

The Cloud Content team comprises subject matter experts hyper focused on services offered by the leading cloud vendors (AWS, GCP, and Azure), as well as cloud-related technologies such as Linux and DevOps. The team is thrilled to share their knowledge to help you build modern tech solutions from the ground up, secure and optimize your environments, and so much more!

What's a lab?

Hands-on Labs are real environments created by industry experts to help you learn. These environments help you gain knowledge and experience, practice without compromising your system, test without risk, destroy without fear, and let you learn from your mistakes. Hands-on Labs: practice your skills before delivering in the real world.

Provided environment for hands-on practice

We will provide the credentials and environment necessary for you to practice right within your browser.

Guided walkthrough

Follow along with the author’s guided walkthrough and build something new in your provided environment!

Did you know?

On average, you retain 75% more of your learning if you get time for practice.

Start learning by doing today

View Plans